In the Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin the story goes on from narrator to narrator, diary entries, and mythological stories. It ends up either leaving you confused or wondering how it'll tie into the story later on.
Gethan culture may be very odd to most but someway intriguing. It lets us know how Gethanians have to go through to kemmering with others whose kemmer situation before could be difficult or just how their life was now shaped because of what has happened before. For example, the folktale "Inside the Blizzard" is about these two "brothers" who want to vow kemmering but it's forbidden to do that. So one of them ends up committing suicide and leaves the other one all alone to be exiled. This story ends up tying into the novel later on when Estraven is faced with another kemmering situation.
The stories bring sort of a history to this type of lifestyle they live with. Their culture is something not everyone is used to with being genderless and most find it weird. Genly especially coming from a place with gender and the whole love situation comes in simpler terms. Myths are the part that keeps the novel interesting to see how things come together and keep you in a shock.
Michelle, I agree with you.Each story does have a history or background perhaps. It can leave you to ask many questions but some can answered too. When you first read the story you don't understand what kind of humans they are but you soon realize that on this planet they live this way this is their lifestyle.
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ReplyDeleteI loved how you connected the folktale "The Place Inside the Blizzard" with Estravens personal conflict of the story, I agree the fact that Estraven is about to encounter another situation where he's not able to Kemmer with the one he loves shows another future conflict and history might or might repeat itself.
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