The Left Hand of Darkness contains chapters that don’t directly deal with the plot of the story, but instead provide the reader with a richer sense of the history, culture of Gethen and where the story takes place. A chapter called “The Question of Sex,” taken from the field notes of an Investigator, provides detailed information about the biology and behavior of the non-existent gender of the Gethenian race. Although the nature of Gethenian sexuality, or the lack of it, has already been alluded to, within the main narrative. This chapter helps provide insight into the ways in which sex and gender have influenced Gethenian culture as a whole. Another chapter, “The Place Inside the Blizzard,” gives readers a better sense of Gethenian cultural norms regarding incest and suicide. On the other note, folktales and myths give depth to the anthropology accounts of the Gethenian people’s habits and customs. For instance, although ice giants likely did not create Gethen, as suggested in “An Orgota Creation Myth”, the chapter provides a useful insight into the Orgota culture, as it explains the culture’s ideas and the basis of their spiritual life about the cycle of light and death, and the important role that darkness and shadows play in daily life and in mythology.
Overall, The Left Hand of Darkness emphasizes on the fact that there is no single, objective truth about the world. By using many types of stories told from many perspectives, Ursula Le Guin, weaves a complex and even sometimes in opposition of the picture of reality. This shows that a variety of viewpoints gives a more complete picture than a single viewpoint could not possibly provide. Although Genly Ai and earlier Investigators can provide the anthropology studies of the world, its people, their observable biology and behavior, it is the chapters written from the myths, and the legends of the Gethenians, that render a true depiction of the people of Gethen as fully-formed beings with complex internal lives and centuries of rich culture and tradition.
-Margareth Simbillo
This goes the same way as humans who believe in there own myths which forms there whole life style and heritage. lets take The Aztecs for example, there culture is fully based on myths and ancient gods and goddesses who provided the sun and the rain for there crops. Myths of great men finding civilization in order to be able to survive. All there heritage and teaching is revolved around polytheism. Much like the Gethenians who revolve there life's around there myths. Another example could be the myth of the fortunetellers and how now when Genly arrives to the modern day fortunetellers who still practice the idea of avoiding a wrong question that could give a dyer affect to society. IN my opinion, i think Ursula depicts the Gethenians as much as she might see us humans who also live around our lives with centuries of Myths and old tradition
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