Barnes 1 Kurt Barnes Steven Allen Introduction to Fiction June 10, 2020 Critical Essay Fiction In The Left Hand of Darkness, Le Guin narrates the story of Gethenians in the eyes of Terran Genly and Therem Harth. Throughout the book, journals of Harth are written at the time with Genly’s journals appearing much later. The story is staged in Gethen planet, which is in an ice age in the future with the climate affecting the adaptation of the planet and its cultures. Similarly, the concept of gender is primarily influenced by the prevailing climatic conditions. Through the story, Le Guin provides a narrative of the future by projecting the nature of human life in years to come. Particularly significant is the story’s portrayal of female and male genders through the lenses of androgyny. Through the story, the author also deconstructs the social constructions of gender to portray humans as a mix of male and female genders. Ultimately, the portrayal of Gethenians as androgynous predicts I don’t think there is a prediction, just a story where a society is based on no gender roles a future where social constructions of gender are inexistent in human life. The portrayal of Therem Harth as neither a man nor a woman is consistent with the current permeation of homosexuality in the world. The author goes further to portray the man as having positive deeds, thus endearing him to the readers and asserting the positivity of homosexuality in human life. Le Guin argues that Therem is “one of the most powerful men in Barnes 2 the country… and who demands respect for his authority” (Le Guin, 19). The identification of the leader of the country as someone who prides himself in both manly and womanly attributes is a direct indication of the emergence of homosexuality among men and women in modern society. Furthermore, Therem is also portrayed as having heard mind speech through the voice of his dead brother, with whom they had a child. According to Le Guin, “in those days, as now, full brothers were allowed to maintain kemmering to each other until one of them sired a child” (Le Guin, 39). The depiction of such a culture is consistent with current scenarios where men engage in relationships with other men to the point of raising children together. This seemed to be more about incest than homosexuality in the story and it was because they vowed kemmer. Still, the book positions every Gethenians to work on any job regardless of their gender inclination. Essentially, the indiscriminate association of Gethenians with jobs helps to portray the universality of employment as advanced in modern society. The responsibilities of the mother and the father are split into half with any Gethenians being either of the genders. This portrayal of both men and women is consistent with human developments whereby men and women partner in the conduct of domestic chores. In particular, men are increasingly participating in roles that were previously reserved for women. Similarly, women are now taking up jobs that were traditionally considered to be masculine and, therefore, a reserve for men. There are no men or women in this society. That was the impact that Genly stuggled with. According to Le Guin, all Gethenians “are respected and judged only as human beings and not through gender lenses” (Le Guin, 123). Ultimately, the balance achieved in Gethen concerning gender roles helps in preventing the emergence of war. The book draws inference to human life in predicting the future of gender relations in the world. By portraying Gethenians as biologically similar to human beings, the book achieves a Barnes 3 positive comparison between the two subjects. It succeeds in portraying the potential of current human beings transforming into the gender constructs depicted among Gethenians. While human societies are segregated based on gender, the Gethenians society bestows gender roles to all the subjects. Do they assign gender roles or do the civilians just do jobs (is there a role if there’s no gender)? According to Le Guin, “no one is quite tied down thoroughly in the society with burden and privilege being shared equally” (Le Guin, 122). Essentially, the book achieves a future where human beings share gender roles equally with little discrimination against women. The depiction of people that are not burdened by gender expectations is an indication of a future of human beings. This sentence is confusing. Accordingly, “most Karhiders cry with ease and are not more ashamed of their ties than their laughter” (Le Guin 135). In the end, the depiction of Gethenians achieves a futuristic portrayal of human life through unique constructions of gender. Still, the representation of androgynous Gethenians as difficult to understand and seeking to be accepted in their form is consistent with the future of human beings. Le Guin observes that Genly only comes to love Therem after the knowledge that he is neither entirely female nor fully male. Consequently, Therem only wants to be recognized ion his androgynous form and not “as a woman who was a man or a man who was a woman” (Le Guin 29). This assertion shows that human beings also seek to be recognized for their nature and not how they are perceived through gender realms. Similarly, Gethenians consider people that chose to present themselves as either female or male all the time to be perverts who deserve to be cast out of society. It is not surprising that people are often suspicious of Genly because he looks male all the time. Ultimately, the portrayal of Gethenians as neither male nor female is a futuristic portray of human beings devoid of gender constructions. Barnes 4 Works cited Le Guin, Ursula K. The Left Hand of Darkness. New York, NY: Penguin, 1969. Barnes 1 Kurt Barnes Steven Allen Introduction to Fiction June 10, 2020 Critical Essay Fiction In The Left Hand of Darkness, Le Guin narrates the story of Gethenians in the eyes of Terran Genly and Therem Harth. Throughout the book, journals of Harth are written at the time with Genly’s journals appearing much later. The story is staged in Gethen planet, which is in an ice age in the future with the climate affecting the adaptation of the planet and its cultures. Similarly, the concept of gender is primarily influenced by the prevailing climatic conditions. Through the story, Le Guin provides a narrative of the future by projecting the nature of human life in years to come. Particularly significant is the story’s portrayal of female and male genders through the lenses of androgyny. Through the story, the author also deconstructs the social constructions of gender to portray humans as a mix of male and female genders. Ultimately, the portrayal of Gethenians as androgynous predicts a future where social constructions of gender are inexistent in human life. The portrayal of Therem Harth as neither a man nor a woman is consistent with the current permeation of homosexuality in the world. The author goes further to portray the man as having positive deeds, thus endearing him to the readers and asserting the positivity of homosexuality in human life. Le Guin argues that Therem is “one of the most powerful men in the country… and who demands respect for his authority” (Le Guin, 19). The identification of Barnes 2 the leader of the country as someone who prides himself in both manly and womanly attributes is a direct indication of the emergence of homosexuality among men and women in modern society. Furthermore, Therem is also portrayed as having heard mind speech through the voice of his dead brother, with whom they had a child. According to Le Guin, “in those days, as now, full brothers were allowed to maintain kemmering to each other until one of them sired a child” (Le Guin, 39). The depiction of such a culture is consistent with current scenarios where men engage in relationships with other men to the point of raising children together. Still, the book positions every Gethenians to work on any job regardless of their gender inclination. Essentially, the indiscriminate association of Gethenians with jobs helps to portray the universality of employment as advanced in modern society. The responsibilities of the mother and the father are split into half with any Gethenians being either of the genders. This portrayal of both men and women is consistent with human developments whereby men and women partner in the conduct of domestic chores. In particular, men are increasingly participating in roles that were previously reserved for women. Similarly, women are now taking up jobs that were traditionally considered to be masculine and, therefore, a reserve for men. According to Le Guin, all Gethenians “are respected and judged only as human beings and not through gender lenses” (Le Guin, 123). Ultimately, the balance achieved in Gethen concerning gender roles helps in preventing the emergence of war. The book draws inference to human life in predicting the future of gender relations in the world. By portraying Gethenians as biologically similar to human beings, the book achieves a positive comparison between the two subjects. It succeeds in portraying the potential of current human beings transforming into the gender constructs depicted among Gethenians. While human societies are segregated based on gender, the Gethenians society bestows gender roles to all the Barnes 3 subjects. According to Le Guin, “no one is quite tied down thoroughly in the society with burden and privilege being shared equally” (Le Guin, 122). Essentially, the book achieves a future where human beings hare gender roles equally with little discrimination against women. The depiction of people that are not burdened by gender expectations is an indication of a future of human beings. Accordingly, “most Karhiders cry with ease and are not more ashamed of their ties than their laughter” (Le Guin, 135). In the end, the depiction of Gethenians achieves a futuristic portrayal of human life through unique constructions of gender. Still, the representation of androgynous Gethenians as difficult to understand and seeking to be accepted in their form is consistent with the future of human beings. Le Guin observes that Genly only comes to love Therem after the knowledge that he is neither entirely female nor fully male. Consequently, Therem only wants to be recognized ion his androgynous form and not “as a woman who was a man or a man who was a woman” (Le Guin, 29). This assertion shows that human beings also seek to be recognized for their nature and not how they are perceived through gender realms. Similarly, Gethenians consider people that chose to present themselves as either female or male all the time to be perverts who deserve to be cast out of society. It is not surprising that people are often suspicious of Genly because he looks male all the time. Ultimately, the portrayal of Gethenians as neither male nor female is a futuristic portray of human beings devoid of gender constructions. Barnes 4 Works cited Le Guin, Ursula K. The left hand of darkness. New York, NY: Penguin, 1969. ENGL 210 Peer Review Worksheet Usage Guidelines: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Read the draft twice; once to create an overall impression; the second time to explore in detail. Respond to Question 1 after the First Reading. Respond to the subsequent questions after the Second. Add lines if necessary. Make appropriate remarks in the essay draft itself and attach both the marked file and this worksheet to the reply post. Make at least one summary positive comment and one suggested general improvement in the body of the reply post. The student whose essay is being discussed may ask questions (but should not get defensive); please be sure to reply. Peer Review: WRITER: Kurt Barnes EDITOR: Kenneth Hatfield AFTER THE FIRST READING: 1. Share you first impression. Describe the impact of the essay in general terms: its effectiveness, its persuasiveness, its scholarly presence. Overall the essay is well written. There are a few sentences that sound funky, but can easily be fixed. AFTER THE SECOND READING: 2a. What is the essay claiming about the literary work(s)? What is its Thesis (not what is the subject but what is said about the subject)? Is the thesis explicitly stated in the essay? If you cannot identify it or it seems too broad or unfocused, say so here. Suggest a revision that narrows or focuses it. The thesis is “the portrayal of Gethenians as androgynous predicts a future where social constructions of gender are inexistent in human life.” The only thing I have about the thesis is I wouldn’t say it’s predicting anything. 2b. Does the Thesis answer the question(s) being addressed? Does it only summarize the plot? Suggest more effective approaches. What are the expectations created by the Thesis? Are they satisfied? If not, outline the neglected areas and suggest ways of incorporating them. The first paragraph is used mainly as reinforcement, but it mentions homosexuality a lot. If the Gethenians are ambisexual, then when they are not in kemmer, there is no sexuality to them at all so the basis of them being homosexual is a bit of a stretch. The second paragraph was good, but there’s no gender in this society unless they are in kemmer. Same thing about third paragraph, good, but no gender in this society unless they are in kemmer. 3. Is the paper organized in a clear, efficient, natural manner; that is, does the order of the discussion effectively present the support for the Thesis? Is there a clear beginning, middle, and end? And does it flow well? If not, suggest a superior arrangement. The essay is organized well. I wasn’t sure about your closing paragraph though. It didn’t seem to wrap up the essay because there was more new information in it. 4a. Does the support convince you of the validity of the Thesis? If not, what additional material would need to be added to do so? The material is supported. 4b. Does the essay make effective use of the selected work(s)? Does it need more numerous specific references to the text(s)? Identify where additional references might be useful. Suggest what additional kinds of references are needed. Which points need more support? References were used well and are placed sufficiently. 4c. Are the references all properly cited and all citations properly identified in the list of Works Cited? Is MLA Format clearly the method employed? Comment here, and mark problematic places in the essay itself. The date on the page is not in MLA format either of DD MMM YYYY. Some citations have comma ie. (Le Guin, 123). There’s no comma in internal citations. Otherwise, everything looked fine. 5. Identify any incoherent, unclear, vague, and/or inappropriate sentences, phrases, or words. Comment here, and mark problematic passages in the essay itself. One sentence did not make sense to me and is marked in the mark-ups. No inappropriate words. ENGL 210 Peer Review Worksheet Usage Guidelines: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Read the draft twice; once to create an overall impression; the second time to explore in detail. Respond to Question 1 after the First Reading. Respond to the subsequent questions after the Second. Add lines if necessary. Make appropriate remarks in the essay draft itself and attach both the marked file and this worksheet to the reply post. Make at least one summary positive comment and one suggested general improvement in the body of the reply post. The student whose essay is being discussed may ask questions (but should not get defensive); please be sure to reply. Peer Review: WRITER: Kurt Barnes EDITOR: Christopher Ruckoldt AFTER THE FIRST READING: 1. Share you first impression. Describe the impact of the essay in general terms: its effectiveness, its persuasiveness, its scholarly presence. I think the essay needs to be cleaned up a little bit. It does not have many, if any, grammatical or spelling mistakes, but I think the evidence and analysis lacks in some paragraphs. Also I could not tell if the last paragraph is your conclusion or another body paragraph. AFTER THE SECOND READING: 2a. What is the essay claiming about the literary work(s)? What is its Thesis (not what is the subject but what is said about the subject)? Is the thesis explicitly stated in the essay? If you cannot identify it or it seems too broad or unfocused, say so here. Suggest a revision that narrows or focuses it. The thesis states that Gethen predicts a future of social constructs of gender do not exist. The essay is claiming that Gethenians are similar to that of today’s society on Earth, as Gethenians are not androgynous. As well, it states a prediction for what is to happen on Earth. I would suggest you focus on one of those. I do not know if you are saying today’s society is becoming androgynous or comparing the similarities. I recommend making that clearer. 2b. Does the Thesis answer the question(s) being addressed? Does it only summarize the plot? Suggest more effective approaches. What are the expectations created by the Thesis? Are they satisfied? If not, outline the neglected areas and suggest ways of incorporating them. I think it answers the questions being addressed, but I think it needs a stronger connection between Gethen and Earth. You have an example for each topic, but I would add more analysis to your connection to solidify your point more. 3. Is the paper organized in a clear, efficient, natural manner; that is, does the order of the discussion effectively present the support for the Thesis? Is there a clear beginning, middle, and end? And does it flow well? If not, suggest a superior arrangement. I think the flow of the essay is well done. I talked about the last paragraph earlier, that is the only thing I would make sure you fix. It seems like it is a mix between a body paragraph and a conclusion. 4a. Does the support convince you of the validity of the Thesis? If not, what additional material would need to be added to do so? The support is convincing, but I think it needs more analysis and depth. 4b. Does the essay make effective use of the selected work(s)? Does it need more numerous specific references to the text(s)? Identify where additional references might be useful. Suggest what additional kinds of references are needed. Which points need more support? The essay makes use of multiple references to the text. 4c. Are the references all properly cited and all citations properly identified in the list of Works Cited? Is MLA Format clearly the method employed? Comment here, and mark problematic places in the essay itself. The citations are correct with MLA standards, except having an ‘s’ on the Work Cited. 5. Identify any incoherent, unclear, vague, and/or inappropriate sentences, phrases, or words. Comment here, and mark problematic passages in the essay itself. No specific sentences are unclear or vague.
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