Gethen: The Ice Cold World

In the "Left Hand of Darkness" there is an interesting recurring theme of Sadness, Loneliness that connects with the Cold and Frosty environment the Gethenians live in. We have the character who goes by the name "Estraven" who is very quiet and mysterious and always seems to be in solitary. In the story there is also the well known alien "Genly Ai" who feels disconnected and confused from this different world. A lot of the characters seem isolated and unaccompanied by and family or friends. I also strongly feel that the wintry weather and atmosphere also somehow affected the Bisexual gender roles that these beings possess. In chapter 2, on page 22 this dialogue states,"on hearing this command one of the two, the one who bore the child, despaired and would hear no comfort or counsel, and procuring poison, committed suicide." According to Gethen law, siblings can mate, but they cannot stay together and if they did there were huge punishments. In this case one of the brothers committed suicide and suicide is looked down upon as a dishonor. The other brother was driven out and exiled. In another statement from chapter 2 page 23 it says,"He escaped them and ran northward over the land towards the Ice, outrunning all who pursued him. They came back all chapfallen to Shath. But Getheren went on, and after two-days, journey came to Pering Ice." As you can see the cold winter like environment matched the emotions of the character. Words such as Isolation, desperation, sadness, feeling lost, faithless create an understanding of the balance of Nature and Man. The characters go through these terrible things, and during these negative events, as a reader I wouldn't picture a Sunny and greenland. I think the barren, cold land fuses fluidly with the sadness and loneliness these characters witness and experience in Gethen.