On the world of Gethen, the concepts of loneliness and isolation are emphasized as we follow Genly Ai through his mission as an envoy for the Ekumen. The population of Gethen is composed of the Gethenians, androgynous beings with a culture and identity that completely differentiates from Genly's origin. Despite the time and hardships they have gone through together, Genly and Estraven still do not consider themselves friends. Genly asks, "Is it going to be 'Mr.' clear across the Gobrin Ice?" (212). Estraven informs him that only hearth-brothers or friends use first names, implying that they are not friends. Arriving to a new planet with severe weather conditions that Genly is not used to has left him seeking basic comforts in those around him. The last place Genly felt safe and comfortable in was Orgoreyn where he was betrayed by the Commensals and was forced to rely on Estraven to escape. During their journey, Genly says that they "never saw more than a quarter-mile ahead through the gray mist and mass of rain. What slopes rose on above us I never looked up to see; nothing to see but rain falling," (217). Not only were they 800 miles away from their destination but he was traversing through the harsh winter of Gethen, suffering from a stomache with nothing to ease the pain.
In the end, the constant cold is a source of Genly's loneliness and isolation because of his inability to handle the harshness of the weather. Not only that but he is a stranger or alien to the people of Gethen. On their planet, he is an outsider because of his defined gender and physical characteristics and what is unknown instills fears. The only individual Genly has been able to communicate and express himself with is Estraven, the exiled traitor.
-Peter Nguyen
I like how you illustrated Genly and Estraven's relationship; accurate and to the point. This really does show just how different the people of Gethen are from the people on earth are.
ReplyDelete-Thomas Gist
yes i think that it could of better myself and others. i agree that the winters represents that gently's loneliness as a tend to a sign to many others around him. i like to think that when gently isn't alone , or when he's not a human on a foregin plant, warmth means means comfort, contact ,and happiness.
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean. Genly was the only human on Gethen and as such was completely isolated. As you said, people fear what they don't understand and because of that, Genly was forced into a corner. Even when he talked to others, not many, if any, believed him except for Estraven but Genly didn't truly realize that or appreciate it until the later chapters of the book. Estraven even goes as far as to say "...I am the only man in all Gethen that has trusted you entirely, and I am the only man in Gethen that you have refused to trust." Genly is alone throughout the majority of the book but then Estraven comes along and they get be to be alone and isolated together.
ReplyDelete-Brendan Stilwell
I could only imagine, if I visited a planet, not only would I feel like an outcast, but I would also be paranoid due to my ignorance of the culture and environment. So in the case of Genly, the "cold" compels the symbolism of loneliness and isolation. Therefore, the coldness gives a good overview of Genly and the harshness he faces on planet Gethen. This harshness includes the discrimination he endures when many Gethenians do not trust him. However, Estraven does and ends up being the only person to not leave Genly in pure isolation.
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ReplyDeleteGood afternoon Peter. I agree with you in that Genly is an outsider on Winter. It's difficult for him to connect with people who consider him a pervert merely because he has a penis. Meanwhile, he can't connect with Gethenians when he clearly has sexist views. This leads to his isolation. The constant cold seems to resemble his isolation based on how most of his encounters with Gethenians occur. Throughout most of the novel, Genly has been considered a stranger, and he has been treated poorly by many of the characters. This attitude towards Genly reflects the harshness of the cold on Winter. It's challenging to withstand the weather on Winter similar to how Genly has difficulty interacting with many of the Gethenians throughout the novel. In this sense, the constant cold on Winter is representative of the isolation Genly experiences throughout his journey.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the cold is a source of Genly’s isolation and loneliness, but on top of that, I think the extreme cold isolates the planet of Gethen as a whole. Even though Gethenians are more adapted to the cold they go through many abnormal things as a result of the cold. I remember Ms. Fletcher mentioning that kemmering may be a sort of adaptation on the planet to ensure reproduction still happens in the extreme weather, but thinking about it, kemmering sort of isolates the people and their emotions more. The Gethenians seem cold hearted majority of the time until they are in the kemmering state, so to me it seems like this adaptation restricts the people on the planet from expressing their feelings year round. This could make everyone, not only Genly, feel extremely lonely.
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