The Left Hand of Darkness :: Left Hand of Darkness Essays

The Left Hand of Darkness Although the author of The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin discussed in the introduction that this keep is not extrapolative or a prediction of future, the plots in the book are extraporative to some extent. Since the story takes place in the past, Ekumenical Year 1490-97, this book is different from other science fictions which the stories take place in the future. However, the issues that the author deal with in the book are a prediction of the future it mass happen. Guin also claimed that if I could fork out said it non-metaphorically, I would not have written all these words, this novel. Her metaphoric settings and words confuse whether or not our population is natural. Since Guin set the story in the past with extraordinary imagination, it was very hard to get into her world from the first chapter, Winter, Hainsh Cycle 93, Ekumenical Year 1490-97. In the first chapter, the behavior that Guin introduces the story pulling the re aders in mysterious or mythic worlds even beyond any imaginative worlds. She explains her imaginative worlds in detail every one time in a while yet it is not easy to share and to understand her worlds. The main reason might be the story takes place in the past instead of future. We normally perceive a mythic future. And also, we think that we can not change our history. The author of Utopian and Science Fiction by Women Worlds of Difference, Naomi Jacobs pointed out that Guins theme is gender differences and sexuality in the frozen landscape. In the story, Gethen describes the setting as a place of gender freedom. Gender issues are delicate issues in our culture and will remain as it is. In Guins imaginative world, mens pregnancy is a natural phenomenon. This imagination is used in umteen other books and movies even today. (For more info, see Jasons paper) However, Guins use of the imagination is difficult to share because her imaginative world has already passed. Th e theme that Guin discussed in the book was confusable to other science fictions. Death and fear are always the theme in science fiction. Throughout the story, people died in the frozen landscape and they have fear in their life.