The Left Hand of Darkness - Yin, meet Yang
Ursula K. Le Guin challenges our affinity for sameness
Welcome to By the Books, a newsletter dedicated to capturing and distributing wisdom from works of classic literature.
Each post will take less than 5 minutes to read, and will feature one great book, including:
A brief summary
A distillation of relevant themes
One actionable insight
Live by the best books, one day at a time.
“The Left Hand of Darkness” by Ursula K. Le Guin
Genly Ai, an envoy from the interstellar community of the Ekumen, is tasked with extending and invitation of membership to the icy planet Gethen. Gethenians are ambisexual, exhibiting no fixed gender and only adopting male or female characteristics during a monthly reproductive cycle. In addition to struggling to understand the culture that emerges from this deep biological difference, Genly must also navigate the intricacies of Gethen’s two major nations, Karhide and Orgoreyn.
In these efforts, Genly is aided by a high-ranking Karhide official named Estraven, who becomes his guide and confidant, and a second protagonist in the story. This relationship is strained when Estraven is accused of treason and banished from Karhide, forcing Genly to continue his mission alone in Orgoreyn.
Eventually Estraven rescues Genly from a prison camp in Orgoreyn, and together they embark on a treacherous journey across a frozen continent to return to Karhide. This sequence forms the heart of the novel, as the two protagonists become deeply bonded in their fight for survival. Ultimately, this bond paves the way for Gethen's decision to join the Ekumen, thus fulfilling Genly's mission.
First published in 1969, Le Guin’s novel offers a compelling deconstruction of gender roles and sexual identity that puts to shame much of the shallow discourses of today. The themes of duality and balance recur and compound throughout the story, from its narrative structure to the characters' journeys and relationships. Even the title alludes to the Taoist concept of yin and yang — light and dark represent complementary forces that coexist harmoniously, rather than as conflicting opposites.
Light is the left hand of darkness and darkness the right hand of light.
Two are one, life and death, lying together like lovers in kemmer,
like hands joined together, like the end and the way.
Actionable Insight*
We tend to seek out people who are similar to us, who share some of our strengths, and some of our limitations. But we are weaker without the balance of those who seem to oppose us.
Consider a problem you are faced with. Maybe it’s personal, maybe it’s professional, but it’s one that has you stumped.
What if someone you don’t like has the answer you need?
It’s the people who are the most different from us, and therefore the people we probably don’t like, who are strong in ways that we are weak, and have the perspective we lack.
Try asking for help from someone you don’t like.
It might make you incredibly uncomfortable at first, but you’d be surprised what can happen when your yin gets hit with a little yang.
*As a lover of literature, I must emphasize that the best way to truly absorb the wisdom of any work of literature is to actually read it, from start to finish, the way the author intended. I hope By the Books will occasionally inspire you to do just that.
Not only have I never read this, I've literally never heard of it. Ever. Super pumped to check it out now, thanks!
Are you going to do a follow up for the two other books in the trilogy?