The Collateral of the Cold

Genly Ai is already an outsider as it is, from a planet not nearly as cold as Gethen. Throughout the novel, Genly struggles to “fit in”; he is darker and taller than Gethenians and belongs to “...a society of perverts” (38). His mind is already conditioned to see only male and female, despite his years of educated research on genderless beings of another planet. Moreover, Genly finds it difficult to withstand the numbing cold of Winter, which in theory, makes him feel even more lonely and isolated from the people of Gethen, because Gethenians are able to endure the weather in Winter without the need of extra clothing or Chabe stoves. Although, it is not only Genly that feels isolated and alone. Estraven’s exile was a measure that pushed him towards a life of solitude, which is a pretty brutal sentence on a freezing cold planet, and since when one is in exile, it is prohibited for another man to help an exile flee or give an exile shelter. When Estraven fled Karhide and settled in Orgoreyn, he was an outsider, a Karhidish man surrounded by Orgota men. Later in the novel, both Genly and Estraven “...are equals at last, equal, alien, alone” on their three month trek through -40 degree weather, blizzards, and crevassed areas on the Gobrin Ice (251). On the last stretch of their journey, a monstrous blizzard left them trapped in their tent. Genly noted that “outside, as always, lies the great darkness, the cold, death’s solitude” (258). This line illustrates the collateral of the planet’s heinous weather, forcing people to stay inside, isolating them from the rest of the world.

Jasmine Kim

Genly vs. Gethen

Cold is a contrast of heat. Cold weather is often associated with isolation and loneliness because the violent cold climate is a challenge to survive. Throughout the years, televised news programs have reported multiple stories of tragedies that occur to people that are caught in mountains that are covered in snowstorms. Casualties and missing individuals headline these stories as few people are able to survive such harsh conditions. It is like the world is against you, and there is very little hope for survival. You are alone.
The harsh, cold climate on Gethen contributes to the theme of isolation because the harsh, chilly climate emphasizes Genly's loneliness. In the novel, Genly is traveling alone through a foreign planet as the sole representative of the Ekumen. He is out of place on Gethen where he is much taller than Gethenians and is permanently male in contrast to the androgynous nature of Gethen's people. The cold weather furthers Genly's isolation because it is him against the cold world of Gethen. In Chapter 5, Genly travels with a bunch of strangers on his trek to find the Foretellers, and he observes the harsh weather and dangerous mountains of Gethen. On the trip, Genly is forced to sleep on a hard seat in a cold cab as he stated "Karhide is no country for comfort." (51) which demonstrates the theme of isolation because Genly is seeking warmth on the journey, but he is met with discomfort and a lonely night sleep due to the cold weather and isolation from the Gethenians. The cold forces people to stay indoors where there is heat; however, it locks people indoors while isolating people from interacting with others that are scattered outside. Furthermore, as a stranger to Gethen, Genly is not accustomed to the climate and cannot handle the cold weather. He wouldn't be able to survive if he was traveling alone; therefore, the constant cold of Gethen supports the theme of isolation because Genly is the only person who doesn't have the adaptations to handle the cold climate. Luckily, Genly has always had Estraven to support him because without Estraven, Genly would have died in the storm called Gethen.

-Javen Pacion

Waves of Myths and Folktales

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

¡Ai, caramba! These Myths

There are many myths present in Gethenian culture, and what I have observed is that the myths all sort of re-occur more than once in order to align with the plot. For example, one myth that is mentioned very early on is the Place Inside the Blizzard, which basically talks about how after one kemmering brother committed suicide, and the other was banished, both brothers reunited in a place inside of the storm of the planet of Gethen. I think a big part of myths in this world is about seeking to express or explain the attitudes of Gethenians when it comes to things they don’t necessarily agree with. The world was against siblings vowing kemmering so they told a story of what happened to people who once tried that. Later on, I am not sure exactly the chapter (I believe 15 or 16), Estraven and Genly are making their way to Karhide crossing glacier and Genly is worrying about whether or not they will survive the cold and Estraven mentions possibly finding the Place Inside the Blizzard. The fact that Estraven brings up this tale again can be a sign of how widely known myths are in the society, and possibly how many people actually think they are true.
-Brooke Sasse

Myths and Folk Tales

In chapters 4 and 9 the book gives us little short stories in the form of Gethenian Folk tales, which the call hearth tales.These tales allow us to have a better understanding of the history and culture of Gethen and its people. Chapter 12 tells a couple of legends Meshe, the prophet of the Orgoreyn religion.In chapter 4,Lord Berosty goes to Thangering Fastness to request a foretelling from the Weaver Orden, he asks him what day he will die.Orden tells he with die on "Odstreth", which is the 19th day of any month. After, Lord Berosty gets upset and asks the Weaver Orden what day, but he wouldnt say. So Lord Berosty decides to lock himself in the Hearth-Tower for 10 months. This book is seen as a "science-fiction" which I can see why, but it also has some characteristics of a fairytale, as seen in this chapter. No one can predict death.So what this tells me about their culure is that they dont really have a godly figure to look up they have foretellers and kings.     

The Struggle is Real

Genly is put in a precarious position he finds himself on an alien world with a non-gender, usually sexually dormant, species. He finds it difficult to understand their complex psychology despite having done extensive research on them before even coming to winter. He also struggles to see the Gethenians as they are and as they aren't, they aren't male or female, but at the same time they are (confusing right?) This would be hard for anyone who's brain wasn't conditioned to think this way since birth, because  our brains know instinctively that females should have certain qualities and males should have certain qualities that is isn't true if you're on the planet winter. We often take for granted that for the most part most people think the same (herd mentality as some might call it) but Genly doesn't have that luxury on Winter he is forced to take a different approach use different tactics then we would if he were talking to someone on Earth; espcially when it comes to the Gethenians and their shifgethor (I know I spelled it wrong) and how saying or doing certain things can challenge other Getheaninas prestige; like asking questions when you should know the answer.

Genly's attudides show that he comes from our world, or at least what the world looked like at the time of The Left Hand of Darkness being written.

Isolation on Gethen

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