A New Genesis: Rethinking Gender Expressions in Ursula K. Le Quin's The Left Hand of Darkness

摘要

Ursula K. Le Quin's The Left Hand of Darkness focuses on humanity in which she interrogates the system of dichotomies such as male/female, self/other, light/dark and shift/mind speech. Le Guin's concern with the dichotomy of sex/gender is shown in Genly Ai's perspectives on the biological sexual differences between Ekumen and Gethen. The androgynous society on Gethen, a sharp contrast to the heterosexual society, brings Ai both cultural and biological shocks. The Left Hand of Darkness compels readers to rethink how a culture development is influenced by the concepts of sex and gender. This paper analyzes the gender expression which is associated with the formation in particular cultural context and stereotypes of gender. Le Guin interrogates factors related to the dichotomy of sex/gender and the development of the culture. The androgynous Gethenian Estraven displays that the achievement of individual integrity and humanity lies in the coexistence of the opposites.