My Left Hand

The readings and film from this week diverge from the science fiction surrounded by over the top, imposing galactic battles. They do not revolve around an apocalypse or being lost in space. They are directed at the human experience in creating and adjusting to a new society with different rules and roles. Nevertheless, Le Guin’s story of Genly Ai is a journey to another planet and is interrupted at times with myths and prophesies adding to the fantasy nature of the novel.

In Left Hand of Darkness, Le Guin’s protagonist travels to outer space to influence other beings to join the Ekumen, a United Nations of sorts. He is on a quest for peace, and the trade that accompanies it. Ai has traveled to the frozen wasteland of Gethen/Winter where the beings are gender neutral hermaphrodites. The Gethenians have both female and male features. They are asexual during “somer” and have the ability to procreate during “kemmer”.  From the introduction, Le Guin points out that no one should be treated differently due to their gender. This note is not surprising considering the feminist movement at the time she wrote the novel. Consequently, the ideas revolving around gender identity is a key theme in the book. Genly Ai, the alien, at times seems a little sexist when stereotyping the Gethenian’s female aspect with terms such as “lack of substance.”  He also has constant inner turmoil trying to identify each Gethenian as a male or female even though he knows they are both. Le Guin has been criticized and has admitted that the Gethenians actually seem more male than female throughout the novel. She even uses he to describe the characters in the book.

In addition, the novel deals with the ability to accept and adapt to these different cultures and species. Le Guin shows elements of similarity between Ai and Estravan. Ai is alone on the planet, trying to adjust and compute the alternate life style. Estraven travels to a self-imposed isolation, knowing there is something outside his small world. They join forces and journey together, even escape danger in Orgereyn. In the country of Karhide, Estravan has many names and many layers as he learns mind speech and speaks with his dead brother. The fantasy in this case is the inward journey as each questions his relevance. We also see the uniting of nations with these two individuals. Brotherly love is evident as Ai mourns the death of Estrevan at the end. There is also subtle evidence of influence of the Cold War on Le Guin with the conflict between with the totalitarianism of Orgoreyn and Karhide.

Like Le Guin’s novel, Truffaut’s Farenheit 451 also deals with a changing culture and a deviation from what is the norm in conventional society.  Books are not only banned but illegal to have in your possession. The government fears the liberated thinking that comes with education. Montag, a fireman charged with the burning of these books, begins to see their importance. Once part of the government, now he becomes the criminal on the run in an underground society. Like Le Guin, the film also deals more with the human aspect of difference.  It is also a story of betrayal due to ignorance as Mongut’s wife turns him into the authorities. Nevertheless, Mongut finds his place with the ostracized book lovers.

Through the characters of Ai and Estravan, two worlds unite as they travel across the glacier. Le Guin emphasizes the yin and yang, the light and dark in our journey to find inner meaning. At the time the novel was written, sexuality was defined in terms of male/female. Further, society was a male dominated world. These strict lines have become grey as bisexuality, homosexuality, transgender and transvestites have become commonplace. Books such as Le Guin’s prompt us to accept these differences, see the individual inside and promote equality on all levels.