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.