LeGuin's geography is familiar. She, like myself, is a far North Westcoaster. We live in a volcanic landscape scoured by glaciers and flattened by titanic flooding. That shit shapes people.
In any sense, could Left Hand of Darkness be construed as a Utopian Novel? In the early days, some critics asserted that it was, while Le Guin asserted that it was not.
Would the sexual "equality" depicted create an egalitarian society of sorts that we would consider ideal?
I don't see how it could be Utopian, because of all the intrique between the nations, and the foibles of their citizens. But it seems like people used to use "utopian" to mean "speculative" or "Idealized" instead of the way I think of it now, as "ideal" or "perfect" or "flawless harmony."
Acceptance of a hellscape people don’t know could be better seems not so much utopian as, I dunno, maybe ignorance is bliss. So then maybe be utopia is just in ones head.
I did not have the same experience of All In The Family as you did. My dad basically was Archie Bunker, and (like a lot of the audience) identified with him without learning from him.
I'm not very familiar with LeGuin, and have yet to read Left Hand. A friend gave me The Lathe of Heaven in the 80s, and I was entirely unimpressed. I'll have to give her another chance, especially since she published a short story called Dragonfly.
Good point.
LeGuin's geography is familiar. She, like myself, is a far North Westcoaster. We live in a volcanic landscape scoured by glaciers and flattened by titanic flooding. That shit shapes people.
Questions.
In any sense, could Left Hand of Darkness be construed as a Utopian Novel? In the early days, some critics asserted that it was, while Le Guin asserted that it was not.
Would the sexual "equality" depicted create an egalitarian society of sorts that we would consider ideal?
Not utopian because the two societies we see are pretty badly flawed.
lol, context is everything - I started religious life in the Christian Science church, were prayers begin, "Oh Mother Father God..."
Well, WE see that they are flawed.
But would a Gethenian see it that way?
I don't see how it could be Utopian, because of all the intrique between the nations, and the foibles of their citizens. But it seems like people used to use "utopian" to mean "speculative" or "Idealized" instead of the way I think of it now, as "ideal" or "perfect" or "flawless harmony."
Acceptance of a hellscape people don’t know could be better seems not so much utopian as, I dunno, maybe ignorance is bliss. So then maybe be utopia is just in ones head.
Fun fact: Cordwainer Smith, in real life, was was a noted East Asia scholar and expert in psychological warfare.
I did not have the same experience of All In The Family as you did. My dad basically was Archie Bunker, and (like a lot of the audience) identified with him without learning from him.
And a damn good, sadly neglected author.
Is it the Summarize Proust Competition already?
Would "It Can't Happen Here" be too depressing, or too on the nose?
As a Canadian that bugs the hell out of me. You see it a lot in TV and movies, too.
Oh, that's interesting! I had no idea.
I'm not very familiar with LeGuin, and have yet to read Left Hand. A friend gave me The Lathe of Heaven in the 80s, and I was entirely unimpressed. I'll have to give her another chance, especially since she published a short story called Dragonfly.