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.