"The Left Hand of Darkness"

Paper Summary:

Ursula Le Guin's book, "The Left Hand of Darkness", won the Nebula and Hugo awards for science fiction and many critics have praised the prose and sensuality of the book, which tells the tale of the planet Winter, and the Gethenians who populate the planet. Specifically, this paper looks at the book from a critical feminist approach. The paper shows that the Gethenian society seems perfect at first, but the lack of warmth in this cold world is a sad statement about relationships and the lack of them.

From the Paper:

"What would society be like if we did not relate to each other as men and women, but only as beings? Much of the way we see ourselves and others is dependent on our sex. Men are supposed to be strong wage earners who protect their wives and children. Women are supposed to be nurturing lovers who care about their family and how they appear to others. In Winter, the residents do not have to concern themselves with stereotypes and images; they can simply be whoever they are. Le Guin writes of how our world should be, and how she pictures a world without sexual stereotypes and dominance."

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