The Effects Society Played On The Writing Of

Junior Project

Ursula Le Guin reflects the events of the nineteen sixties in many of her literary endeavors. Most of Le Guin's literature shows the political tensions of the time period in which it was written. Le Guin, in "The Left Hand of Darkness", uses the first person point of view of her characters to show the political tensions between Russia and the United States of America during the space race of the nineteen sixties.

This first person point of view is used to show the tensions of the space race in many different and illuminating ways. An excellent example, would be demonstrated by the quote, "At that my temper broke, and I must stare at the ice knife which lay close by my hand, not looking at him and not replying until I had controlled my anger...I said to myself that he was an ignorant man, a foreigner, ill-used and frightened.(pg.169)". This quote demonstrates the political tensions of the nineteen sixties because Genly Ai, the main character, misinterpreted the actions of Estraven, his companion and savior from imprisonment, just as The United Sates of America misinterpreted the goals of the Russian scientists and government during the space race. The priorities of the Russians were misconstrued by the fact that it was thought that they were trying to put bombs on satellites to use as weapons, when the were actually trying to get into space.

The political tensions of the space race between the United States and Russia was incredibly stressed in several other parts of the book, by the use of first person point of view. For example, these political and social tensions are also expressed in the quote, "I have no idea, even I, which of the men in Communications are the Sarf men; most of them, no doubt, for I know as a fact that they run the transmitters and receiver on every level right down to the technicians and repairmen.(Pg. 160)". In the confusion and fear occurring during the space race, there was so much valuable time and misused energy wasted on distrust, deception, and trying to find out what the other side was developing, that it was infinitely harder for both The United Sates of America and Russian's Government scientists to reach their goal of getting into outer space and possibly to the moon. Egos, politics, and the need to be first, based on the ignorance of other cultures create confusion and put the actual goal second in the mind of mankind.

Once again the political tensions of the nineteen sixties are easily seen the book, "The Left Hand of Darkness" expresses this, through the first person point of view. In the quote that demonstrates these tensions, Genly Ai, also known as the Envoy is conversing