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.
I really like how you connected the harshness of their environment to how they're lacking technology because they have to focus more on adapting to the weather and not advancing as a civilazrion. At what point do you see them advancing or do you see them remaining in a non-technological society?
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ReplyDeleteI feel like if Genly Ai's mission of forming a world coalition doesn't succeed, then there is less of a chance that Gethen will technologically advance. Their environment will always be cold, but with the resources, ideas, support, and minds of other allies, there is a possibility that Gethen will make progress in becoming a more civilized society.
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