Analysis Of Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand Of Darkness

Genre classifies movies, novels, music and literature with similar style in the same category. Genre acts as a navigation tool to guide the audience and readers to select literature according to their preference. The most common genre of the 21st century is the science fiction genre. It is a genre that has its roots in the 19th century where the new inventions of the century made the audience curious about the upcoming future and technology. An excellent example of the prominent genre of science fiction is the Hugo and Nebula award winning novel, The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin. The novel tells the story of a human being named Genly Ai who travels to a different planet named Gethen in order to fulfill a mission. During his landing
Androgyny means to have characteristics and qualities of both males and females. During Genly Ai’s visit to Gethen, he realized “cultural shock was nothing compared to the biological shock [he] suffered as a human male among human beings who were, five-sixths of the time, hermaphroditic neuters” (48). The Gethenians are able to go through a five day period known as kemmering, where the hormonal changes in their bodies might temporarily give them either male or female reproductive organs. These bodily changes allow the citizens to either impregnate someone or get pregnant. The ability to change sex is not possible on Earth, and no such known being posses this quality. Genly Ai’s “reliance on sexual identity as a basis for forming relations of trust with another human offers no guidance on Gethen, only confusion and distrust” (Macdonald). Genly Ai tries to befriend the people based on the gender roles and stereotypes he is used to on Earth, but due to ethical and biological differences in Gethnians, he feels alienated. The people on Gethen are used to living in the extreme cold temperature and consider the weather on Earth to be inordinately hot for
The narration may go beyond the scientifically proven laws of physics. There can be a presence of partially fictitious laws of science. Objects such as time machines, spaceships and other advanced technological gadgets and vehicles are usually used to advance the plot line. On the bases of “Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, Science Fiction writers have created a host of spaceships capable of traveling near the speed of light” (Galens). The technology used in the science fiction novel may be capable of breaking the barrier of time and defy the natural laws of aging. A science fiction novel gives the readers detailed explanation of the technology prominent to the plot line of the story. The writers of science fiction novels “seek out new scientific and technical developments in order to prognosticate freely the techno-social changes that will shock the readers’ sense of cultural propriety and expand their consciousness” (Britannica). The knowledge of the technologies described in the novel leads to anticipation in the