Ursula Le Guin's 'In The Left Hand Of Darkness'
In the Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula Le Guin describes setting in tremendous detail. The fictional planet that she so elaborately describes is known as Gethen or Winter. As indicated by the latter name for the planet, it is a very frigid and glacial planet. On this planet, the two major countries are Karhide and Orgoreyn. At one point in the novel, it is stated that there are some sixty-two words in the Karhidish language for the various kinds, states, ages, etc. of snowfall. It also states that there are twenty or more words to describe the actual properties of snowfall (such as temperature and wind strength). This certainly indicates that snowfall and adverse weather are quite common in this fictitious world. The countries as mentioned earlier
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share this unique environment, but they are quite different in terms of their governments, values, and hospitality. Throughout the novel, they are even in the midst of a dispute over a piece of land located between the two countries called the Sinoth Valley. While the extremely frigid environment in this novel serves as a means for comparison between Karhidish and Orgoreyn values, it also represents the presence of constant struggle and barriers.
Karhidish people display amazing hospitality with little to no regard for their future wellbeing, which is a testament to their compassion when considering the weather extremes expected in this land. In Karhide, any traveler is guaranteed to receive remarkable hospitality. After Estraven and Genly complete their treacherous eighty-one day journey across The Ice, they approached a small and quite remote Karhide civilization for shelter. Here, they are hospitably welcomed at the hot-shop as anticipated due to Karhide’s well-known values associated with welcoming strangers. Genly describes these Karhidish people as follows: “Benighted, contentious, passionate, ignorant souls, countryfolk of a poor land, their generosity gave a noble ending to that hard journey. They gave with both hands. No doling out, no counting up” (Le Guin 272). These people are from a desolate place, where passers through are quite rare (especially long after darkness has set in). It would not be abnormal for a person to be a little alarmed by the situation. However, they have enough compassion to treat Estraven and Genly with the same hospitality expected and observed in other Karhidish villages. Without these people, Estraven and Genly probably would not have survived their journey. With this fact in mind, it is interesting to see how Genly decides to describe them. He insinuates that they are clueless or unfortunate when he calls them benighted and ignorant. He also refers to them as quarrelsome and argumentative when he states that they are contentious. One generally would not think it to be kind to refer to such helpful people as clueless or argumentative. However, it seems that Genly is merely pointing out seemingly obvious and accepted societal facts. When Genly says that these people give with both hands, he is referring to their supreme kindness. In the next sentence, Genly states that there is no “doling out.” As defined by the Oxford English dictionary, “doling” simply means to give out in small quantities or to portion sparingly ("dole, v.1."). In other words, these Karhidish people are more worried about pleasing their guests and ensuring their guest’s survival than they are about their supply of food. This reiterates the fact that these people are tremendously kind. This is especially true when one considers the conditions in which they live. This village is quite remote in terms of location and it is hard to imagine that it has an overabundance of food.
As described in the initial part of the novel, Ortoga seem to lack the capacity for compassionate interactions. In Orgoreyn, people are not nearly as welcoming as those in Karhide. This is best displayed as Genly first enters the country. The Ortoga border security were fixated on proper paper work and took their time to ensure that Genly was authorized to enter Orgoreyn. Genly stopped at the first border station for an hour while they methodically examined his paperwork and then spent another hour at the office of the superintendent of the Transient-House while the superintendent read over his papers. The superintendent even went so far as to call the first border station to verify the terms of Genly’s permissions. This is a good representation of the not so hospitable nature of the Ortoga. After Genly observes a little more about the Ortoga, he says, “The Ortoga seemed not an unfriendly people, but incurious; they were colorless, steady, subdued. I liked them. I had two years of color, choler, and passion in Karhide. A change was welcome.” (Le Guin 113) Here, Genly points out that the Ortoga do not seem hostile. Rather, they simply seem not to care much about what is going on around them. This is reiterated when he refers to these people as being subdued and steady. This lethargic demeanor may very well correlate to their lack of hospitable transitions. Genly then remarks that the Ortoga’s demeanor was a welcomed change when considering the amount of passion and bickering displayed in Karhide. As a reader, one might find this peculiar because of the kindness of Karhides’s people. However, this situation certainly seems to be a result of him spending a very long time with people completely different from himself and not completely understanding the nuances of the society or the people. That being said, Ortoga interactions with other people certainly do not match those observed in Karhide.
A common ground can be found between Ortoga and Karhidish people in their deep core values associated with surviving the harsh environmental conditions in which they live. Le Guin describes a very interesting setting as Genly is traveling in a cargo van as a detainee along with other individuals (all Orgota). The van is traveling further and further west into Orgoryen. As they travel in this crammed cargo van, the environment outside seems to get colder and less inhabited. At one point, Genly notices that they pass through an area of elevation which he later identifies as the Sembensyens (where they went over nine thousand feet of passes). While in the van, the prisoners are seemingly traveling further and further away from civilization. However, they still choose to act in a civilized manner. They share water as equally as possible. They identify individuals who have less tolerance to the cold and keep those less tolerant people in the middle of the huddle to ensure their warmth/survival. This certainly relates to an aspect of Orgota values. Genly makes reference to the fact that Orgota are trained from birth to be cooperative and obedient. However, these harsh conditions would test even to most dedicated people. At one point, Genly states, “It is a terrible thing, this kindness that human beings do not lose. Terrible, because when we are finally naked in the dark and cold, it is all we have” (Le Guin 170). This is an extremely important passage from Genly’s perspective. He acknowledges that there is a common thread among all these individuals. Having no other belongings whatsoever, each person can only rely on what is within. These people never act with severe selfishness or anger. The conditions remain harsh, but everyone relies on kindness to ensure survival. Ultimately, they end up at the Pulefen Commensality Third Voluntary and Resettlement Agency after a five day ride, but there is something to be said for how these people acted even though they seemingly did not know much about their destination and the conditions were horrendous. This concept uncovers a common feature between Ortoga and Karhidish people. Inhabitants from each country know what it takes to survive on a planet as cold and toilsome as Gethen, but each displays it quite inversely. Le Guin uses the extreme conditions and landscape to create barriers and obstacles in the story.
On Genly and Estraven’s journey through The Ice, there were many instances of struggle associated with the conditions. Two of the major focuses are on ice and glaciers. Ice is commonly associated with slickness and jaggedness. Glaciers are associated with sheer force and unstoppable power. At one point in their travels, Estraven writes the following in his diary: “The surface is bad. We screw the sledge along amongst great lumps of ice, immense debris pushed by the straining of the great plastic sheet of ice against and among the Fire-Hills. The broken pressure-ridges take queer shapes, overturned towers, legless giants, catapults” (Le Guin 230). One of the most interesting parts of this excerpt comes when Estraven says that they “screw the sledge along.” This insinuates a great deal of maneuvering, repositioning, and sharp steering. The chunks of ice that make the navigation of this area difficult are being pushed by “great plastic sheet of ice.” This is referring to a glacier that is powerful and imposing. The use of the word plastic might seem a bit peculiar here upon first glance. Plastic often refers to something that is malleable or pliable. This is not really a commonly anticipated trait of glaciers. However, it speaks to the sheer power and mass of the glacier. It has size to move the ice and earth’s crust around it at will. The next line calls attention to the results of immense pressure produced by glacier movement. Estraven points out that the terrain forms into odd shapes. He seems to be making reference to the size and abnormal appearance of the ice distortions when he describes them as overturned towers, legless giants, and catapults. All of this combined makes for a more difficult journey for Estraven and Genly. It is not a simple hike across the country side. Instead it is a rigorous trek through cold air and over dangerous glacier passes. Le Guin uses
the terrain and conditions to produce a physical struggle during Genly and Estraven’s journey. This concept of struggle also crosses over into their overall mission.
As previously stated, both of these countries share this harsh environment. Each country is known for its respective set of values and the manner in which its inhabitants act. However, social interactions involving survival of this environment displays a commonality between the two countries. Karhidish people are known to be very hospitable and many times this comes at a time when someone’s survival is at stake. When faced with a gloomy situation, readers can see how Ortoga react when relying on each other is essential for the survival. The existence of extreme environmental conditions on Gethen gave Le Guin an avenue to show readers a side of these respective groups of people that may have otherwise gone unseen. However, having a common trait associated with survival does not generally resolve conflict. Seeing as the two countries are in the middle of a dispute over the Sinoth Valley, conflict resolution seems to be a largely important topic. It is in Le Guin’s literary style to embed further meaning into many of her texts. Ultimately, a powerful message (wether it actually be intended or not) can be pulled from Le Guin’s use of harsh environment and the representation of it. In this novel, Le Guin makes the occasional reference to a more modernly accepted “catch phrases.” For instance, chapter sixteen is titled “Between Drumner and Dremegole.” Drumner and Dremegle are two geographically close volcanos that Genly and Estraven must navigate between during their frigid travels from Orgoryn to Karhide. This title is a reference to the Americanized saying of “stuck between a rock and a hard place,” which basically refers to facing a choice between two undesirable options. This concept can be applied to the overall purpose of this novel. The phrase “nothing worth having comes easy” seems to fit perfectly in this context and apply directly to a possible message to be taken from powerful this text. The purpose of Estraven and Genly’s journey is to create peace on Winter. However, they must overcome these physical and environmental barriers in order to attain their goal.
share this unique environment, but they are quite different in terms of their governments, values, and hospitality. Throughout the novel, they are even in the midst of a dispute over a piece of land located between the two countries called the Sinoth Valley. While the extremely frigid environment in this novel serves as a means for comparison between Karhidish and Orgoreyn values, it also represents the presence of constant struggle and barriers.
Karhidish people display amazing hospitality with little to no regard for their future wellbeing, which is a testament to their compassion when considering the weather extremes expected in this land. In Karhide, any traveler is guaranteed to receive remarkable hospitality. After Estraven and Genly complete their treacherous eighty-one day journey across The Ice, they approached a small and quite remote Karhide civilization for shelter. Here, they are hospitably welcomed at the hot-shop as anticipated due to Karhide’s well-known values associated with welcoming strangers. Genly describes these Karhidish people as follows: “Benighted, contentious, passionate, ignorant souls, countryfolk of a poor land, their generosity gave a noble ending to that hard journey. They gave with both hands. No doling out, no counting up” (Le Guin 272). These people are from a desolate place, where passers through are quite rare (especially long after darkness has set in). It would not be abnormal for a person to be a little alarmed by the situation. However, they have enough compassion to treat Estraven and Genly with the same hospitality expected and observed in other Karhidish villages. Without these people, Estraven and Genly probably would not have survived their journey. With this fact in mind, it is interesting to see how Genly decides to describe them. He insinuates that they are clueless or unfortunate when he calls them benighted and ignorant. He also refers to them as quarrelsome and argumentative when he states that they are contentious. One generally would not think it to be kind to refer to such helpful people as clueless or argumentative. However, it seems that Genly is merely pointing out seemingly obvious and accepted societal facts. When Genly says that these people give with both hands, he is referring to their supreme kindness. In the next sentence, Genly states that there is no “doling out.” As defined by the Oxford English dictionary, “doling” simply means to give out in small quantities or to portion sparingly ("dole, v.1."). In other words, these Karhidish people are more worried about pleasing their guests and ensuring their guest’s survival than they are about their supply of food. This reiterates the fact that these people are tremendously kind. This is especially true when one considers the conditions in which they live. This village is quite remote in terms of location and it is hard to imagine that it has an overabundance of food.
As described in the initial part of the novel, Ortoga seem to lack the capacity for compassionate interactions. In Orgoreyn, people are not nearly as welcoming as those in Karhide. This is best displayed as Genly first enters the country. The Ortoga border security were fixated on proper paper work and took their time to ensure that Genly was authorized to enter Orgoreyn. Genly stopped at the first border station for an hour while they methodically examined his paperwork and then spent another hour at the office of the superintendent of the Transient-House while the superintendent read over his papers. The superintendent even went so far as to call the first border station to verify the terms of Genly’s permissions. This is a good representation of the not so hospitable nature of the Ortoga. After Genly observes a little more about the Ortoga, he says, “The Ortoga seemed not an unfriendly people, but incurious; they were colorless, steady, subdued. I liked them. I had two years of color, choler, and passion in Karhide. A change was welcome.” (Le Guin 113) Here, Genly points out that the Ortoga do not seem hostile. Rather, they simply seem not to care much about what is going on around them. This is reiterated when he refers to these people as being subdued and steady. This lethargic demeanor may very well correlate to their lack of hospitable transitions. Genly then remarks that the Ortoga’s demeanor was a welcomed change when considering the amount of passion and bickering displayed in Karhide. As a reader, one might find this peculiar because of the kindness of Karhides’s people. However, this situation certainly seems to be a result of him spending a very long time with people completely different from himself and not completely understanding the nuances of the society or the people. That being said, Ortoga interactions with other people certainly do not match those observed in Karhide.
A common ground can be found between Ortoga and Karhidish people in their deep core values associated with surviving the harsh environmental conditions in which they live. Le Guin describes a very interesting setting as Genly is traveling in a cargo van as a detainee along with other individuals (all Orgota). The van is traveling further and further west into Orgoryen. As they travel in this crammed cargo van, the environment outside seems to get colder and less inhabited. At one point, Genly notices that they pass through an area of elevation which he later identifies as the Sembensyens (where they went over nine thousand feet of passes). While in the van, the prisoners are seemingly traveling further and further away from civilization. However, they still choose to act in a civilized manner. They share water as equally as possible. They identify individuals who have less tolerance to the cold and keep those less tolerant people in the middle of the huddle to ensure their warmth/survival. This certainly relates to an aspect of Orgota values. Genly makes reference to the fact that Orgota are trained from birth to be cooperative and obedient. However, these harsh conditions would test even to most dedicated people. At one point, Genly states, “It is a terrible thing, this kindness that human beings do not lose. Terrible, because when we are finally naked in the dark and cold, it is all we have” (Le Guin 170). This is an extremely important passage from Genly’s perspective. He acknowledges that there is a common thread among all these individuals. Having no other belongings whatsoever, each person can only rely on what is within. These people never act with severe selfishness or anger. The conditions remain harsh, but everyone relies on kindness to ensure survival. Ultimately, they end up at the Pulefen Commensality Third Voluntary and Resettlement Agency after a five day ride, but there is something to be said for how these people acted even though they seemingly did not know much about their destination and the conditions were horrendous. This concept uncovers a common feature between Ortoga and Karhidish people. Inhabitants from each country know what it takes to survive on a planet as cold and toilsome as Gethen, but each displays it quite inversely. Le Guin uses the extreme conditions and landscape to create barriers and obstacles in the story.
On Genly and Estraven’s journey through The Ice, there were many instances of struggle associated with the conditions. Two of the major focuses are on ice and glaciers. Ice is commonly associated with slickness and jaggedness. Glaciers are associated with sheer force and unstoppable power. At one point in their travels, Estraven writes the following in his diary: “The surface is bad. We screw the sledge along amongst great lumps of ice, immense debris pushed by the straining of the great plastic sheet of ice against and among the Fire-Hills. The broken pressure-ridges take queer shapes, overturned towers, legless giants, catapults” (Le Guin 230). One of the most interesting parts of this excerpt comes when Estraven says that they “screw the sledge along.” This insinuates a great deal of maneuvering, repositioning, and sharp steering. The chunks of ice that make the navigation of this area difficult are being pushed by “great plastic sheet of ice.” This is referring to a glacier that is powerful and imposing. The use of the word plastic might seem a bit peculiar here upon first glance. Plastic often refers to something that is malleable or pliable. This is not really a commonly anticipated trait of glaciers. However, it speaks to the sheer power and mass of the glacier. It has size to move the ice and earth’s crust around it at will. The next line calls attention to the results of immense pressure produced by glacier movement. Estraven points out that the terrain forms into odd shapes. He seems to be making reference to the size and abnormal appearance of the ice distortions when he describes them as overturned towers, legless giants, and catapults. All of this combined makes for a more difficult journey for Estraven and Genly. It is not a simple hike across the country side. Instead it is a rigorous trek through cold air and over dangerous glacier passes. Le Guin uses
the terrain and conditions to produce a physical struggle during Genly and Estraven’s journey. This concept of struggle also crosses over into their overall mission.
As previously stated, both of these countries share this harsh environment. Each country is known for its respective set of values and the manner in which its inhabitants act. However, social interactions involving survival of this environment displays a commonality between the two countries. Karhidish people are known to be very hospitable and many times this comes at a time when someone’s survival is at stake. When faced with a gloomy situation, readers can see how Ortoga react when relying on each other is essential for the survival. The existence of extreme environmental conditions on Gethen gave Le Guin an avenue to show readers a side of these respective groups of people that may have otherwise gone unseen. However, having a common trait associated with survival does not generally resolve conflict. Seeing as the two countries are in the middle of a dispute over the Sinoth Valley, conflict resolution seems to be a largely important topic. It is in Le Guin’s literary style to embed further meaning into many of her texts. Ultimately, a powerful message (wether it actually be intended or not) can be pulled from Le Guin’s use of harsh environment and the representation of it. In this novel, Le Guin makes the occasional reference to a more modernly accepted “catch phrases.” For instance, chapter sixteen is titled “Between Drumner and Dremegole.” Drumner and Dremegle are two geographically close volcanos that Genly and Estraven must navigate between during their frigid travels from Orgoryn to Karhide. This title is a reference to the Americanized saying of “stuck between a rock and a hard place,” which basically refers to facing a choice between two undesirable options. This concept can be applied to the overall purpose of this novel. The phrase “nothing worth having comes easy” seems to fit perfectly in this context and apply directly to a possible message to be taken from powerful this text. The purpose of Estraven and Genly’s journey is to create peace on Winter. However, they must overcome these physical and environmental barriers in order to attain their goal.