I'll be honest. I struggle with this book. It is very difficult for me to understand; however, I will do my best to understand.
As I read the myths in this book, I noticed that most (or all) of the myths involve at least one Gethenian person being killed. When I noticed this, I imagine that Gethenian culture may be connected to death in a certain way. These myths may connect to the fact that suicide is the most despised crime on Winter.
The myth that I'm most familiar with lies in chapter two, where two brothers vow kemmer, and one of them dies.
Death should definitely have something to do with Gethenian culture; however, I can't think of any connections between these myths and Gethen. What do you students think?
I believe that these small stories and myths are shared all around Gethen in order for Gethen civilians to establish and accept a moral set of laws on their planet.
I do believe these myths have something to do with death in some way, shape, or form. In many of these stories that this book discusses, they contain death in almost every single one of them. Committing suicide is most likely looked down upon because all these stories have to do with death by natural causes. This book is a bit complicating, but I agree with death being a common theme in this book.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you that death has something to do with their culture but I can't really think of how maybe it's foreshadowing. I also believe that the myths themselves are told so that no one brakes the rules. As discussed in class the Gethenian world is based on control and according to them what better way than to instill fear in their citizens.
ReplyDeleteForeshadowing is shown quite a few times throughout the book. For instance, in Chapter 2, two brothers (Getheren and Hode) vowed kemmer, but it was forbidden in their Gethenian society. Hode ends up committing suicide, which looked down on. However a few chapters later, it describes an event when Estraven vows kemmer with his brother.
ReplyDeleteA lot of the myths that were in the book were very difficult for me to understand because it takes a look into ideas the Gethenians believe in, but once you can see what unrevealed meaning they have, it gives you a lot of insight. The way they recognize death on Gethen really is crazy and I wish it was explained more clearly what their exact thoughts on it are.
ReplyDeleteTo be quite frank, I love the myths in this book. They provide so much needed information to fill in the ambiguous gaps in the story's plot. I'm dead set on believing that death is a major role player in the development of this story with the growing relationship of Genly and Estraven being the "light" in the story, and the Death of many along the way being part of the "dark". These tales of old Gethenian folklore almost perfectly put the pieces together in explaining the fortunetellers and Estraven's past.
ReplyDeleteThis is just my opinion and point of view on the whole subject.
I love the myths in the book. They help us understand the characters and the culture of the people on Winter. I do see that they usually end in death and that may be a big reason why they look down upon suicide so much. There society associates death with shame, the unfit ability to survive. It goes completely against shifgrethor which is an essential part of being a Gethenian. The myths in the book piece together the untold parts not narrated by Genly or Estraven. Making the story of the people on Winter easier for us to comprehend.
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