loneliness can never be a friend

Throughout this book, the cold has been the overall mood of the novel. A cold stricken land where Gethenians choose to stay has change everything about them. how they get there food, there clothing, and life style all revolves around the cold. Especially now with genly and Esterven trapped in the vast land of snow trying there best to get back to karhid. its hard for Genely when Esterven tells him the only way they can survive is to travel all through the mountains. Genly still argues whether it would be safe to cross the ice-crossing than wait till spring. But Esterven only tells him," solitude.." (202) implying that no one will be there during this winter. Also, as they struggle with  food supply Estreven come back with a pile of food only to imply that he had stolen it. This also gives out how hard it is to live in the cold were no food can be provided in hand and drastic measures have to be precocious in order  to survive. 

Furthermore, when Genly explains that,"where there is no beer on winter there is orsh, where there is neither beer nor orsh there are no people"(202). Stating the fact that without something warm and conforming like a hot cup of "orsh", there would be a Communion of people to fight out the solitude the cold give.

Another thing too is that when both are in the most coldest conditions and being close to warmth,  Genly ask,"then i am AI-who uses first names?" " hearth brothers or friends..."

later leaving Genly to think "a friend. what is a friend in a world where any friend may be a lover at a new phase of the moon?...they were no flesh of mine, no friends, no love between us"(213). Even in the cold, Esterven strongly tells genly that they could never be friends. This is the solitude cold gives. even in the depth of death these Gethenians choose to be alone in there own world. Helping but never wanting to be friends. This is why solitude and isolation is being portrayed to the cold, because so as the cold wants to be alone, so do these Gethenians who only struggle to survive in there strange world.