Wave 1 LHOD Response
Genly Ai basically comes from a planet where there are genders and he is stepping into something that he doesn't fully understand. Stepping into it he had became acquaintances with Estraven who he took to be a trust worthy person. After he felt that he was betrayed his out look on the people in Karhide had changed. So he ventured off and went to Old Karhide, in my opinion this is where i think Genly Ai struggle om figuring out the Gethenians as they see themselves became much easier. He seen them at there most peaceful. The old Karhid etaught him about the things that they usually did with little control over them. He also got a glimpse of kemmering while at a fortelling where he recieved his answer. Genly Ai's attitude toward certain things for example when a man came and asked about Estraven his whole mood changed.Especially here, "my helpful expression must have changed.There was a little pause, after whuch the stranger said, 'Estraven the traitor. You remember him perhaps?' Anger had displaced timidity, and he was going to play shifgrethor with me. If i wanted to play ,my move was to say something like, 'I'm not sure; tell me something about him.' But i didnt want to play and was used to volcanic Karhidsh tempers by now." I believe this a great example to say that Genly is kinda over the whole trying to get Gethhenians too become one with his because he knows one day with in five years they will be as one. I feel that this shows that his world could be presistent at times but gets feed up aftter a while. Then just lets thing play out like they are supposed to.
* P.S i probabbly did this completely wrong i dot get this book at all so yeah :)*
Honesty same this book is confusing, but I think as you read and find out more about the characters you start to understand a little bit more of what is happening. Anyhow, I understand why Estraven could be confused on whats going on. He has entered into a completely different plant where there are things that going on that doesnt make sense. Things such as their genderless society and the kemmering process.I think we would all be confused if we were in the same situation as him. This book raises a lot of questions for me as well as everyone else reading it im pretty sure. But I do that eventually everything will make more sense than it does right now.
ReplyDeleteI think that it's not just Genley not really completely understanding how this new world works,but it could be Genley not WANTING to understand. Two years in a different place gives you a long time to understand and become knowledgeable about a culture, especially since he's experiencing it firsthand.
ReplyDeleteFor example, if you were to move to Japan for 2 years, you would almost become an expert in their culture which is so different than western ones. Now Genley's situation is obviously a more extreme version of this, but I believe that he can understand the "no genders" thing quite easily as it really isn't a hard concept to grasp. It's the more complicated manners that he has yet to learn such as "shifgrethor." He doesn't want to play along with this beating around the bush type of talking. He wants to get straight to the point without dillydallying. But this could lead to some problems in the future.
We're at the same position as you. We would know how Genley would feel like how we would be at another country we never been before trying to learn the culture & language there like how Adela says. We would be completely loss unless we have someone like Estraven, a trust-worthy friend that can maybe show us around, perhaps?
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