![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
m_oonmoonLe Guin imagines a world, Gethen, where humans are androgynous for the most part, except during a small window of time (Kemmer) where they turn into either male or female. Genly Ai is an envoy from Ekumen - a group of worlds which have come together to exchange knowledge and technology. He is tasked to propose to the Gethenians that they join the Ekumen. The difference in culture and lack of defined sex pose as a barrier to Ai's mission. While he seems adept at trying to fit in a foreign society and learning their ways, his inherent misogyny prevents him from trusting the one Gethenian that has been championing his cause.
There are lots of clues pointing to Ai's misogyny, some more subtle than the others. He primarily uses the pronoun 'he' to refer to every person in position of power that he meets. As a reader, it is almost easy to forget that we are dealing with beings who do not have a defined sex because our narrator insists on referring to them as men. He is also quick to disdain any qualities that he deems 'feminine' which clouds his perception of Estraven even though Estraven is the only one who has stayed with him to see his mission through. When Estraven asks him how different females are from other worlds, Ai's misogyny is even more stark. Sure, he tries to be diplomatic but he does not sound convincing and quickly drops the subject.
There isn't much in the way of exploring how Gethenians' androgyny dictates their society . What little is revealed is mentioned somewhat in passing and I found it hard to get a clear grasp of how this lack of defined sex affects how their society operates. In this sense, this novel is less a thought experiment and more an investigation of our biases about gender and sexuality.
Another interesting thing that this novel explores is the concept of patriotism. Ai finds it difficult to sell his mission to the King of Karhide so he travels to Orgoreyn, a separate nation in Gethen, in hopes of finding a more sympathetic ear. After all, it matters less which nation accepts Ekumen first since the other nations will naturally follow. Here he is met with bureaucracy and covert intentions. As he travels with Estraven to escape prison, he asks Estraven if they hate Orgoreyn, Estraven answers:
And yet when given the choice for a hideout, Estraven says, "I'd rather be in Karhide." Estraven has shown that they are loyal to humankind as a whole rather than specifically to Karhide or its monarchy. This coexists with his preference for Karhide over Orgoreyn.
The latter half of the novel is filled with descriptive imagery of the planet's wintry landscape. It serves as a backdrop to the characters' perilous journey making it both beautiful and terrifying. Le Guin has a way with words that transport you, as if you are embarking on the journey yourself. Ultimately, the novel ends in a hopeful note. Ai's ship bearing other members of the Ekumen descends on Gethen. Faxe, a foreteller who motivates Ai to see his mission through, remarks, "I'm glad I have lived to see this." The same words spoken by Estraven, as he was traveling through Ice, unsure of his survival.
I really enjoyed this novel. Perhaps a little less than the other Hainish Cycle novels but I am psyched to finish it all.
Though I had been nearly two years on Winter I was still far from being able to see the people of the planet through their own eyes. I tried to, but my efforts took the form of self-consciously seeing Gethenian first as a man, then as a woman, forcing him into these categories so irrelevant to his nature and so essential to my own.
There are lots of clues pointing to Ai's misogyny, some more subtle than the others. He primarily uses the pronoun 'he' to refer to every person in position of power that he meets. As a reader, it is almost easy to forget that we are dealing with beings who do not have a defined sex because our narrator insists on referring to them as men. He is also quick to disdain any qualities that he deems 'feminine' which clouds his perception of Estraven even though Estraven is the only one who has stayed with him to see his mission through. When Estraven asks him how different females are from other worlds, Ai's misogyny is even more stark. Sure, he tries to be diplomatic but he does not sound convincing and quickly drops the subject.
There isn't much in the way of exploring how Gethenians' androgyny dictates their society . What little is revealed is mentioned somewhat in passing and I found it hard to get a clear grasp of how this lack of defined sex affects how their society operates. In this sense, this novel is less a thought experiment and more an investigation of our biases about gender and sexuality.
Another interesting thing that this novel explores is the concept of patriotism. Ai finds it difficult to sell his mission to the King of Karhide so he travels to Orgoreyn, a separate nation in Gethen, in hopes of finding a more sympathetic ear. After all, it matters less which nation accepts Ekumen first since the other nations will naturally follow. Here he is met with bureaucracy and covert intentions. As he travels with Estraven to escape prison, he asks Estraven if they hate Orgoreyn, Estraven answers:
Hate Orgoreyn? No, how should I? How does one hate a country, or love one? Tibe talks about it; I lack the trick of it. I know people, I know towns, farms, hills and rivers and rocks, I know how the sun at sunset in autumn falls on the side of a certain plowland in the hills; but what is the sense of giving a boundary to all that, of giving it a name and ceasing to love where the name ceases to apply? What is love of one’s country; is it hate of one’s uncountry? Then it’s not a good thing. Is it simply self-love? That’s a good thing, but one mustn’t make a virtue of it, or a profession… Insofar as I love life, I love the hills of the Domain of Estre, but that sort of love does not have a boundary-line of hate. And beyond that, I am ignorant, I hope.
And yet when given the choice for a hideout, Estraven says, "I'd rather be in Karhide." Estraven has shown that they are loyal to humankind as a whole rather than specifically to Karhide or its monarchy. This coexists with his preference for Karhide over Orgoreyn.
The latter half of the novel is filled with descriptive imagery of the planet's wintry landscape. It serves as a backdrop to the characters' perilous journey making it both beautiful and terrifying. Le Guin has a way with words that transport you, as if you are embarking on the journey yourself. Ultimately, the novel ends in a hopeful note. Ai's ship bearing other members of the Ekumen descends on Gethen. Faxe, a foreteller who motivates Ai to see his mission through, remarks, "I'm glad I have lived to see this." The same words spoken by Estraven, as he was traveling through Ice, unsure of his survival.
I really enjoyed this novel. Perhaps a little less than the other Hainish Cycle novels but I am psyched to finish it all.