Reading and Discussion Questions on the Left Hand of Darkness
The Structure of the Novel
This story must be pieced together from various points of view -- much as the anthropologist, Genley Ai, has to piece together his understanding of Gethan culture and politicas. Basically, the story alternates between the perspectives of Genley Ai, the Gethan Estraven, and the gnomic mysteries of Gethan myths, with one interpolated report from a visiting team of anthropologists.
- Genly Ai narrates Chapters 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 13, 15, 18, 19, 20
- Estraven narrates Chapters 6, 11, 14, 16. The shift of narrators in Chapter 6 is quite disorienting.
- Various Gethan myths and legends are presented in Chapters 2, 4, 9, 17 12. See below for suggestions to help with interpretations.
- The Gethan sexual arrangments are explained by the Report in Chapter 7.
- Notice how Genly Ai's and Estraven's Chapters are paired against each other; often they represent different interpretations of the same events. Estraven's version often clarifies matters which had confused Genley Ai (and us).
Thematic Structures
- Le Guin's Intro brings up a number of issues that are crucial to the novel. In particular, the dichotomy between truth and lies in which lies turn out to be truer than truth, sets up a pattern of oppositions which deconstruct each other that is a major theme throughout the novel. Other dichotomies which line up in this way include: light/dark, male/female, spring/winter/ yin/yang, kemmer/somer, shiftgrethor/mind speech, Karhide/ Orgoryen, Handara/Yomesh.
- Notice how many of the dichotomies/ paradoxes are set up in the first chapter.
- Notice how the two governments seem to have opposed identities, an opposition that is almost gendered: the yin of Karhide being opposed to the yang of Orgoryen. How does Genly Ai relate to these two ways of operating? How is he mistaken about which is truer, lighter, more honest, safer?
The Hero's Journey
- Like most of the books we've read this semester, this novel is a Bildungsroman. In this case, however, there are two parallel comings of age: the private journey to knowledge of Genly Ai is paired with the public journey of the planet Gethan towards membership in the Ekumen.
- Chart the plot out in terms of Campbell's hero's quest, noting the relationship between Genly's progress and that of the planet. This can be quite complex as you could also layer in Estraven's arc and the archetypal situations brought up in the various myths.
- In this novel, coming of age means building bridges -- arches to the Other, arches whose keystones must be set in blood. How does this initial image (in Chapter I) reverberate throughout the novel? How does it echo the shape of the hero's journey?
Sex and Gender
- What's the point of the Gethan's ambi-sexuality? We can deduce from Le Guin's Intro that it's a metaphor -- if so, what's it a metaphor for?
- How does this novel critique contemporary gender roles?
- How does the Gethan's bisexuality affect the structure of their society? In particular, what do you think of the connections between lack of war and rape and lack of gender roles?
- Is this novel a romance in the sense of a love story? Is the novel homophobic? (A charge often leveled against the book. )
- Does the use of male pronouns make the book androcentric?
Deciphering the Myths
- Basically, what you have to do is take each myth as a little symbolic parable and ask -- what does this myth tell me about Gethan culture? However, some of the myths do have direct connections to the plot, especially the ones about Estraven.
- Chapter 2: The Place Inside the Blizzard -- This first myth explains the Gethan's great taboo: their equivalent to our prohibition on incest. The two brothers refuse exogamy, refuse exchange with the Other; paradoxically this is bad for the community. Why is suicide so bad on Gethan?
- Chapter 4: The Nineteenth Day -- This story presents an opposition between Foretelling and nusuth; it is about the folly of trying to know too much. Notice that the price for knowledge is paid in blood-- like the arch of the bridge. Why does this story come at this point in the narrative?
- Chapter 9: Estraven the Traitor -- This myth is about the person for whom our Estraven was named. It seems to be little like our Romeo & Juliet. What possible parallels are there between the two Estravens?
- Chapter 12: On Time and Darkness -- Here we get a glimpse into the Yomesh religion of Orgoryen. How is this outlook different from/ opposed to/ yet linked with that of the Handarrata? What does this myth tells us about life in Orgoryen and Genly Ai's situation there?
- Chapter 17: An Orgota Creation Myth -- This is their equivalent to our myth of Eden and the Fall. What opposites does their myth delineate; how is their myth different from ours? In particular, do they have a different attitude towards what Christians would call evil? How is this attitude related to Taoism and Jung?
The Gethan Language
- A very important part of understanding a culture is learning its language. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis -- often invoked by anthropologists -- holds that every culture's reality is at least to some degree created by their language; among other things a language shows what a culture thinks is important enough to name. (Inuit Eskimos have 30 different works for snow, for example.) So, understanding the meaning of key Gethan terms is crucial to understanding their culture.
- The most important word/concept for Genly Ai, and us, to master is shiftgrethor.
References to this idea of pride, place, self-image occur on pp. 7, 11, 13, 14, 16, 32, 40, 48, 70, 79 , in the begining of the book. Note all further references to this key term and begin to explain what all it means.
- Keep a list of other important Gethan words. LeGuin tends to use Gethan words when they describe something that is not translatable, that is unique to that culture -- so these words are important keys to the difference between Gethan society and the world of the Ekumen.
- The culture of the Ekumen is not exactly the same as ours -- even though they are biologically heterosexual. What words/ concepts help us to understand the Ekumen?
Also see SOC 190 Lesson 1 -- Chapter by chapter Reading Notes for Left Hand of Darkness for a Sociology class
