The weather in Gethen is extremely cold and icy with a lot of snow fall. Gethenians have grown use to the weather and do not seem affected by it too much. On the other hand, Genly Ai comes from Earth and is not used to such freezing weather and it can become difficult for him to handle sometimes. Genly Ai may feel like he is alone on Gethen because of his gender role in a world with permanent genders. However, the coldness also contributes to the themes of isolation and loneliness.
One way I think it can make Genly feel isolated is because everyone seems somewhat tolerant of the weather, while he on the other hand seems like he is freezing to death. He has to work on his mission and work on surviving the cold weather. Genly Ai explains,”Winter is an inimical world; its punishments for doing things wrong is sure and prompt: death from cold or death from hunger” (99). Not only does the climate make Genly Ai feel isolated and lonely, but it also isolates Gethen in general. In Gethen everything is very slow paced, “Winter hasn't achieved in thirty centuries what Terra once achieved in thirty decades. They don’t care much about making progress and aren’t really advanced. In my opinion, the coldness plays a major part in this factor and isolates Gethen from others. It kind of makes me think like the coldness is freezing their progress in a way. What do you guys think?
I completely agree with your association between Gethen's cold climate and their sluggish advancement. They've grown quite passive toward the perpetual ice and snow. Despite having the technological advancement and machinery to clear roads and houses from being buried with snow, they literally just made an extra door that hangs 10 feet above the ground to use during winter. Now if that's not the laziest way around a problem, I don't know what is. Currently, there is no incentive to industrialize, and there's little competition between nations because everyone seems to get by with the way things are.
ReplyDeleteI find that you're quite right when saying there is a theme between the cold, and isolation with Genly and Gethen's. Just to say that it could be that the cold could show or signify what Genly feels Gethen and its people are like. Its like the COLD SHOLDER. Anyways, then I do like the idea that the cold freezes the progress of gethenians. That's cool you can make connections like that I probably (If I had Wave 2) wouldn't have made that connection, just because I wouldn't have spotted it.
ReplyDeleteI like your observation that chill can represent a stagnancy of progress. I have a feeling that the constant cold weather can foreshadow something.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I must talk about Genly being isolated. I can definitely vision Genly being the only living thing on Gethen that isn't used to the constant cold. From your post, I interpret it as Genly being from a world where technology is more advanced than technology in Gethen. If this is correct, then Genly sure is alone in this new world.
I agree with your claim that one of the reasons Genly feels isolated is due to the fact that he can't conform to be comfortable in the cold, freezing temperatures on gethen that his peers are so accustom to. There are other factors, such as being permanently a male and not belonging to their culture, that make Genly feel like an outsider; however, the climate change causes Gethenians to, like you said, live slowly. He's not use to the pace of life on Gethen, which can also lead to his feeling of isolation.
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