Monday, January 29, 2018

WAVE 2

The constant cold in Gethen contributes to the isolation and loneliness because it adds on another thing about Genly that he does not relate with. Where Genly comes from, his weather temperatures are like Earth's. He is also the only one on that planet who is not Gethenian, and no one really welcomes aliens other than Estraven, who became his friend for 2 years. Him being the only one with a gender and he cannot relate to anyone there. Being constantly cold can also be a characteristic and adds on well with isolation. Just like how people say "warm and friendly", being cold and isolated are a good pair. The planet can be compared to a person. The cold, lonely, and isolated Gethen are afraid of being around other alien species. Just like how a person who is cold and lonely would be too scared to join a big crowd. They feel nervous and they're not used to inclusion. They're bubble is being breached. This is exactly the same as on the planet Winter. The Gethens have always been an isolated and lonely planet, until Genly came. Now, as the story's own United Nation tries to get them to join, they are hostile and afraid. The whole theme of being cold and isolated can go for more than just Genly. Looking at the whole situation and why Genly is there can also help explain the theme of cold and loneliness.

3 comments:

  1. I like how you compared the Ekumen to the phrase "warm and friendly" and Gethen to "cold and isolated". You can also think about the cold weather in Gethen as them being "cold" towards outsiders such as Genly.

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  2. Your comparison of the phrase “warm and friendly” to this situation is something I never thought of, but completely understand. The cold on Gethen does contribute to Genly’s isolation by his being an alien and also since he is the only one with a set gender. These two factors are the only reasons as to why Genly could be feeling the isolation harder than one should. Not only is he out of his comfort zone in this cold weather, but he is now a “pervert” on this genderless planet.

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  3. I agree, the terms cold and isolation tend to go together. For example, when thinking of the term "cold", its interpreted as blue, sadness, feeling empty and isolated. For a reference, in the movie "Inside Out" there is a character named Sadness, who is blue and wears a chunky sweater. Typically this can cause someone to be heartless towards others because they lack warmth and energy. That being said, I think Le Guin purposely created the world of Gethan to be really cold, winter all year round, because it is a world isolated from other planets due to it different society norms.

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