In her novel 'The Left Hand of Darkness', does Ursula K. LE Guin succeed in depicting a completely non-gendered society?

Examining feminist criticism of the novel

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Drama, Anthologies
Cover of the book In her novel 'The Left Hand of Darkness', does Ursula K. LE Guin succeed in depicting a completely non-gendered society? by Melanie Walser, GRIN Verlag
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Melanie Walser ISBN: 9783640261321
Publisher: GRIN Verlag Publication: February 4, 2009
Imprint: GRIN Verlag Language: English
Author: Melanie Walser
ISBN: 9783640261321
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
Publication: February 4, 2009
Imprint: GRIN Verlag
Language: English

Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,5, Free University of Berlin (John F. Kennedy-Institut für Nordamerikastudien), course: The Literature of the Sixties, 11 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: This paper will go into certain aspects of feminist criticisms of Ursula K. Le Guin's 1969 science fiction novel 'The Left Hand of Darkness', discuss their justification question, and further examine the consistency of Le Guin's description of the genderless society of Gethen. The Left Hand of Darkness tells the story of Genly Ai, an envoy from Earth ('Terra'), sent by the 'Ekumen', a union of inhabited planets, to planet Gethen in order to convince the planet's inhabitants to join an interstellar alliance. Throughout the novel Le Guin explores Genly Ai's difficulties to understand and become part of society on Gethen, which are mainly due to the fact that all the inhabitants are ambisexual; they only take on a biological gender once a month, in a short period of sexual activity. Each individual has the capacity to become either a man or a woman, and their sex can differ from one month to the other. The Left Hand of Darkness has played an essential role in the history of science fiction. Since Science Fiction was a largely male dominated field of literature in the 1960s, both in its authors and its protagonists, Le Guin's novel was pathbreaking in many ways. It has attracted a lot of attention for its unusual focus on social science and human relationships as opposed to natural science and technology and for its attempt to show a society of complete equals. However, Le Guins thought-experiment about a genderless or gender-ambiguous society has frequently been subject to harsh criticism by feminist critics, who hold that she has not succeeded to create a credible picture of this society. They claim the gender situation throughout the book to be inconsistent. According to these critics, instead of depicting a society without any gender roles, Le Guin describes a purely male world, and fails to make the reader see the Gethenians as women as well as men. This paper discusses the validity of these criticisms.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,5, Free University of Berlin (John F. Kennedy-Institut für Nordamerikastudien), course: The Literature of the Sixties, 11 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: This paper will go into certain aspects of feminist criticisms of Ursula K. Le Guin's 1969 science fiction novel 'The Left Hand of Darkness', discuss their justification question, and further examine the consistency of Le Guin's description of the genderless society of Gethen. The Left Hand of Darkness tells the story of Genly Ai, an envoy from Earth ('Terra'), sent by the 'Ekumen', a union of inhabited planets, to planet Gethen in order to convince the planet's inhabitants to join an interstellar alliance. Throughout the novel Le Guin explores Genly Ai's difficulties to understand and become part of society on Gethen, which are mainly due to the fact that all the inhabitants are ambisexual; they only take on a biological gender once a month, in a short period of sexual activity. Each individual has the capacity to become either a man or a woman, and their sex can differ from one month to the other. The Left Hand of Darkness has played an essential role in the history of science fiction. Since Science Fiction was a largely male dominated field of literature in the 1960s, both in its authors and its protagonists, Le Guin's novel was pathbreaking in many ways. It has attracted a lot of attention for its unusual focus on social science and human relationships as opposed to natural science and technology and for its attempt to show a society of complete equals. However, Le Guins thought-experiment about a genderless or gender-ambiguous society has frequently been subject to harsh criticism by feminist critics, who hold that she has not succeeded to create a credible picture of this society. They claim the gender situation throughout the book to be inconsistent. According to these critics, instead of depicting a society without any gender roles, Le Guin describes a purely male world, and fails to make the reader see the Gethenians as women as well as men. This paper discusses the validity of these criticisms.

More books from GRIN Verlag

Cover of the book Entstehung und Geschichte der Grünen - Politische Strömungen, Formierung und Parteigründung in Karlsruhe 1980 by Melanie Walser
Cover of the book Die Bedeutung der Medien als vierte Gewalt by Melanie Walser
Cover of the book Die Taufe Jesu - Historisch Kritische Exegese zu Matthäus 3,13-17 by Melanie Walser
Cover of the book Peter Menck. Ein Überblick über sein Leben und seine Pädagogik by Melanie Walser
Cover of the book Mediation und Gerichtsverfahren - Ein Vergleich by Melanie Walser
Cover of the book Neoutopien sozialen Ausgleichs by Melanie Walser
Cover of the book Chancengleichheit im Bildungssystem by Melanie Walser
Cover of the book The Assessment Centre by Melanie Walser
Cover of the book Zu den Möglichkeiten der Diagnostik sozialer Kompetenzen im Assessment Center by Melanie Walser
Cover of the book Life is a journey - an interpretation of Eudora Welty´s 'A Worn Path' by Melanie Walser
Cover of the book Ludwig Tieck - 'Shakespeare´s Behandlung des Wunderbaren' by Melanie Walser
Cover of the book Catulls Gedichte: Entwurf einer Unterrichtsreihe by Melanie Walser
Cover of the book Der Amerikanische Traum: Wo er her kommt und was ihn ausmacht by Melanie Walser
Cover of the book Auswahl von Stichproben. Verschiedene Methoden und ihre Vor- und Nachteile by Melanie Walser
Cover of the book Soziale Netzwerkarbeit by Melanie Walser
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy