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.