Socratic Seminar and Joseph Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces

Here's a few passages on a topic that we didn't explore during this reading of LHoD. Feel free to use them as prompting for ideas for our Socratic seminar discussion and don't forget to create two of your own (similar to the wave questions on the blog).

Joseph Campbell, American mythologist best know for his work in comparative mythology and religion, identified a common motif of the hero with a thousand faces—the same basic story of the hero’s journey seen in the myths in various cultures spanning history.  

Joseph Campbell viewed the hero’s journey as a story that can be used to help people better understand their own lives.  Consider Campbell’s following thoughts on the journey, and consider how these questions might help us better understand The Left Hand of Darkness:

1. “People say that what we're all seeking is a meaning for life. I don't think that's what we're really seeking. I think that what we're seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances within our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive. That's what it's all finally about, and that's what these clues help us to find within ourselves.”
2. "We have not even to risk the journey alone; for the heroes of all time have gone before us; the labyrinth is thoroughly known; we have only to follow the thread of the hero-path. And where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god; where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves; where we had thought to travel outward, we shall come to the center of our own existence; where we had thought to be alone, we shall be with all the world."
3. “If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it's not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That's why it's your path.”
4. "When we quit thinking primarily about ourselves and our own self-preservation, we undergo a truly heroic transformation of consciousness."
5. “In these stories, the adventure that the hero is ready for is the one he gets. The adventure is symbolically a manifestation of his character. Even the landscape and the conditions of the environment match his readiness.”

Wave Three

As myths are told through out the story, they seem to foreshadow upcoming events. In Chapter 2 there was a myth about two brothers vowing to kemmer. The brothers names are Getheren and Hode. In the Gethenian culture, brothers are only allowed to vow kemmer until one gets pregnant. After the baby is born the brothers can never vow kemmer again. Getheren and Hode wanted to vow kemmer forever but they knew that wasn't legal. Hode ends up committing suicide which is a big NO NO in Gethenian culture. When Getheren is exiled from the land he traveled into the place inside the blizzard where people go when they commit suicide. This myth foreshadows an event very similar later in the book when Estraven vows kemmer with his brother. Older mythes come back and replay themselves in the more modern times in this book. Going by this myth, the Gethenian culture is extremely strict on kemmer with siblings. They are honestly no joke because they find suicide worse than murder. Gethenians go by these parables and their beliefs to live their daily lives. Therefore when myths are brought back, they prepare that it might reappear.

Pay the Price

       The Gethenians have myths they live by and embrace strongly in their culture.  These myths also continue in the novel and connect with other events that have or will happen. One myth that while reading made me feel affected by it was the Nineteenth Day. The Nineteenth day was a story of desperation and agony, then followed by murder and suicide. The importance of this myth is, that knowing our fate doesn't always give you better fortune or make life easier, but rather may hinder you from enjoying life or perhaps making your fate be what you want it. Lord Berosty let knowing the day and month of his death dictate his life, and maybe in the course of this all, anticipated his death. The Foretellers were right when they warned that everyone pays a price, Berosty had to live with knowing the day of his death and Herbor paid his own price for seeking knowledge of the future. From the passage I learned that foretelling is a dangerous path and there will always be a price to pay in this case death for them both.

        Coincidently after this chapter, Genly Ai goes to Fastness to seek his own prophecy from the Foretellers, which made me think that there will be a price for Genly to pay. As all the other myths, the events that follow next are foreshadowed by them. 

         Let me know what you guys think.

                                                        -Keila

The Nineteenth Day

The Nineteenth Day is about a Gethenian named Berosty who went to the Foretellers to ask a question. His question was "when will I die?" The Foretellers, known for their aggravatingly vague answers, told the man "You will die on Odstreth (the nineteenth day of any month.)" (p. 43). Berosty was extremely upset by the vagueness of this answer so he locked himself in his room and wouldn't come out. His kemmering, Herbor, was also distraught by the answer to this question so he decided to go and ask the Foretellers again when Berosty would die. He didn't have any money so he offered the Foreteller's the only thing he had, his life. The Foretellers usually didn't accept this type of offering but decided to make an exception for this sincere man. Herbor asked, "how long will Berosty live?" The Foretellers answered saying "Longer than Herbor." So Herbor, being the humble man he was, accepted this answer and went back to tell Berosty. Berosty was even more upset with this answer and in his rage killed Herbor. Berosty hung himself on the 19th a month after the incident.

The Foretellers remind me of the Oracle of Delphi in Greek mythology, telling people their supposed fortunes and paths, which doomed most people to complete the self fulfilling prophecy. Just like the Oracles in Greek Mythology, The Foretellers are where desperate people go to have their questions answered and most people are disappointed by the answer which forces them to think, inadvertently giving them the answer they need instead of the answer they originally wanted. I think this affected the Gethenian culture the same way it affected the Greeks. Some questions aren't meant to be answered. With that type of thinking you're less likely to be obsessed by frivolous things and have a more relaxed disposition because you're able to accept what comes your way when it comes.

The Place Inside the Blizzard

In the Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Leguin, myths and parables are used as an insight into Gethenian culture and as a form of foreshadowing.  In Chapter 2, we learn about a Gethenian myth titled "The Place Inside the Blizzard" that foreshadows to an issue that comes up later in the book.  It involves two brothers, Getheren and Hode, who vow kemmer to each other and get banished for it because it is very looked down upon in their culture. One of the brothers, Hode, commits suicide which is also looked down upon in this culture. Distraught, Getheren travels on foot for days until he reaches the place inside the blizzard, where souls of people who have killed themselves go. This story provides insight to the culture and how they feel about suicide and sibling kemmer. This myth can be seen as an allusion to Estraven, who also vowed kemmer to his brother. The myths in the story I feel might be similar to passages in holy books like The Bible or The Qur'an. Also, this gives us more of a sense of relation to Gethenians because they too have widely held beliefs based on parables and are so deeply engraved in their culture that they probably don't even think twice about it. The feelings of Gethenians being patriotic people is also strengthened by their widely held beliefs.

Wave Three: Equilibrium

In the book The Left Hand of Darkness written by Ursula K. Le Guin, the author mentioned the idea of shadow multiple times. In chapter seventeen, the author introduces the myth of how life on Gethen came to be. The author describes that “in the beginning, there was nothing but ice and the sun” (Le Guin 237). The hills, the seas, trees, animals, and thirty-nine men were the creations of the three ice-shapes. The three ice-shapes gave life to the men by letting the sun melt them as they run into the mouths of the sleeping men. One of the men woke up and started killing his brother because he was scared. Later, he has children that were followed by a piece of darkness when there’s daylight. This is because they’re in the middle of time. In the beginning of time, there were nothing but the sun and ice. In the end of time, the sun will disappear and all that is left are the ice and shadow.

           

           To many people, as well as the Gethenian, shadow usually represents negative things. However in chapter 18, Genly step out of his tent into dull light all around him, but he couldn’t seem to see the floor or his footprint without any shadow casting. Light without shadow is not always good just like good will not be balance without some evil. In chapter 16, Estraven told Genly that “light is the left hand of darkness and darkness is the right hand of light” (Le Guin 233). This myth is very significant because it shows that everything must have balance. The purpose of Genly’s mission is the develop unity between all the planets. Estraven wants to help Genly in order to unite Karhide and Orgareyn. Even though Genly and Estraven are completely different in terms of culture, they learned to work together for a better future. In the end, I concluded that the purpose of this story to promote the idea of unity of the opposites.

Foreshadowing

In “The Left Hand of Darkness” by Ursula K. Le Guin, many myths were inputted to foreshadow upcoming events or to further our understanding on what is happening in the book.  One of the first myths that were introduced was one about two brothers who pledged kemmer to one another.  They ended up wanting to vow kemmer to each other, but in the Gethenian society they are not allowed to vow kemmer to their siblings.  This is looked down upon; just like in our society marrying one’s sibling is wrong. That’s how I look at this situation.  One of the brothers could not take away the shame that he felt and eventually committed suicide.  The other was exiled and went into the “Place Inside the Blizzard,” which is where all souls go once they commit suicide. He saw his brother that committed suicide and said their vow was broken once he decided to take his life.

This myth foreshadows Estraven’s vow with his brother during the kemmer cycle.  In one scene in the book Estraven tells Ashe, his former kemmer partner, their vow wasn’t real because he’s already made a vow to his brother long before.  The story of the blizzard gives us an explanation of how vowing to a sibling is seen in a bad manner and gives the readers a sense of what Estraven may have gone through.  All the myths thrown into the story may seem irrelevant when the chapter is introduced, but it actually leads up to what is going to happen next in the story.  The myths also reveal much about the Gethenian culture and how kemmering is extremely important to them.  I’m pretty sure that “kemmer” is addressed in every chapter, revealing that kemmer is significant.

The Narrative and Folktales Correspond

      The myths and folks presented in The Left Hand of Darkness have meanings that seem to foreshadow the events of this novel. For example, the myth called The Nineteenth Day suggests that the King of Karhide is mad. He uses fear to rule others and function so that dominance, shifgethor, and stability is secured. The tale of Estraven the Traitor indicates that Therem of Estre or Arek of Estre are similar or related to the Estraven in the narrative. First, Arek of Estre was in kemmer with Therem of Stok. These two nations were in dispute with each other. Then their child, Therem of Estre, made made peace with Stok and compromised half the disputed lands. Normally, the Domain of Estre would consider both Arek and Therem as traitors for showing kindness to their opponents. In the narrative, Estraven advocates peace between Karhide and Orgoreyn and Genly Ai's mission of the Ekumen's desire to establish an alliance with Gethen. Estraven is considered a traitor and is exiled out of Karhide. Fear of the Envoys mission and the desire of maintaining shifgrethor plays a role in this exilement. However, as the tale suggests, will Estraven be the one to end the feud between Karhide and Orgoreyn?
      Another tale is called the Place in the Blizzard. It symbolizes the situation that Genly and Estraven are in after the Pulefen farm burden. They decide to go north and cross the Gobrin where its freezing cold and snowy. In the tale, a brother pledged kemmer to his brother who later committed suicide because society did not allow siblings to keep kemmer until a child was born. This gives us an idea of Gethenian culture and their beliefs. Apparently, the Gethen culture also believes that suicide is a mischevious act. In the tale, the other brother was blamed and was exiled from his homeland. He goes through the harsh conditions of a cold and snowy region called the Pering Ice. This journey is similar to Genly and Estravens journey. The brother seems to find his kemmer; the brother who was supposedly dead in this place in the blizzard. He does not want to stay with his kemmer because he believes that the vow was broken by the suicide. Estraven in the narrative was angry at his kemmer, Ashe, because of the belief that he broke the vow when he ran to be a Celibate for the Foretellers.  In the tale, the brother runs away from his kemmer and is lost in the snow to the point of death. People find him and he eventually survives. Now in the narrative, it does not seem as if Genly and Estraven will survive but maybe the tale alluded us that their perseverance will allow them to succeed on their journey.

[KC]: Wave 3 Discussion Question

Reflect on the myths presented in the various chapters of Left Hand of Darkness. Consider them as little symbolic parables and consider the following: What does this myth tell you about Gethan culture? However, some of the myths do have direct connections to the plot, especially the ones about Estraven. Discuss some of the Gethenian myths and folktales. Find one to discuss—the Place Inside the Blizzard, the Nineteenth Day, etc. How do such stories function in a culture?

Who Shall Post:

Sharissa Robins, Noelle Huynh, Mercedes Padilla, Joshua Luciano, Charmaine Williams, Keila Amavizca, Eve Mendoza, Kumpol Homwongpanich, Sebastian Rogers, Kyle Goerlitz, Alexus Guzman, Taureece Wilson

Reminder, your post should be between 250-300 words long. Anything shorter will not be effective. Also, include page numbers when you reference the text. 

Wave 3 responders, you have until 6:00pm Friday, January 22nd to post your response to this question. Also, all students need to complete both comments by midnight Friday, January 22nd.

Isolation & Loneliness

I believe the coldness of Gethen contributes to the theme of isolation and loneliness because it shows how lonely Genly Ai is and what it is like for him to be set apart from the Gethenians. The Planet Winter is usually at below freezing temperatures all year long. The Gethenians have been exposed to this kind of weather for so long that they have become adapted to it. On Earth there are four types of seasons every year, so it is a bit difficult for Genly to get used to the weather in Winter. He is in a genderless society where the people only have genders when they are ready to kemmer. He is considered to be a pervert because he is permanently in his male form. Being the only human on the planet, he is an alien to all of them. This affects Genly because he feels completely out of place and has no one alongside him.

I also think the coldness contributes to its theme of loneliness because the people on this planet are cold-hearted, emotionless beings. Just like their gender, they only show it once they are in kemmer and right after that they go on to their regular doings. I find it sad and a bit disturbing that this is how Gethenians live their lives because it seems that the only way that these people know how to live is to only care about theirselves. Talk about every man for himself. I am quite glad that Earth is not like Winter because we are able to be there for one another when someone is in need.

Winter

How does the constant cold of Gethen contribute to the theme of isolation and loneliness

         The constant cold of Gethen reflects on the theme of isolation and loneliness because that is how things are in reality. Some of the coldest places on earth are also most isolated and deserted. Also, they generally refer to Gethen as winter because of how cold it is there. Another time where they reflected the isolated ways in Gethen are when they talked about the possibility that the whole existence of the Gethenians being a whole isolated experiment being left for dead. The fear of the king and the people of Gethen represent the cold loneliness that Genly feels as he arrives as the first to bring the planet of Gethen to join ekumen in the pursuit for a better and more unified group similar to that of the United Nations. Everyone on the planet is uniquely similar in a way that all the Gethenians show similarities and don't have any authorities like we do here on earth. There are no men or women only sexless being thus creating a more balanced yet sound system. Here Genly is out of a familiar comfort zone and so he is more isolated than the people here on Gethen. It is all sort of a big circle wrapping around the theme of loneliness and isolation. The feeling is cold and harsh and that is what Genly feels here on Gethen. This idea of winter keeps our thoughts wrapped closure and trying to keep warm.

Wave two

The constant cold of Gethen contributes to the theme of isolation and loneliness because it affects Genly Ai a lot physically and also shows similarities in the way he acts. Genly is not one to trust people who he does not think are necessary for his mission on Gethen. For example, even though Estraven has done nothing wrong to Genly, he is still not trusted by Genly and doesn't even really call him a friend. This was observed in the conversation between Ashe and Genly. He acts cold toward Estraven and Estraven doesn't really understand why. We discussed this in class today that this is probably just because that was how Genly was trained to act for his mission. The envoys are in constant danger because they are loners in the world they are put in and no one knows anything about them. In addition to that if their message is misinterpreted they may even be killed. So it is just natural for Genly to act this way. It is seen at the end of chapter 14 that Genly realizes this when Estraven went through all the trouble to get him out of the "voluntary labor camp". The cold of Gethen and the feelings of isolation and loneliness are seen in Genly's character and actions.

Loneliness

I think that the constant cold of Gethen contributes to the theme of isolation and loneliness by showing how Genly is sort of a loner on this planet and how the different territories of the planet are so separated.  He doesn't have anyone who is just like him; he is seen as an alien.  I mean, I would feel alone if I was stuck in a place where I clearly don't belong.  You feel colder when you are outside of a group.  Genly would feel more apart of the Gethians if he was not look upon as an outsider.  Let's think about how the territories are so separated.  Say we are all in Big Bear in a cabin and it is completely freezing.  Our instincts tell us that we all have to huddle up to keep each other warm.  The more there are of us, the warmer we are.  Not only would we become warmer, we would have a better connection with one another.  This kind of reminds me of the different territories of Gethen.  All of the different countries are cold and lonely because they are so far apart and have no type of bond.  It's all negative.  But if they were to all come together, they would all get along and of course be warmer.  

Wave 2: Cold, Lonely Genley

 This specific theme is involving the cold temperatures of Gethen and how it's being compared to the people, or even Genley and how it effects him on a personal level. Gethenians live in a cold world and are used to the weather, but not Genley since he comes from Earth. This can relate to them and not Genley because they're considered as "cold" and the way their lifestyle is. In the book, The Left Hand of Darkness it states, "And in the end, the dominant factor in Gethenian life is not sex or any other human thing. It is their environment, their cold world. (96)" This brings up how Gethenians are not to be described as humans with emotion, and the cold weather is what describes who they are as individuals. They're a sexless and genderless specie and can only become a gender when going into kemmer. This to me showed how they're cold on the inside and won't show emotion to their significant other unless when kemmering. Unlike us, we show our emotion by meeting someone and being attracted to them for their personality. Gethenians can also be compared to animals because dogs, for example, don't have emotion and don't really know anything except for just producing pups. Then there's isolation and loneliness and that's what Genley feels in this place. He's in a different environment with different customs, like the cold weather he despises. Plus, he's the only one with a permanent gender and is known as a "pervert" in their world. No one really understands him and where's he's coming from; he's the alien in their world.

The Second Wave: Cold and Lonely

How does the constant cold of Gethen contribute to the theme of isolation and loneliness?

          When we hear the word warmth, we think of the time we hug our parents or recall a happy memory that we share with someone, that warm oozy feeling that lingers with us whenever we think of those memories. Scientifically speaking, warmth means there is presence of heat, and when heat is present, the atoms inside our body and all around us start to move vigorously bouncing off against each other as if they are dancing and having fun together. The mention of heat and warmth alone sends comfort and excitement jolting down through our spine. However, cold is heat's opposite twin. Cold is the absence of heat. When there is no heat, the particles, molecules all around us stays in one place unable to move as if they are lifeless, dead, sad, and lonely for they are not able to interact with each other any longer. Cold brings no joy nor excitement, but loneliness and the reminder of Death. Authors usually attach the word cold to their story to give the readers that grim, and depressing moods, or show the readers what the character is feeling. As in the story "Left Hand of Darkness", Ursula K. Le Guin uses the constantly cold weather of Gethen to reflect Genly Ai's feelings of isolation and loneliness. Often time Genly associates his constant isolation, and loneliness with the weather of Gethen, for instance, when Genly broods over his stay in Karhide"...months and months of unrelenting cold, sleet, ..., cold inside, cold outside, cold to the bone and the marrow of the bone. And all of that time on my own, alien and isolate without a soul I could trust" (133). It shows how he feels within Karhide, lonely and cold. The brutal cold weather in Gethen only creates a darkness that surrounds him, a void that fills with nothing but a stranger alone in his own sort of isolation, and torture.

Survival

Wave 2

The constant cold of Gethen contributes to the theme of isolation and loneliness because every Gethenian is one man/woman (or lack of in this case of a genderless society) for them selves. None of the Gethenians bond with one another in order to lift each other up or to become a more united civilization. They have a group of people that make laws for the Gethenians to obey and 2 types of religions for them to live by, but it’s almost like they’re so isolated and limited that that is all they have a purpose for- to live by what Gethen provides for them. Their world as an individual is cold and hollow because they depend on nobody else but themselves and that leads to isolation, which leads to loneliness and even darkness in a sense.

Also, because Gethen is as cold as it is, it restrains the planet from reaching it’s full potential with it’s extent in technology, which leads to lack of communication options, which also leads to isolation and loneliness. In chapter 5, Genly visited an Eastern part of Gethen and observed his surroundings. “The people of Winter, who always live in the Year One, feel that progress is less important than presence” (p.50).   They have no other choice, but to live in the present because they can’t progress much with the cold conditions that they live in. They’re too worried about surviving rather than living comfortably. Nobody could properly gain any happiness, unity, or fulfillment when they’re constantly just trying to survive. Not only is Gethen a cold world physically, but it’s also a cold world in terms of the melancholy Gethenians feel while living in the world that they live in.

Alone

        The first idea that pops into my hear about sub-zero weather is layers of clothes. I see people bundled up in blankets inside a house with the heater on or by a fire. I can not picture people taking part in daily activities in sub-zero temperature. I definitely would not be outside playing basketball in negative degree weather, rather I would be forced to stay indoors in order to survive. The concept of being forced indoors reminds me of isolation. By being indoors, people are cut off from the world because everything ceases to exist in freezing weather. This is how I believe the constant cold contributes to the theme of isolation and loneliness in The Left Hand of Darkness. The cold only allows the people to interact with each during the day because it is too cold to be outside during the night. No one can succeed unless they defeat themselves and by that I mean that a person must get past any obstacles they put in front of themselves such as fear, embarrassment, comfort zones, etc. Similarly, one can not live on Gethen unless they are able to withstand the troubles given by the planet. In chapter 7 Ong Tot Oppong ponders, "But I really don't see how anyone could put much stock in victory or glory after he had spent a winter on Winter, and seen the face of the Ice"(97). Ong Tot Oppong knows the weather will take you to a place where you will have to fend for yourself. However, when I think about freezing weather I also think about grouping up with others in order to stay warm from each others body heat. I believe the cold can also promote unity because trying to stay warm by yourself is harder than staying warm with other people. Coming together to survive allows one to break down the barriers of isolation and loneliness. 

    How does the constant cold of Gethen contribute to the theme of isolation and loneliness ?


                                                      Wave 2 : Stephanie Cuevas



The constant cold of Gethen contributes to the theme of isolation and loneliness because in Gethen it is very cold and some of the humans on the planet are very lonely so they go through the cold by themeseleves. they dont really have the much on the planet people are all the sam so it equal to one. life on planet Earth when were at constant cold people look for others to keep them warm or sometimes isolated. Loneliness is hard for some people because hey need people around them to circulate them.I know for me that i can be by myself but not for long that because it is cold and you want that comfort around you. Gethen is a planet where the humans are used to it so they dont reallly care to much to be isolated. when in the story the sun comes out for just a little the getheanian freak out because there not used to the temp cooling down on them. so its kind of hard for them. life on our planet its like woah its to hot or to cold and people complain about it just like that. The theme is just that people depend on being with a group of people instead of being by themselves. The real question is do we really need to be depenedent on others or can we do it all by ourselves and contribute warmness by our own body heat.

Winter Wonderland

    The cold represents the lack of bonds between the people and contributes to their loneliness. This winter wonderland is always cold and this makes Genly out of his comfort zone. Although the gethenians are used to it and the cold does not bother them, Genly is affected by it greatly. Since Genly is the only one affected by this it makes him feel lonely because no one there is like how he is.  In chapter 8 Shusgis shows Genly his room and says "They told me, keep the Envoy warm, he's from a hot world, an oven of a world, and can't stand our cold"(117).  He later proceeds to ask Genly if he is comfortable and Genly was shocked. Since no one on Gethen has ever asked if he was comfortable before.
    Furthermore, the place that is inside the blizzard is where those who have committed suicide are forced to roam forever. It is a place where they are not allowed to leave if dead. Those who are close to death are also able to go there, but the people there are not able to talk to each other. The area where they are is in the middle of a horrible snowstorm. Since they cannot talk to each other and are forced to just wander around.  The people there are very lonely and are isolated from the rest of the population. The place inside the blizzard is a cold empty area that promotes loneliness.  The climate of the planet symbolizes the loneliness and isolation that plagues its inhabitants.

Gethen: The Planet of Frozen Fear and Isolation

The Planet of Gethen (or Winter, as the First Investigators called) is the a frozen planet of genderless people called Gethenians. Genly, an envoy for Ekumen, travels to this planet to have them join the Ekumen so they can co-ordinate with Gethen. During his stay, he began to crave anonymity and feels isolated because he has gender in an gender-free world.

On page 19, Estraven says, "Let me ask you this, Mr. Ai: do you know, by your own experience, what patriotism is?" Which Genly answers, "...If by patriotism you don't mean by the love of one's homeland, for that I do know." Then Estraven explains that by patriotism he means fear. "I mean fear. Fear of the other...it grows in us that fear." He talks about how people let fear control us, how we base our decisions around fear. 

This fear translates into the cold weather Gethen has. The cold weather symbolizes the way Genly feels and the xenophobia Gethenians feel. This also translates to the story of the immoral kemmering between two "brothers" and the place inside the blizzard. That fear controls us, it isolates us, makes us crazy, until the fear of us goes away. 

[KC]: Wave 2 Discussion Question

How does the constant cold of Gethen contribute to the theme of isolation and loneliness?


Reminder, your post should be between 250-300 words long. Anything shorter will not be effective. Also, include page numbers when you reference the text.

Wave 2 responders, you have until 6:00 pm Tuesday, January 19th to post your response to this question. All other students in the class may comment on any of the LHoD posts at any time.


Who shall post:
Zenna Delgado, Tony Gonzalez, Joseph Briseno, Jessica Padron, Stephanie Cuevas, Gonzalo Maldonado, Eryka Springer, Visoth Lim, Jenna Terry, Trever Hairston, Danielle Parra

LHoD Wave 1

As part of Genly Ai's mission to convince the Gethenians to become a part of the Ekumen, he must try to fit into their life and become more accepted into their society if he wants Argaven, the king, to trust him. One of the biggest reasons that this has been exceedingly difficult for him is because the Gethenians are majorly different from the people of Genly's home planet. For the people of Gethen their mentality, reproductive systems, and overall way of life is nothing but normal. On the contrary, Genly Ai and the reader can have extreme trouble at times when trying to understand all of this because unlike Genly and/or the reader, there is no gender on this planet, they have a life ruled by a monarch, their views on respect and being seen as foolish are almost completely different, and they love to take their time with stuff. I think the biggest thing that is the hardest to comprehend is this idea of Kemmer or "to pledge Kemmer." Because of the fact that both Genly and the reader come from gender based societies, it makes it exceptionally challenging to grasp the idea of how they reproduce and what exactly this whole "Kemmer" thing is about. But of course you have to keep in mind that this is the Gethen way of life. They don't see it as different. Genly is the outsider to them! So for both Genly Ai and the reader to try to get a better idea of how their life works, they must disconnect themselves from everything they believe to be normal and open up their mind to difference.

LHoD wave 1

Genly Ai is to join the forces of Gethen and the Ekumen. Unfortunately, what Genly doesn’t realize is that where he comes from, sex is predetermined and unlike the Ekuman, on the planet Winter, there is no such thing as gender. With that being said, Genly is having a hard time adapting to the customs of this planet being that he is an alien if you will. As for the Karhidian community, since they’re an androgenous species, their civilization was and is built by their nature, they can only genderize themselves while in kemmer and Genly lacks the concept of this process.
Assuming that Genly is not only just an alien on this planet but is also exposed to the different way of life of the Gethenians, it seems as though he wants to further advance their society by joining the two planets together in order to modernize their society since there is no set standard like the Ekuman.
The attitude he reveals in the story is as if he’ll do anything in order to complete this mission he’s assigned but faces many different challenges while completing this task. He’s also very different not only his way of thinking but he acknowledges feminine aspects of the gethenians even though they are a genderless society.

The Left Hand Of Darkness Wave 1

This is hard for Genly because he's a man and is different from the people in Gethen. In Gethen everyone is androgynous unlike Genly Ai. "I craved to be like everybody else (8)". It is nice to stand out from the rest but so much when it's about your looks. Ai believes in his "alienness of my physique" which I think he means by standing out since he is taller, has a specific gender that won't change. Being that he is different, I feel like he gets treated differently by the people in Gethen. No one relates to him and I think he feels lost and is not a big fan of Gethen and probably looks at the people of Gethen weird, just like they're looking/thinking of him. While reading this book, I've been confused but we as people can relate to Genly in many ways. We tend to separate people, places and things. Genly is basically the new kid at school, the odd one out and he is having trouble adjusting to it. Still today females are looked down on for not being "strong" like men and we aren't capable to do what men do, which is wrong because women can be just as strong, but I feel Genly kind of thinks that way about women also so I feel like that relates to us.

XY, XX, or Neither?

In the book Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin, we are introduced to Genly Ai, an envoy for the Ekumen with the mission of creating an alliance with a planet called Gethen (also known as Winter). Gethenians aren’t quite like what Genly is, and he is having a difficult time seeing them as they see themselves. I suppose you could say he’s going through some major culture shock – which, by the way, is definitely a part human nature. It’s clear that even after being on Gethen for almost two years, Genly still can’t wrap his head around the fact that Gethenians are, for the most part, a genderless specie (race?).

Right from the get go it is revealed that there are defined genders where Genly is from, and it would seem that males are the dominant ones – no surprise there. On page 12, Genly discusses how his efforts to see Gethenians through their own eyes always “[takes] the form of self-consciously seeing a Gethenian first as a man, then as a woman, forcing him into those categories so irrelevant to his nature and so essential to my own.” Genly refers to almost every character he meets as a male rather than a female, especially those with power/authority – Estraven and King Agraven, for example, and even his landlady he called a “voluble man” (47). This then brings me to my next point, it would seem as though his regard for the female gender is quite low. While he was having supper with Estraven, he notes that he was acting womanly and says it was “all charm and tact and lack of substance, specious and adroit” (12). Anyways, their androgynous biology is the main source of his overall confusion and difficulty to really understand the Gethenian society.

Far From Normal

When reading The Left Hand of Darkness just like Genly Ai, we are attempting to fully understand the Gethenians and their way of life. The Gethenians live in a gender less society where they only receive a gender when they are in the reproductive state of kemmer. Genly Ai is in both a culture shock and biological shock with both the bipolar weather and the fact that there are no genders. Which is why Genly's character is extremely realistic when facing this new planet, it would be a struggle for anyone to be thrown into an androgynous society. Although, Genly has a little trouble accepting the fact that he is what is seen as different on their planet. Genly can be somewhat close minded as he views the Gethenians as being different themselves and doesn't understand why he is often referred to as a "pervert". It seems that Genly's home had an ideal state of living and didn't believe that others have a different way of life. I don't think Genly knew it was even scientifically possible that one could be bred without a gender. Genly can't comprehend what exactly is going on in the planet and with the people around him. 

While reading I have found it a little difficult to say it's a gender less society due to references in the book such as "king" or "brothers" it seems that it is more of a man's world than a neutral society.

The Struggle is Real

Genly Ai is a character that is an alien to the planet Gethen. the people,called Gethenians, are completely different than Genly in their customs, traditions, and way of life. This makes it hard for him to understand the way of the people and how the consider themselves. Genly comes from a place where there are males and females, the gethenian people have no genders; however, their anatomy is strangely different in that they can take on either roll of genders. Being as Genly is, a man, it is hard to get in with the people when the see him as a threat or a thing not to socialize with. As Genly has been raised in a certain culture on a different planet It is understandable why he would be challenged to see the gethenians how they see themselves. He's from a different planet, why would he be able to understand that. He is in a planet where they see him as a pervert just because he is a man, just a man.
Based on Genly's traits and mannerisms, he comes from Earth or a similar planet. and I still don't know what to think of these gethenians.So I'm not surprised that he cant see the gethenians as they see themselves

Genly Ai

Genly Ai is having trouble adapting to the customs Gethen: a planet that is very different from Genly Ai's planet. Genly Ai is having a hard time seeing Gethenians as Gethenians see themselves mainly because Genly Ai is from a whole different planet, which comes with a whole new set of customs, traditions, and behaviors. At first, all Gethenians are seen as mostly males to him. However the process of kemmer throws Genly off as those he sees as men are able to transform into women and carry a baby. He also is not accustomed to the cold environment of Gethen. Genly Ai is not only having trouble with kemmer, but with the rules that apply and how Gethenians treat kemmer.
I believe Genly Ai's attitude reveals that his home world is much different than from that of Gethen's. Genly Ai is accustomed to his world where he is less about pride and the society is more advanced. It seems as if Gethen holds pride very high and has a more traditional way of living. Gethen does not look to form alliances or start wars. Gethenians also seem to have a sort of religion or a set of moral standards. Genly Ai's world is most likely more modern and less about the moral weight of actions. Genly Ai's attitude reveals that
Genly Ai's mission is to induct Karhide into the Ekumen and ultimately bring change to their nation. Genly Ai is going to a whole different planet expecting to bring change to an extra terrestial nation. After realizing that he is a lone alien on a planet, he then is able to see how difficult it would be to understand their customs, and how difficult it would be for the Gethenians to understand him.

Wave one

The place Genly ai  comes from is completely different than Gethen.  The first thing that is completely different is the way the speak.  In Gethen they talk in a form that can be taken in multiple ways.  Genly encounters this in chapter one when talking to Tibe the king's cousin.  Genly explains that he can't understand what Tibe is trying to come across because of the way he is smiling a certain way with his teeth.  Another thing that is different are the kind of people present.  In chapter three King Argaven is surprised by the skin tone Genly because he is dark.  King Argaven asks him if the people of where he is from are as dark as him?  This leads me to believe that there are no people in Gethen with the dark skin tone Genly has.  If Genly has a dark skin tone everybody else must be the same or more people with it.  I think the difference from Gethen and from where Genly is from Ekumem is greater than if we to another country. We are shown this when King Argaven ask about the sexual perversion.  Why would he ask about the sexual perversion if they are all people?  This makes it seem like it is a different sexual perversion depending on the locations. What if there is more than just humans that look human that why the king ask Genly about the sexual perversion.  This is a possibility  because the King asks Genly is an alien Envoy.  Of course this is a zoom chance because the word alien can be used and can be interpreted in different ways.  I am just going to stick he refers an alien as someone not from around here.

Retained Accustoms

Within the novel The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin, the main character, Genly Ai, has difficulty adjusting to the extremely unusual nature of this planet Winter. He particularly has a difficult time seeing the inhabitants of this planet, Gethenians, as they see themselves. This is mostly due to the home planet that he is accustomed to. One of his main difficulties is seeing the Gethenians as either male or female when they in fact have no sex until they are in the reproductive state of kemmer. In this state, the individual takes on an either male or female form in order to reproduce with one another. 

In one instance on page twelve, Genly acknowledges the fact that he cannot help but see Gethenians first as a male and then as a women. He also states that he sees Estraven as a women forcing him into categories so irrelevant to his nature only to fit into Genlys' own comfort zone. He also feels the need to mention that the femininity may have been what caused Genly to have distrust and dislike in Estraven, which is extremely sexist, but that is another topic.

This habit of placing these individuals into these categories stem from his own accustoms on his home planet. It is mostly clear that Genly is a normal human being such as ourselves. He is often referred to as a "sexual freak" or "pervert" as on page 32 by the king because the Gethenians see him as being in a constant state of kemmer. This is due to Genly actually being in the form of a man all of the time. Since the planet that Genly comes from contains human beings that are assigned a sex at birth and (it is assumed) that they continue to remain that sex for the rest of their lives, he is unable to grasp the fact that these beings do not have a gender. Therefore, he self-consciously assigns a gender to the Gethenians and is unable to see them as they see themselves or even as they see him. 

Destiny Esqueda

"Spring on Winter"

Genly Ai and the Gethenians are from different worlds- and unsurprisingly have planetary differences. Two of the most obvious differences are those of biological reproduction and social standards/ manners. In Winter, there is no determined sex or gender among the Gethenians, and their urges and reproductive parts are part of a cycle characterized by a constant state of uncertainty. Genly has a difficult time understanding Kemmer because in his home planet, sex is predetermined and lasts a lifetime. Also, gender is assumed and expected to be directly related to its respective sex. The Gethenians don’t have a concept of gender remotely close to that of Genly, therefore they don’t regard one another as female or male (except in Kemmer). This type of identification is a fundamental part of Genly’s human nature and to a certain extent has inhibited his ability of understanding their actions and way of life. He refers to almost everyone he meets, especially those in power, as males, aware that they have no such permanent label. Additionally, he reveals his sexist attitude, from a sexist world, through continually demeaning descriptions of women, such as “all charm and tact and lack of substance” (12) and with comparisons to the primitive and unintelligent. For example, he attributed Karhide’s behavior in its inability to mobilize “like animals, in that respect; or like women” (49). 

Secondly, shifgrethor, a social principle and standard of pride and prestige, is the ultimate power that few successful Gethenians have mastered (14). It is also characterized by “evasions, challenges, and rhetorical subtleties” (33) in daily conversations. To Genly, it seems unnecessary and an extra burden placed on speech, most likely because he cannot comprehend it. His frustration with this avoidant type of speech is revealed in long strings of thought and slow responses that conform to this social manner. It can be deduced that in his planet, communication is direct and straight forward with little deviations. However, his attempts to conform to this new world’s expectations, such as shifgrethor and showing respect, reflects highly upon himself and his world. This is pretty obvious, after all he is trying to help King Argaven and Winter join the Ekumen because its in their best interest.

(Title inspiration is direct quote from chapter 1, page 10. In this post context, Genly is spring on winter.)

Patricia Cuarenta

Left Hand of Darkness Response to Wave 1

Genly's character in Left Hand of Darkness is, in my opinion, not likeable. In fact, genly comes off as a mysoginic and closed minded person. Although he is trying to open the mind of gethenians and persuade them into being more open to new ideas of living, it's contradictory to his judgements and is more according to his way of life on ekumen. I can see that going into a world with no gender roles can be very complicating. In fact, i feel his struggle in determing the feminity or masculinity of each gethenian. That being said, it becomes clear that we are so used to putting categories and certain roles on living beings that we do not focus on the importance of their actual character. For example, in Chapter 7's explanation of kemmer and how the process works, genly says "There is no division of humanity into strong and weak halves, protective/protected, dominant/submissive, owner/chattel, active/passive"(94). There, we see how Genly is not only confused by the equality on karhide but how he is so accustomed to putting roles on genders. This kind of mindset reveals a lot about himself, his home planet, and also us as human beings. Reading this book, we are befuddled by the absolute equality in gender and class. There is not one being on karhide that is of higher power than the other. Therefore, we can relate to Genly's way of living on ekumen, because like us they categorize and places certain characterstics on men and women. Let alone, they assign gender roles. In addition, his  way of thinking that females are of low standard and can't be dominant like men show another kind of relation to us. Because women as a whole still have trouble to this day to be looked and treated as equals to men. With his discrminative thoughts on women, it reveals the truth of how the people on ekumen perceive the woman. However, we cannot fully assume that all men are discrimanating to women in the way that Genly is. Though Genly respresents his planet, he is still only one being with this mindest coming from ekumen. He still does not think for everyone on ekumen. We can't be certain that all men on Genly's home planet share the same way of thinking that he does until we find more evidence to prove it so.

[KC]: Wave 1 Discussion Question

Discuss Genly Ai's struggle to see Gethenians as they see themselves. What do Genly Ai's attitudes reveal about the world he comes from?

Reminder, your post should be between 250-300 words long. Anything shorter will not be effective. Also, include page numbers when you reference the text.

Wave 1 responders, you have until 6:00 pm Wednesday, January 13th to post your response to this question. All other students in the class may comment on any of the LHoD posts at any time.

Who shall post:
Ryan Salcido, Izzy Batres, Andrew Navarro, Patty Cuarenta, Destiny Esqueda, Adrian Roque, Mary Muro, Daryl Chit, Ashlee Snyder, Brenden Pollard, Melissa Valenzuela, Cierra Pin

[KC]: Left Hand Of Darkness Vocabulary: The First Batch

[KC]: LHOD Blog Instructions

Hi students! Here's the formalized posting for this unit on the blog ...

The class will be divided into thirds; three groups of responders: Wave 1, 2, and 3. For this blog session (meaning, by January 25th) each student will be expected to post 1 response and 2 comments total. -- Of course, you are always welcome to comment more than the required amount :]

Each wave of blogging will involve responding to a thought- provoking question that I will post to the blog related to LHoD. The students assigned to that group are expected to respond before the deadline, which will be posted along with the question. Everyone else is expected to comment twice over the entire blogging period for this unit.

Here are the deadlines:

The first question--the one that Wave 1 participants will be expected to respond to--will be posted to the class blog by Saturday afternoon, January 9th. Wave 1 responders will be required to post their responses by Wednesday, January 13th.

The second question--the one that Wave 2 participants will be expected to respond to--will be posted to the class blog on Wednesday, January 13th. Wave 2 responders will be required to post their responses by Tuesday, January 19th.

The third question--the one that Wave 3 participants will be expected to respond to--will be posted to the class blog on Tuesday, January 19th. Wave 3 responders will be required to post their responses by Friday, January 22nd.

When it is not currently your wave, you should be reading responses and commenting along the way.

Wave 1 Participants:

Ryan Salcido, Izzy Batres, Andrew Navarro, Patty Cuarenta, Destiny Esqueda, Adrian Roque, Mary Muro, Daryl Chit, Ashlee Snyder, Brenden Pollard, Melissa Valenzuela, Cierra Pin

Wave 2 Participants:

Zenna Delgado, Tony Gonzalez, Joseph Briseno, Jessica Padron, Stephanie Cuevas, Gonzalo Maldonado, Eryka Springer, Visoth Lim, Jenna Terry, Trever Hairston, Danielle Parra

Wave 3 Participants:
Sharissa Robins, Noelle Huynh, Mercedes Padilla, Joshua Luciano, Charmaine Williams, Keila Amavizca, Eve Mendoza, Kumpol Homwongpanich, Sebastian Rogers, Kyle Goerlitz, Alexus Guzman, Taureece Wilson