The Left Hand of Darkness

Ian Grier

4 April, 2020


This week's selection, "Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula LeGuin is a science fiction adventure that takes the reader to a different universe through the eyes of Genly Ai.  Ai is from Earth and is on an envoy to try and bring another world "Winter" into a group of worlds that are like a community of political allys.  The planet he comes to is much different than Earth and while on his envoy, Ai must navigate through not only the political pitfalls but the cultural difference of the planets people.  On this planet, Gethen, not only are they able to communicate without words, but there is no gender identification.  Light is the right hand of darkness and dark is the left hand of light which means that all is balanced and equal.  So, gender equality is taken to a whole new level in this novel.  People are balanced equally as both man and woman; there is no bias and no need to sexual feelings to get in the way of progress.  For how much we as a culture fights for equality, we have the intrusion of male and female roles that can get in the way.  In this world, that does not exist.  If we had the ability of true balance without the problems of female/male hormones than we could feel the pure love that Ai was able to attain with his companion, Estraven.  Without having the prejudice of physical love, Ai was able to not only learn to communicate without words to Estraven, but he was able to discover what pure love for another being is.  By becoming fully immersed in this culture, Ai fell victim to not belonging anywhere.  He no longer was able to understand or feel at home on Earth and due the the death of Estraven, he felt lost and without a sense of belonging at either planet.