Wave 3

The myths illustrated convey to the readers about the Gethenian culture and how some of the myths repeat into some of the character's lives throughout the novel. It signified what the Gethenian people believed and what they hold sacred to them most. Two myths that portrayed Estraven's series of events was the Place Inside the Blizzard and Estraven the Traitor. The Place Inside the Blizzard related to Estraven's life the most because in the myth it revealed two brothers that swore kemmering together, however, that is against the law if they birth a child. The two brothers birthed a child so they could not stay  together anymore. One of the brothers committed suicide which is looked down upon the most and the other brother was shunned. Their child was then raised by the grandfather. This myth portrayed Estraven's life significantly. It reminds me of a forbidden love known as Romeo and Juliet. Estraven the Traitor myth, also, signified Estraven's situation because he wanted to create peace between the two tribes or the Ekumen and Karhide. Of course it did not work because they were both known as a Traitor after.

Wave 3: Myths

In the novel, Left Hand of Darkness author Ursula Le Guin includes parables to depict Gethenian culture as well as stories. With these stories we are able to have a better understanding of Gethen Lore. Guin sets up several chapters dedicated to these parables allowing her to further develop the interesting culture/way life on Gethen. These parables are helpful and give insight that I've referred backed to during the reading. The very first story introduced into the novel was in Chapter 2, the story discussed two brothers on Gethan who vowed khmer to each other, however that it is illegal and eventually led to one of the brothers to commit suicide, due to him deeming life unbearable without his partner, and the story ends with the remaining brother abandoning his life and lives in exile in the harsh conditions. Committing suicide on this planet is deemed the biggest crime right front of stealing. This story foreshadows future events in the novel, such as Estraven's love for Genly Ai, Estraven just like in the story gets exiled and does whatever it takes to free Genly from prison such as stealing. The story's last parallel is traveling across the frozen glacier on the planet to get to where they are going.    

-Bryan Tovar

Wave Three - Myth Chapters

Throughout the book, there are certain chapters that act as tales that help the readers this book understand the plots of the book and furthermore explain the Gethenian culture and morals. Chapter 2 is the first to explain the myths in the book. The tale is pretty much explains kimmer and how it works and also how Gethenians view suicide. According to the chapter, two siblings are able to go into kimmer; however, the two must separate if one becomes pregnant and conceives a child. This chapter conveys that in a Gethenian society, it is possible to go into kimmer because the Gethenians are accustomed to living in their own adrogynous society. As for the topic of suicide, it is seen as unacceptable in their world. When the brothers are forced to separate, one of the brothers commit suicide which affects the life of the brother who is still alive. This brother takes the consequence for his brother's actions which forces him to move away from his home and become exiled in a way. This chapter shows that there are hardships in this society as well and that not everything and everyone in Gethen are the same. Another tale in the book includes Estraven, the traitor. Even though this Estraven differs from today’s Estraven, it shows that even a long time ago, things were still the same. Estraven can be seen as a traitor according to the tale because all throughout the book he experiences things that shows details proving him as a traitor in his society. He seems to view Genly as different and he has a weird relationship with him. He shows his way of being a traitor by escaping Genly from jail and them traveling together to the ice. They myths in this book explain much of the plots and or the morals of the Gethenian society. It gave me a better outlook on the book because it feels good to finally understand something that is so complex and different from Earth.

Wave 3

In the novel, Left Hand of Darkness, the author tells many stories that the Gethenian culture holds. One of the stories I found the most interesting was the “The Nineteenth Day”. It was about a man who saved up to ask the foretellers about his death. He asked the question, “on what day shall I die”. The foretellers then proceeded to tell him that he will die on Odstreth, but never told him a day or month. The man then lived life in suffering. This legend told the reader to not make the same mistake as him, which is to be specific when asking the foretellers a question. This legend also served a purpose which was to educate the reader about the foretellers before Genly paid a visit to them. Genly was very specific when asking them a question and he got an answer. Another story that helped educate the reader was “The Place inside the Blizzard”. This was about two brothers who vowed kemmering to each other. However, they were forced to break their vow and one brother committed suicide which forced the other to go into exile. This educated the reader of some things that are very forbidden in Gethenian culture, which is suicide and vowing kemmer with a sibling. I also think the author included this story to foreshadow what we learn about Estraven`s past. The author uses dialogue to tell that Estraven has vowed kemmering before. Estraven also brings up his brother a lot, yet we never meet him. I think that this story is the same thing that Estraven experienced. Estraven vowed kemmering with his brother, yet it was forbidden and his brother committed suicide.

Wave 1

                Genly definitely struggles to see Gethanians as themselves and not humans. There society is completely different than us by not having gender play a role in there world, meaning that everyone is treated the  same. On Earth we classify ourselves and differentiate ourselves with what gender we are and we treat each other differently. In chapter 8 Genly struggles to realize that the king is pregnant. Genly classified the king as a man before the news of the king's pregnancy came out. This is one example of how on Earth we try to classify ourselves and Genly struggles to except that on Winter you can be both and be treated the same. Overall, this goes to show that it shouldn't matter weather you're a boy and a girl we should all be treated equally.

Wave 1

Genly basically continues to love on Gethen the place he called winter.  He starts out having a really hard time understanding how the Gethenians do things.  the Gethenians don't have any gender until their time for Kemmer comes.   Since he is a human its hard for him to understand because on earth we use pronouns such as him and her.  But on the planet he calls winter Genly calls them all "he" because it's easier for him to understand that way.  While Genly was talking to Estraven, he was thinking about how " It was impossible to think of him as a woman, that dark, ironic, powerful presence, and yet whenever I thought of him as a man I felt a sense of falseness.''  (pg.12) Genly again seemed confused and of course, we would all know why he is confused because he does not understand why.  Even though Genly is confused he still willing to learn about the Gethenian culture and why they do the certain "weird" things they do.  Even though he has been on Gethen for a while he says and talks about how he still feels like a stranger.  This very much makes sense since he is from the earth and the two places are significantly different from one another. 

wave 2

The constant cold of Gethen added to the theme of isolation and loneliness because Genly does not fit in at gethen. The weather adds an additional degree of the coldness and overall detachment of Gethenians. In this world Genly is very lonely he has been away from his homeworld for most of his life as a representative doing missions for the Ekumen and even though we are told that he looks no more than 30 which is a lie because, in reality, he is one-hundred twenty years old. He is very tall and his looks make him outcast stand out way more. I think the author made the planet cold to show how the people of gethen don't have any emotions. On Earth, there are four different seasons, all of which Genly has already experienced. However, Genly is a foreigner so he is not used to the weather being cold all the time. The cold weather builds on the cold emotions of the Gethenians by adding the extra sense of solitude for Genly, making it twice as hard for him to achieve his mission due to the additional obstacle that he has to come through.  The constant cold of Gethen also contribute the mentality of Genly as well, throughout the book, we have relied on a narrator that gave an explanation as to the normal weather patterns through the eyes of someone who is fairly used to temperature like those of Earth. Genly states that the temperature of Gethen seems to stay below even that of our subarctic regions.  Because of this, Genly must act and respond different due to the extreme temperatures of Gethen, which in turn sets him apart from the residents of Gethen.

Wave 2

The cold weather on Gethen is one of the biggest parts of the lives of the Gethenians. It’s so unbearingly cold that it takes up most of their bodily energy just to withstand it. This kind of constant drain in energy is an undoubting way to have separation between people and emotions. If you don’t have a lot of energy and someone comes to talk to you at school, a lot of times people just ignore each other because they don’t have the patience or just out right lack of energy to converse. The same idea can be applied to the Gethenians. With their energy being drained into withstanding the harsh cold Winter, they could very well not have the energy to make close connections or conversations that we have here on Earth. One strong downside of this is it can make someone feel very alone and distant from others, due to the inability of spending time with one another and getting close. The only kind of “personal” affiliation Gethenians have with each other is the kemmering process, which is 9/10 times not a personal interaction, but just a natural part of the life on Gethen. All this leads to the people of Gethen feeling isolated. Not only does this idea apply to the regular Gethenians, but it also apples to Genly himself. With Genly being the only human being on a completely different planet that’s not even close to his home planet, there is no doubt about him feeling alone and isolated from his normal way of life and his idea of “normal” people.

Wave 2:Isolation and Lonliness

The never ending cold weather of Gethen contributes to the theme of lonliness and isolation because, where there is usually a cold environment there is hardly life as prosperous as when there is warm fair weather. The theme of isolation and lonliness contributes to the Gethenians because there is no attachment emotionally, there is only physical contact which occurs during Kemmer the only time in which they are no longer lonely. This can be seent hroughout the book due to the fact that when the kids are born there is no emotional attachment between the parents or the child with the parents, instead there's lonliness between what is supposed to be a family.
   The theme of lonliness can also be seen through Genly Ai being the only kind of his species on Gethen. This adds to the theme because although he is able to make friends on Gethen there is no ther person to which he can turns to and express himself and be understood. Another example that contributes to lonliness and isolation is banishment. Banishment from your own people and if seen at all you must be killed. This leads to an even lonier lifestyle than they are accustomed to living already. The endless cold weather as well as humongous mountains that contain nothing living and infinite amounts of snow and gruesome blizzards. These are a few examples that I thought really contributed to isolation and lonliness.

Wave Two

I think the idea of cold has multiple connotation than just the temperature.  Often I associate kindness and belonging with warmth.  Le Guin choosing to create this world that is always cold is interesting because it establishes this underlying feeling of loneliness throughout the story.  Cold is an uncomfortable feeling and I think that creates a  general uncomfortability in the novel.  It almost hurts to be cold and I think that adds to the loneliness of the planet.   I have never thought of cold as something friendly and that is way the book is just so lonely.  Le Guin was very smart about her choices.  I think she wanted the planted and the novel to be lonely.  By Le Guin literally showing cold in her novel she makes the overall mood lonely  Loneliness because of cold is also shown through the characters. Genly is very lonely the planet and he is obviously not a fan of the cold.  “I (Genly) longed for anonymity, for sameness.” (8).   This part of the book starts to show just how lonely he is on this planet.  Genly talks about how he has never been warm in the planet in a few chapters.  This is probably meant literally but I think that Genly is also talking about friendship.  Genly has never felt welcomed or friendship on Winter.  The people of Winter are in general cold people.  They are not very welcoming to Genly because he is strange and different.  This adds to the coldness of Winter.

Wave Two

The world of Gethen was nicknamed ‘Winter’ for an obvious reason - it is always cold. On page 133, Genly expressed just how cold the world was: “..months and months of unrelenting cold, sleet, ice, wind, rain, snow, cold, cold inside, cold outside, cold to the bone and the marrow of the bone.” This piercing coldness affects every aspect of the people’s lives. For instance, it affects how the buildings are structured as well as the people's behavior.  Because weather influences all aspects of Gethenian life, the people tend to live in isolation and loneliness.

  Physically, cold weather makes people secluded behind walls of buildings.  On page 115, the structure of the city Mishnory was described as "..a queer-looking city, all blank stone walls with a few narrow windows set too high, wide streets that dwarfed the crowds, ....shed-roofs sticking out of housewalls eighteen feet above ground like big aimless bookshelves." This illustration portrays how buildings were built in Gethen to adjust to the cold. In a sense, the structure of the buildings contribute to the isolation of the people. The high walls, making them feel like dwarfs also literally separated them with huge barriers from others making them lonely.

  On page 96, it is explained that "the dominant factor in Gethenian life is not sex or any other human thing: it is their environment, their cold world. Here man has a crueler enemy than himself." The society is centered around the unfortunate weather conditions. The people are not concerned with socializing and building strong relationships - they simply live to survive in harsh conditions. As a result, they live secluded from each other and live in isolation and loneliness.

Wave 3

The various myths in the chapters of Left Hand of Darkness show the Gethenian culture and how their society is structured and portrayed. One of the various myths explains how siblings born from the same Gethenian "mother" can not become kemmering partners and share an romantic bond with one another. In the tale two brothers end up sharing a romantic bond together resulting in them secretly becoming kemmering partners. Hiding from society, they end up relieving their secret and being exile from their community. Not able to deal with the pain of loneliness one brother commits suicide, while the other is left alone without his lover or community by his side. This myth portrays a cultural story we have known throughout our lives, Romeo and Juliet.

Wave 1

In the Left Hand of Darkness, Genly faces a challenge on how to view the Gethenians. The reason for this is because the Gethenians do not have a specific gender until they enter kemmer which is a stage in which the Gethenians develop a sexual drive and then determine a specific gender. In the beginning, Genly is confused on this awkward stage for these people and can seem very sexist through the book. It takes Genly some time to adjust to this different cycle, whereas to his world you are born male or female and remain that way. Genly had also assigned specific genders to some people which created even more confusion for him because of the constant changing of gender. This shows the little bit of struggle that Genly has faced in this confusing world, but has adjusted since getting used to it.

Wave 3: Left Hand of Darkness

The myths of the Left Hand of Darkness are one of the most interesting parts of the book. Like many myths in real life they help explain the Gethenian culture or how things occur on the planet. Thus clarifying any confusion the reader may have. One such example is the story of the 19th Day which explains the roles of fore tellers in Gethenian society, as highly respected beings who can predict the future which connects to the plot of the story. Since Genly does meet a fore teller by the name of Faxe who helps answer one of Genly's questions about the future. Specifically, if Gethen would join the Ecumen. It's stories like these that help explain the Gethenians actions or special abilities. Without the story the reader would be confused on how Faxe is able to predict the future, or that you have to pay fore tellers, and even that there are a bunch of fore tellers that exist in this world. Another story that explains the Gethenian culture is the Place Inside the Blizzard. This story is significant because it helps explain the Gethenian punishment of exile and how difficult it is to run away from it. In the story, Getheren is exiled and has to travel far to safety before he is hunted down. This story shows how the idea of exile works as well as it helps the reader illustrate how hard the weather on Gethen is. To conclude, the role of these myths is to explain how society in Gethen functions and why do Gethenians have certain abilities compared to others. It basically explains their life and how it formed.

WAVE 1

Genly has such ahard time seeing Gethenians as they see themselves. Sometimes he kind of forgets that theyr’e not human, but other times he’s really weirded out by them. Through out the book he starts to understand things more and he starts to kind of relate to them in certain ways. Genly’s attitudes make him seem like a jerk, but almost every one on earth acts like this. He is sexist on a planet that has no genders which is hard for him because sometimes he tries to figure out their gender, or even make one for them when he does’nt need to and can’t really do that.

Wave 2 response

The constant cold of Gethen contributes to the theme of isolation and loneliness because it represents  the feeling of losing hope, darkness and depression. You are never able to feel comfortable and also not being able to control the environment that you are in. When I think of the word cold  I don't think of happiness unless it involves snowing or the Christmas holiday season, but it's not as fun if you don't have someone to experience it with you. To be cold is a miserable feeling just like being lonely and not having the support of another person.  So if the Gethenians planet is called Winter and only experiences cold, harsh weather it must not be as happy as it seems. I believe that the cold weather reference is directed toward Genly.  He goes to the planet Winter and experiences isolation and loneliness since he is the only human who doesn't go into kemmering.  He is seen as a pervert because he never changes gender and stays a male. No one in winter has an assigned gender, it's all determine once they've reached kemmering. Since he is so different it makes it hard for others to trust him.  He has nobody to relate with and is never in competition with competing with his masculinity. Everyone in Gethen is adjusted to the weather on winter but Genly struggles to keep warm. It's hard to stay alive in Winter, he comes from a warmer planet so he had to learn how to make adjustments.  Winter is so cold that it makes the air to hard to breathe in. Coldness results in death.

Wave 2

Its constantly cold out In Gethen and I feel that the isolation and loneliness is referring to Gendy Ai. Genly must go over obstacles for the fact that he has come from a different world. He has seen as an alien because he has a gender and only one gender which is a male. He has seen as this because in this new world no one has one specific gender. People also have no idea where Gendy comes from, so I feel that no one can really relate to him and have a conversation with him. Another thing is that the king scared the country, which may be hard for anyone to trust Gendy and become a friend of his.  Estraven has also been banished from that country and he is the only person that gets him and that Genly can communicate with. Furthermore the weather has affected the way he has acted because out there on earth it is warmer than Gethen. Genly has been plaved on an planet  that is completely  opposite than what he is usually used to.

Wave Two

The constant cold of the planet Gethen contributes to the theme of isolation and loneliness by showing that the weather can make it hard for Gethenians to become close to another. The cold and dreary weather can cause lonliness and bouts of depression in many people, so that is why I think it adds to the era of lonliness the novel displays. I think that by them always wearing snowsuits and being bundled up could represent being isolated and closed off from others. Genly is alone on Gethen and the unfamiliar weather adds to his separation as he is not as adapted for the weather as the rest of the world is. The Gethenians see Genly as a pervert and an alien because his body is different from everyone elses. Genly feels alone because nobody wants to trust him. The cold makes people hide away for warmth and not really be free and expressive. He must feel very alone as he has nobody to really confide in and has been on Gethen for two years now. As we see Genly develop throughout the story, we see he becomes more open, most likely from his growing bond with Estraven. Although the Gethenians are used to the cold, they still wear heavy jackets and snow gear. With everyone swallowed in giant jackets and gloves, trying to get from place to place and stay warm, it seems like real human connection is scarce. The cold Gethenian world does not really exhume happiness and radiance, but rather a distant and quiet murmur.

Wave 3

The myths help us understand Gethenian culture by giving us a look into what ancient Gethenians thought were important. For example, the myth about the two brothers who separated and remet in the Place Inside the Blizzard gives insight as to some small aspects of Gethenian culture. We learn that incest rules are different there in that siblings can have a child together but not more than one. We also learn that suicide is incredible shameful. Another important aspect is that the cold often has some presence in the myths. The cold is everywhere in Gethen, and so it shapes many of the ancient myths. The mysterious place where the brothers had remet could have been a different place in different climates such as a desert oasis, behind a waterfall, deep in a cave, or any other geological feature that could be significant to a people. The Gethenians live in a cold environment, and this part of the myth takes place inside of a blizzard. I’m not sure what could be in the middle of a blizzard, but since blizzards are so hard to see through, it would make sense for ancient Gethenian storytellers to set mysterious things inside of one.

Jacob Zollinger

Wave 2 :)

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

A person who could be considered cold, may actually be isolated and lonely. I feel like the character, Estraven, could be considered cold. Just like the entire planet. In chapter 6, Estraven was banished and was trying to get as far away as fast as possible. On page 75 his old kemmering, Ashe, finds him and tries to offer him money which he will not take. "As I spoke my anger and bitterness turned from Ashe against myself  and my own life, which lay behind me like a broken promise. . . I went on, and he did not follow me. But my brother's shadow followed me. I had done ill to speak of him. I had done ill in all things." To me, I feel as though Estraven has felt so isolated because of his struggles with his past kemmerings. Throughout the novel we catch glimpses of the idea that he had vowed kemmer to his brother, which isn't accepted. So when he had to leave his brother, he might have felt really lonely. He obviously had a very deep affection for his brother but losing the one you love might make you want to isolate yourself to stay away from anyone. I also assume that because of this he continued to feel lonely and tried to force himself into this new relationship and he may not have been ready for. He even says "'It was a false vow, a second vow. You know it; you knew it then. The only true vow of faithfulness I ever swore was not spoken, nor could it be spoken, and the man I swore it to is dead and the promise broken, long ago(pg 75)'". This coldness of the planet really shows the isolation and loneliness of this character. The feeling he felt for his brother might have once kept him feeling warm inside, now he has nothing to feel to combat the actual cold of the world.

Wave Two

A person who is inwardly bitter and isolated can be described as cold.  The endless cold of Gethen correlates with the theme of loneliness and isolation because Gethen is significantly a lonely and cold planet.  Genly was sent to Gethen with no other people of earth, leaving him to be all alone among a planet of unfamiliar people with extremely different traditions and behaviors.  He has made a few allies along the way, but they are still very different when it comes to comparing characteristics.  For instance, Genly is taller and darker than the Gethenians; furthermore, he does not understand their process of kemmering.  As it says on page 96, "the weather of Winter is so relentless, so near the limit of tolerability even to them with all their cold-adaptions, that perhaps they use up their fighting spirit fighting the cold." On Gethen, the cold leads people to misery; for example, in chapter 2, it talks about two brothers in kemmer, who were forced to separate, leading one to commit suicide.  The cold on Gethen leads to harsh decisions, forcing people to isolate and restrict themselves from the outside world.  As for Genly, the cold represents how distanced he is from the Gethenians, his intolerance for their traditions, and his feelings of loneliness on this strange planet.  For the Gethenians, the cold represents their isolation from each other, and the harsh feelings that are shared between them. 

Wave Two

The theme of isolation and loneliness is supported by the constant cold in Gethen because 
of the way that it makes Genly feel. Genly Ai is not used to the cold weather and temperature
like everyone else in Gethen. Genly already struggles to fit in because of his appearance and they 
way he is formed. The fact that everyone else can tolerate this cold except him is another factor 
that makes Genly feel alienated in Gethen. The cold only limits his interactions with the 
Gethenians.
To me, when someone is cold they are unemotional and lacking affection. In Gethen it is cold year
round. The people are cold year round. Another way that the constant cold contributes to the 
theme of isolation is because harsh cold conditions often restrict people. Whether it's restricting 
them from interacting with other people or from simply going outside. In Genly’s case, his lack 
of tolerance for cold forces him to become isolated from everyone else. In other words, the cold 
isolates Genly from the people of Gethen forcing him into loneliness, and since the cold is 
year round, Genly will forever be distanced from everyone else. The cold not only represents 
the physical conditions that separates the Gethenians and Genly, but it represents the feeling 
shared between them as well.

Wave 2: Isolation and Loneliness

       The constant cold of Gethen contributes to the theme of isolation and loneliness because emotionally, Gethen is a cold and lonely place. One of the major examples that I have picked up on is their whole gender and sexual situation. To me, being cold means being lonely, upset, and depressed. Gethenians are constantly alone unless they are in kemmering. Therefore, a majority of their lives, they are alone, cold, and isolated until they enter kemmer. The Gethenians lack emotion, sometimes they don't stay with their kemmering partner, and the children aren't taken care of individually by their parents, they are scattered and being taken care of by a bunch of Gethenians, which can become lonely.
        Genley Ai feels the most isolated and the most lonely, for one he was sent to Gethen all alone, no other human beings came along with him, so as far as he is concerned, he is completely alone. Sure he has met others on Gethen and has somewhat made friends, but over all he is alone. Genley comes from Earth where there are four different seasons, and he was placed onto a planet where it is freezing cold all the time. A change that drastic can cause someone to have a change in their actions and how they feel, which I think is a major contribution to the loneliness and isolation.   
      Gethen is a cold place. The feeling is lonely and dark. The color of the actual novel is blue which is a color related to sadness. The Gethenians feel lonely, for example, in chapter two the tale about the brothers who could not be together, Hode killed himself because he could not be with who he wanted to be with. If that is not cold and lonely then I don't know what is.