Though many themes arise in Ursula Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness, sex roles and gender are two of obvious repeating themes. First considered in the introduction, the author immediately discusses the sexuality and ambiguous nature of gender on the planet Gethen, or Winter, where the story takes place. Gender issues arise in the story on several occasions from conflict within the protagonist, Genly Ai, to political interests to "kemmering".
When Mr. Ai, as he is referred to in the story, is introduced, the reader discovers that he is remarkably masculine like one would imagine from body structure to personality. The author describes to us the conflict that Ai has comprehending the Gethenian way. The fact that they are gender neutral for all but a few days a month befuddles him and this is a matter he debates several places in the book. On page twelve, he is sitting with Estraven and thinking about the fact that he is having difficulty seeing him as he is and then seeing him as an actual male or female. He discusses how Estraven’s efforts and performance at the table had been very "effeminate", and yet, he did not see him as a woman, Hmmm wonder why? I believe Le Guin assimilates this theme into her book to try to show the reader that maybe one day a place which being a man or woman does not predispose the life that one may maintain. She also shows the reader that a story which involves sex in whatever form it may take, can also exist without sex. The book deals with many issues that are as much not about sex as they are about sex. This is a way for the author to make an assurance that being a woman, that gender and sex are not always of main interest in a story such as this. In the book, because of their sexual courses, the people of Gethen are then able to focus on other, more important issues for a majority of the time - like politics and the experiences of their world. And yet, gender and sex roles are a part of this. as well. After all, in the midst of the book, King Argaven gets pregnant and it seems that even the people in the story find it somewhat strange. I believe though, that it may not be for the same reason that Ai, may find it odd. They see it problematic due to his age, while Ai is just thrown off by the fact that the King is with child. The others just think he is too old, which in hindsight may be why Argaven loses the child just after its birth.Political events on Gethen seem very "masculine", cold, unforgiving, and impersonal. Then on a personal level the same characters seem feminine, warm, and caring. When Ai, for example, comes to Orgoreyn and stays with Shusgis in his home. Shusgis seems to me, more effeminate in that he made Ai’s room very warm, literally and this showed a nurturing side to him, which I loved. Throughout the story there are no children to be found. The reader is told that children are sent away when they are small, but does this mean that they have no company with their parents, even after they have reached adulthood. This kept crossing my mind and I decided that maybe it deals with the gender issue as well. Le Guin may have entirely taken the children out of the story because it would have made it very difficult to assign parental roles to the characters. If someone parented a child, they would have to act as the "father", but would they change when they were around the children they gave birth to? Gender comes up throughout the entire story of Left Hand of Darkness. Ursula Le Guin uses her story as a way to show the reader that a place could exist free of arranged sexual "norms" and roles for each person; that social and political affairs can be separated from personal lives, even to the basics of gender. The reader is advised of this right from the introduction. This is not a hidden meaning or theme. Le Guin needed her readers to think of this while reading her book. I trust she has succeeded.
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