The constant cold of Gethen is the main cause of the isolation and loneliness there. Everyone is always so wrapped up and there is a lack of interaction going on. They also mostly stay to themselves whether they are inside or not. Cold weather gives off a certain mood, a mood of sometimes sadness or a sort of down feeling in settings. The Gethenians don’t do or feel much; the weather in a way coincides with it. As Genly is on Winter, the constant cold gets to him. He isn’t used to it and struggles dealing with it. In chapter ,he explains how he is not only physically cold but his soul is cold. This coldness and lack of interactions and connections with people causes him to become lonely and homesick. The Gethenians way of life is not what Genly is is even close to being used to. Back on the Earth where he is from there is warmth from the weather and also the close interactions from those around him. Also the cold gives the planet a sense of lacking something. The whole reason Genly came to winter is to get them to join an alliance with other planets to share ideas and ways of life. However due to the isolation and people not really knowing about him, just about everyone thinks what Genly is trying to do is some kind of trick. Also many of the towns are isolated and do not get along with each other and some think Genly is out to ruin them.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Burr It's Cold In Here, There Must Be Gethenians In The Atmosphere
The constant cold of Gethen is the main cause of the isolation and loneliness there. Everyone is always so wrapped up and there is a lack of interaction going on. They also mostly stay to themselves whether they are inside or not. Cold weather gives off a certain mood, a mood of sometimes sadness or a sort of down feeling in settings. The Gethenians don’t do or feel much; the weather in a way coincides with it. As Genly is on Winter, the constant cold gets to him. He isn’t used to it and struggles dealing with it. In chapter ,he explains how he is not only physically cold but his soul is cold. This coldness and lack of interactions and connections with people causes him to become lonely and homesick. The Gethenians way of life is not what Genly is is even close to being used to. Back on the Earth where he is from there is warmth from the weather and also the close interactions from those around him. Also the cold gives the planet a sense of lacking something. The whole reason Genly came to winter is to get them to join an alliance with other planets to share ideas and ways of life. However due to the isolation and people not really knowing about him, just about everyone thinks what Genly is trying to do is some kind of trick. Also many of the towns are isolated and do not get along with each other and some think Genly is out to ruin them.
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You make a lot of great points! First of all, it's relatable how cold weather tends to give off a certain mood. I know when it rains a lot of people prefer to stay inside and bundled up. Putting myself in Genly Ai's position I would not want to live a life feeling extremely cold all the time, while being a mission and having to travel. That alone is a reason on why he may feel isolated - no one else feels his struggle. Having several individuals not trust him entirely is difficult. Ai may feel frustrated at the fact that he is having to live a discombobulated life while no one trusts the real reason he is on Gethen in the first place. The weather is exceeding uncomfortable and almost no one makes an attempt to make Genly feel at ease, until he reaches Orgoreyn. Freezing weather is not exactly comfortable and almost anyone would feel uneasy from it.
ReplyDeleteI get it how cold weather contributes to the feeling of lonliness and isolation. Genly doesn't entirely understand the reason why the people of Gethen are so detached. My guess is that they have adapted to the lonliness and are content with it.
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ReplyDeleteThe weather is a great explanation of the moods and isolation I've been wondering why they just think genly is trying to do everything in his power to set them up when in my opinion he's done nothing really to lead them to that conclusion. They seem so to themselves and only have one way of thinking but maybe that's what they're use to considering they haven't been exposed to anything different so it's understandable.
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