For Takver

Dispossessed review.

This review will contain spoilers, so proceed with caution if you care.

Just deciding an approach for this work is a pain in the ass. Seriously, I just cannot decide. There is just such a wealth of ideas being explored all in great detail, that I could spend pages just doing a rundown of the main ones. Which still would not fix my problem, since a lot of what makes the thematic exploration is how pretty much every concept is interconnected, is related to others. I could talk about character, but the dispossessed follows the rare case of personal journey and character exploration for our protagonist, where you can find a progression and certain meaning being drawn for all the encounters, the endless varied substantial(and not so much) experiences with people. How can there be a discussion about Shevek, our protagonist, without going into detail about his relationship with Takver, Rulag’s abandonment, Tirin and Bedap friendship? I would have to describe the entire plot in order to give the sense of who Shevek is. Maybe what I am feeling is a deeply rooted anxiety found within myself. The deal is, when you see excellence manifested to this degree, a book, which lends itself to so much scrutiny of analysis of its qualities, the feeling of not being up to the task of writing about them is undeniable. The concept of my inadequacies as an individual, someone that is supposed to critique a book about human interactions, while never sure of what his own relations really represent, or if ever managed to truly stablish one. However nothing is simply going to pass, really leave if I only rest my pen and stop, so without further ado, this is my dispossessed review.

For starters, forget every preconceived notion or idea the sci-fi label may give you. There are no sentient robots, no time machines (sort of) and the space ships appear for only one or two chapters and barely matter. This is a story about human beings first and foremost. The various sets of technology being presented only matter on the terms of creating meaning, informing something about character, psychology the cultures (If you do not believe me, just look for Ursula Le Guin, the author, usual reaction when people label her works as sci-fi). What is being attempted here is not a guesswork of how the future would be like, the focus is on how every technology affects and informs character. There is varied wealthy of topic being studied, and all are grounded and serve to say something about human mentality. Take the detailed descriptions of architecture, while in every other book those would consist of the meaningless details people call great world building nowadays, in here, it helps the narrative, shows a lot of the mentality and situation of both the men, and the society who build and lived in such buildings. They are in a way about psychological repercussions on the individuals at the center of it all. By propelling both themes, narrative and character with her world building, Ursula le Guin achieves some of the most functional attempts at crafting a fictional world. Instead of having the creating of a fiction world interrupt and take away from her history, ideas and characters, they complement each other perfectly. You cannot imagine the personality of anyone in this tale, outside of the societies they are born into. Take Vae for example, her overtly exposed sexuality, the way she uses sex as a mean in little power games, how she displays all the futility and vanity of the rich wife archetypes, while despising that shallow view. The bitter resentment laying in the core in regards to Urras’s power structure based on gender. One, which she helps to reinforce with actions. The connection being character and world is so clear, she only makes sense, can exist in the setting being created, and the setting is also shown and built through her, which also tells a lot of the ideas and topics being explored(which are insanely vast). A perfect union of form and purpose, and guess what, It could be said the same for lots of other characters. In effect, having the main ideas so closely tied to character action, setting, narrative, is what allow the thematic to be way more than simple lip service to some arbitrary philosophical argument, but something way more grounded and intricately constructed.

On its journey of deep exploration of the human condition, the grandest and most important question being made is about how individuals form connections. You may find the wall motif repeated ad nauseam in the narrative (usually to great effect though, being evoked with new contexts) always highlighting the distance between individuals. Be it the real terrifying wall, splitting the arbitrary border between, two worlds Urras and Anarres, or the figurative ones, the protagonist’s mother standing on dream wall, which he can never reach, in light of her early abandonment. The feelings of only seeing walls everywhere in the situation of never making connections with others. The task of surpassing the gap, finding the means to truly communicate and understand is a feat of amazing proportions in this book. Even the ways, means to do so are object of questioning. Words, languages subject themselves to such a degree of interpretation, limited by arbitrary cultural signifiers; you just end up with feeling that have no way to be expressed in any language. This happens in instances like when facing the truest despair, on the day of worst separation of your life. Being misunderstood is such a common occurrence when using such, whatever we say is subject to an enormous degree of interpretation from people we know nothing of, or really get.  What comes off as a surprise is, how we usually can get just the basics clear in conversation. This should not be so tough, as our simple status as humans, growing up in a sort of similar society and environment, should allow what we share to greatly outweigh our differences. Circumstances feelings, thoughts, appearances, there is an extensive degree of resemblance between everyone. In reality, the consciousness of difference, self far outweighs that, though. Shevek gains at a very young age, the denial, the abandonment when faced with his mother decision to leave him and his father forever. This amounts to be the second most important event in the narrative, and dictates a lot of young Shevek’s personality. By opening up with this particular occurrence, it displays precisely the potential of being hurt, the rift between the will in the desire of contact, when opposed by another. In the eyes of this young child, with no idea of who he is, but which needs to come with terms with the fact the most important person in his life so far is never coming back. Throughout his youth, the degree of alienation of the child growing up is only emphasized. By occurrences such as, facing humiliation in class, finding no one interested, willing or capable of discussing the same topics and feelings having your father unable to understand or offer any advice on your situations, all this sets an image of a Shevek very marked by isolation. Perception of difference plays a big part. Intellectually Shevek is miles apart from any of his peers, but this rather than pride or strength is a painful reminder of how different, isolated he feels in this world. Having no one around, caring or able to follow his thoughts was maddening, not liberating. The rather passive instance when trying to reach others also makes complete sense in light of his trauma. He has a mentality that simply waiting, never trying to reach others is the normal reaction (after years just desperately waiting for an image of a half remembered mother) this comes with an awareness and consciousness, maybe he does not deserve, has any right to ever make this connection. Giving sense and reason to a low self-esteem, and truly self-deprecating nature, all starting on the fact, Rulag never came back for him.

The isolation is not actually literal though, on the institutions and places where he spends his youth and adolescence there is a variety of people he can speak. Fraternity is the trademark of the odonian society, there is such a strong social consciousness where every one of them is part of a group, brothers that always help, coming to very organic view of society, guided by mutually beneficial actions. When having such a variety of souls, calling him brother, which would welcome him with open arms whenever he requested, even still the loneness was unescapable. Their voices were unreachable, the sounds only adding agony. Possessing the solitude, which does not go away in the best of circumstances, is hell. Can you imagine the idea of self this leads? One where you cannot even accept your own humanity, your awareness of uniqueness and difference is far too grand for that. Closing the individual in a wall so thick, the mere thought of getting to know somebody is absurd and preposterous, not even cogitated, for not even coming to the realm of possibility.

There is a great deal of duality, when looking the ways human interacts throughout the book. Which manifests in the differences between of depth in connections.  Shevek dad is someone that is usually always physically there for his son, always going to his company whenever possible. On a basic, level both manage to form a bond; he likes his father straightforwardness, having a kind of reliability in terms of pending personal insecurities. The relation was mutually beneficial for both, as it was their mean to deal with Rulag’s abandonment, the feeling of frustration and loneliness, which arose there, while also being generally enjoyable, and a good time for father and son. However, there lays the issue, each comes to the other looking to run away from their problems, finding surface level pleasure. The connection that is born from that can never go beyond it, an enjoyable but hollow state. Palat never opens up, truly faces the son, the closest relative he has, in order to talk, complain, share his everlasting suffering caused by Rulag. Shevek tells literally nothing about what I wrote above, or can even get relief on his father on terms of a role model, someone whom he could try to be like. The tragic death of the father not being shown only briefly mentioned is very representative of the kind of bond; one that while not pointless (in every instance you can take and learn something from others in this book) was not determinant, truly meaningful.

When coming to the second, society we are introduced in Urras, we actually find out Anarres is kind of the ideal place for human relations (seriously, believe me). At Anarres even at direst of situations, there is this basic feeling of fraternity, everyone is naturally predisposed to help, to trust and expect the best of those around them. This is a society that abolished concepts like property and political power, where no one really owned or had nothing, and trying to exercise power or dominance over others was truly fawned upon(even though those ideals were subverted in several instances in the odonian world). There is this notion that even to just survive on this wasteland of a moon, the help and perseverance of the group is absolutely necessary and vital. In Urras, we have this entire logic flipped. There is just so much, social inequalities, nationalism, gender, political structures, just so many differences, structures ideals getting between people. All these culturally constructed ideologies, which only serve to split humanity, make it harder to see the individuals, the flesh and blood souls that actually exist and are suffering completely alone. A culture that thrives on individualism, submitting others for personal gain, and trying to obtain power on every level. How can you make a sense in this madness, to even get a hold of yourself, so much less of the person next to you?

Eventually the protagonist finds a path, not a definitive answer, but a general way, in order to get closer with the world. In the characters path, dispossessed makes a dichotomy between two ways, as general guides for living your life. You can follow the pleasure, look for the pleasure the positive feelings and satisfaction in life, to make those the guiding principle in your actions. But by doing so, you get lost in an infinite cycle, of finding pleasure, getting frustrated, dissatisfied with the thing obtained, the boredom settling in, and the whole thing only accomplishing diminishing results. Then you restart the same cycle follow another goal of desire, which can only give momentary satisfaction. Doing this only amount to half measures, a constant need to self-indulge, to look only for enjoyment in life, which by our infinite desire, tendency to look for more, and get used to any current situation, can never bring true joy. Shevek finds another guiding principle, in following the pain. This is the universal feeling, the whole of humanity truly is united upon, all of us in deepest corners of our minds, have this occult painful truth about ourselves. This is ultimately, what makes us human, the profound desire and suffering we share. It is the core of the individual, whatever brings true grief, are the matters, which really do matter. Which is bizarre because those are exactly the topics people never talk about, never on a casual conversation, discussion it will be brought up,  a formal talks would completely shy away from any such matters. However, those are still the true things worth discussing, getting worried, and suffering about, the universal pain, which connects all of humanity. Although using this principle allows for a path filled with strife, struggle and anguish, there is no way to get lost here, as long as you can withstand the suffering, the boredom, the rejections, the indifference, all those negative feelings and memories in the back of the mind. Because these topics are no longer something to run away from, undesirable truths which should be avoided at any cost, but gain importance, meaning. By convicting and facing those feelings, the individual can better known himself, get a true grasp of what he truly wants, allowing for a greater drive, motivations, for the self to never get lost in the empty search of indulgence.

So, can I say Shevek achieves self-realization and peace through the embracing of those ideals? Not really, in fact he comes to the doors of suicide thorough doing so. In trying to live by the aforementioned principle, he becomes completely isolated from the world (yes even more so), as in living alone for his grandiose goals. While harboring all the pain, the suffering of live onto himself. The closure in regards to the world is so completely he talks to no one, sees no one, living becomes a matter of studying physics, lying in bed sleeping, while nothings happens or changes, the same old routine, the same bubble of alienation every day . There is no space for anyone through this wall; human relation is barely if ever attempted. Which only becomes more tragic because, even as the means for an end, the whole thing just does not work. It is not self-sustainable, the emotional instability it brings, in having short euphoric moments, followed by a melancholic depressive states on a constant basis. How could anyone come to support the loneliness, even strive for something in this state. The end of following the pain in this case seemed to be to death itself, which he comes very close to enacting.

Yet to get to the bottom of what Dispossessed has to say on this topic, we have to go beyond the denials diving deeper, behold the other end of a duality. Which means I can finally start writing about what is arguably the most important, person in Shevek`s life, and narrative, Takver. Her arrival literally changes everything, their first two encounters are off hand marked by each offering something intrinsically important, fundamental to the others existence.  On their first meeting, Shevek offers the ideals, I wrote down in the paragraph above, something that Takver intimately cherished, and came to believe. However, something always ringed hollow in such ideas. Despite talking about the importance of sharing the suffering, he never really truly attempts to do so, living in complete isolation. There is this contradiction between the consciousness desire of connection, which is never acted upon, and the gigantic fears of being rejected, harbored because of damaging personal insecurities, which in his worst moments come to a terrifying certainty that nobody could come to accept, or even look to him as human. Takver goes to the person I have spent paragraphs trying to give a sense of, and offers the connection he always looked for. An ultimate attempt at a human relationship.  Two individuals that barely know each other, set the compromise of attempting to form the most ambitious bond ever, a promise to always try to understand, look the individual right next to them. While also consisting of sharing, trying to tell, show discuss and truly expose all the feelings through every method and way possible, most notably the suffering, but also the pleasure, the joy the fulfillment. All of this in service of building a connection, even if just a little having each getting a better grasp, while always trying to understand and bond. It consists of something deeper and more subtle than love, being motivated by the intimate desire we all have in common, of seeing our pain, desires, wishes, being acknowledged, recognized, seen by others. It also is everlasting, more relevant than simple desire, by not being a pursuit of momentary pleasure, but of something that could lie way beyond that, more intimate and heartfelt. Of such class is the nature of the bond we see at play here.

When I say everything changes after this, I truly meant. The encounter could be easily explained as the most important event in the life of the man who changed the entire universe. It comes off as a source of motivation, help, and guide. When alone in the middle of the place, which closely resembles hell on earth, in the character’s mind, all he can think of is Takver. Calling her in the middle of his agony, wondering what she would say, feel, her presence and advice being what he seeks in the worst of moments. Managing to build this great source of motivation, relief, just really knowing there is someone by your side, who will hear your worst thoughts, feelings, accept and truly try to share the burden with you. Even the separations are not seen as complete martyrdom, they gain meaning by the existence of the connection, and there being a relief in the mere fact, of knowing there is someone waiting for you, a place to call home and long for. In addition, of course the joy of coming back, rejoining with this connection is impalpable. To clarify, this is not to say we are talking about a perfect idealized relationship, human relations are ruled by the same chance of finding yourself hurt in here, as everywhere else in the book(or in life). Potential of causing pain to an individual through connections is always there, sometimes appearing even involuntarily. Not finding ways to express what you really mean, your true feelings, is the most natural reaction after all.

Nevertheless, meaning in the compromise both are willing to undertake is undeniable, the enterprise of simply going on this wild impossible to predict search of others is admirable. The walls of the self are impossible to truly climb; to get a perfect understanding of anyone around is impossible (in fact doing so would be really close to gaining power over someone, which is diametrically against these narrative morals). But the effort in attempting to do so, to gain understanding, not power, to get a single grasp at the core humanity that join us all, the possibilities and wonder in all that, is something the dispossessed lays down masterfully. The chance of finding sorrow, anguish, suffering all of it is worth it, before the potential of a true connection, finding that brief insight or moment.  It ultimately constructs a relationship that can only be portrayed as unique, special, and magical. When Shevek express this as the one thing he has been looking for his entire life, while never managing to put in words or in a coherent though, both the feeling of always longing for it, and finding it finally expressed, came to me as well. Coming to see a reflection of deeply resonating desires is something I always find alluring in fiction. I just love whenever a writer get an idea with such personal weight explained, better than I myself could. Which is to say most of the stuff between the two, made for easily the best parts of the narrative.

In regards to narrative structure, the dispossessed truly displays an ingenious idea. The book has a circular pattern of sorts, the ending echoes the beginning, meaning the story comes full circle by the end. But it goes beyond that. Instead of a singular chronological telling of Shevek actions, the narrative is split into 2 simultaneous sequences, one showcasing the story of the beginnings of his life in Anarres, while the other being about his entire stay in Urras. What is fascinating is the strong correlation, an almost perfect parallelism between both stories. Take the initial aspect, one starts with Shevek’s birth, the second has him experiencing a new birth, after facing a worse than death destiny, when being disconnected from his community. The Takver betrayal has this thematic complement and parallel when Vea does the same. The ending display of events, in trying to rebel against the organizations which rule society in both worlds, also has the exact same consequence. What I am trying to get here, is there is strong correlation between both narratives going on.  A strong sense of both being intrinsically connected, actually complementing, and correlating at all points. Which also drives the point home, of Urras and Anarres being polar opposites, each needing something the other desperately has. In each telling you can find a new facet, perspective on what amounts to really closely resembling events. You can only sparse the complete meaning, all the implications being made, the greater thematic and character importance in the occurrence, when you tie it into the grander context, narrative of the book. Which sounds simple, but to masterfully manage to tie together all of her story in such a structure, with such purpose to the way events are told, is something I barely have seen done to this extent.

What always impress me in Le Guin’s works (not the only thing ok) is her ability to instill nuance, negative and positive points onto every system of power she presents. It is no coincidence she describes the world of this book as an ambiguous utopia. You would be excused for not getting that the system which is being presented as superior, is actually the anarchy of Anarres(I am actually not sure on this myself). Really, the actual society of Anarres is just so flawed; there is this general lack of organization in the production forces, which makes though to meet even some of the population most basic needs. Idealists starving to death in their supposedly world saving utopia, does not represent commies in this universe but the anarchists. On bad years, the situation of lacking resources is generalized in Anarres. The society also comes with lot of both personal and systemic corruption, to the odonian ideal this world is supposed to entail. We have syndicates applying and gaining authority, almost becoming a bureaucracy, power structure. Lots of people just generally trying to gain power, influence over others. Being an odonian also just represents such, a strict social consciousness, to only act according the good of the community, comes off as a strong belief for everyone. Moral rules also have such a binding force, there is no need for law and government enforcement here, the individuals internalize the community rules, and all act as little tyrant oppressors even of their most deep desires, all for the greater good of the whole. Even when unhappy and hating the whole thing, the individual always takes these ridiculous self-sacrificing actions, all because of how conscious they are of their duty as member of a society. Moreover, never mind the imminent threat in extinction of this entire planet; because of the shitty natural environment, they are placed. 

Nevertheless, you know what, nothing I wrote above really matters when we see the alternative (please do not take this shade as literal). On Urras, the location that is explored is the country of A-io, as it stands for a direct parallel to a first world country during the cold war. There are other countries like the communist Thu being mentioned, but they lack the careful exploration and intricacies found in Anarres or A-io(btw if you are interested on seeing Le Guin’s take on a sort of capitalism x socialism conflict parreling the cold war, just read her book, the left hand of darkness, a boring as fuck masterpiece if you believe such). Nevertheless, what we see is a market economy in its prime. Prosperity is the rule in this country, the effervescent economy allows for a variety of products and services being offered, while the human ingenuity and creativity are able to reach new heights, frontiers under this regime. What is presented there is the biggest extent of development, and capacity to change and model the world, that exists in the entire fictional universe. Most of the more severe social, inequality issues were solved( on this country at least, the rest of the world apparently has to take the burden for much of this splendor, having a relation which is pretty similar to what third world countries represented in our society). Poverty exists, but in such a way that the rich are extremely rich, and the poor are in no way miserable, or that worst of anyways. For a physicist of Anarres looking to work, on a first glance, this was a dreamland. Luxury, comfort both could be found in spades. Then you start thinking, what could possibly be wrong, why is this not heaven on earth? To answer that, you need to look beyond the surfaces, see the cracks on the perfect mirror of society, placed deeply into the heart of the people inhabiting it.  To actually form a functioning satisfactory relation with another person in Anarres, is simply put impossible. Everyone you can find just consists of masks of normalcy, merely more than appearances. Hiding anything else on the back ends of their minds, like Oiee when facing the biggest humiliation of his life, at the face of Shevek. Their words and gestures are all about meaningless formality (the difference in social standards being the recurrent one). Citizens are only guided by self-interest, looking and reaching for others as means, tools to get a better standing. For someone completely alien to such culture and way of life, this appears in even worst manners, every gesture or action most people take, are towards taking advantage, moving a personal agenda based on his persona. Relations always mirror the way society is organized, and in no place this is truer than Ayo. They follow the same hierarchies (just look at the submissive almost humiliating actions a butler has to take) while also being based on the same kind of power dynamics which rules the whole. They come with a notion of being exerted in a way to subjugate, strip the person away of every free will or trace of individuality he may have. While also making mistrust, the fear of the other, expecting only the worst in everyone around you, as the default mindset. Deceit to gain profit and benefits is not a bizarre sign of madness, but the behavior, that should be encouraged. It is no surprise real life great businessperson, usually have way higher levels of sociopathy than the average joe, just look what kind of behavior is the rule to achieve success on the system.  This world is impossible to understand for an individual like our protagonist. He extends his thoughts to everyone, tries to understand, trust, really look and listen as he did in Anarres.  Amounting to nothing, as no one is willing to do the same, his never-ending pointless encounters with individuals, consisting of a complete madness where no actual communication happens. The poor, the oppressed seem to be different for a period, revealing the pain and sharing the anguish in their conditions. However, there is a difference of purpose about the discussions done here, and between Shevek and Takver for example in Anarres. On Urras, they come not from caring about who Shevek is, establishing a connection, but also as means to an end. A goal of finally getting the long lasting grandiose protest occurring, with an Anarres representative, ahead of it all. You can have ideological disagreements with what Ursula Le Guin has to say in this book, but her thorough exploration and showcase of all facets, aspects in regards to the ideals and arguments she decides to explore is simply unmatched. Simply selling a point of view, showing an idea is simple enough. Le Guin is going for something more nuanced, complex, multifaceted, in her representation, of politics, societies and individuals, which for me she pulled off with flying colors.

Also, if I did not make sure already by the first paragraph, please be assured not to think, what I will be attempting in this paragraph, will be an exhaustive roll of themes in this series. Such a task would be the job for someone way more qualified than I would. When representing society, the tendency, which can be found in the work, is to complicate everything. Meaning that, there is no simple dichotomy explaining what the conflict in any given society should be. Which is the mark of most modern ideologies. Take communism for example (totally not the cliché example, that is the only one I can describe in passible terms) how would a capitalist society be presented, what conflicts would arise from it, according to a Marxist perspective? Sure there could be a majority of possibilities, but all would be entrenched, have some sort of deep rooting in a proletariat x bourgeoisie conflict. There is no such thing in the capitalist world of this book, all its conflicts come from a multitude of symbols, origins, ideals, surpassing a typically modern worldview. However, they also have a strong interdependence, amounting not only the start a new issue, but help inform and complement others, give part of an understandable picture of the whole. You cannot make a sense in regards to what Urras consists of, with easily identifiable conflicts, there is no single aspect defining the entire structure, everything matters. Sex, religion, social inequality and hierarchy, government forms, economic systems, natural and ecological conditions, all of it matters, and takes center stage in defining what each setting actually is. Which consists of the fragmented, hard to define ideal of the postmodern society.

A concern with the importance of language, and how it creates meaning is also tied with said ideological conceit. The usage of language differs heavily between the groups being presented. In Anarres, we have pravic, the biggest human made language. Its rational creation and usage tells a lot about the odonian society and their ideals. For example, there is a lack of possessive pronouns in the entire language, which makes complete sense; this is the society that wants to abolish completely the ideals of property and possession, so of course people would not be taught to think in these terms. When we have a rational society, which wants to improve and encourage the feelings of social fraternity and union between people (these are matters of life and death here), of course words like curses should not be used, and could you guess it, those are not found in pravic. Although an efficient form of social control, those weirdly also represent the limitations of communicating ideas, in moments like Shevek finding himself with no words to describe feelings in pravic, like the truest of despairs. The two complete different languages spoken emphasize the social hierarchy in Anarres. The rich have the sophisticated, scientific, dialectic, while the miserable have their barely understandable, confusing dialectic to communicate. Which also makes a great way to enact social control, limit the ability to exchange ideas, gain knowledge, and organize the lower class. To simply control how the ideas are conceived is way more ingenious than using actual censure, which is (formally) forbidden on the country. A surpassing of language as simply the means ideas are passed upon, but the study of its true importance as perhaps the greatest creator of meaning is evident. Can you picture every one of the topics I listed above, dealt and explored in a variety of implications and meanings, usually globally relevant, and complimentary? A truly multidisciplinary and endlessly complex work, was drawn upon my eyes, and my mind never stops returning to learn more.

So would you say it is coincidence, that despite the narrative following the greatest physic of this universe, none of his work or the physic being presented, has nothing to do with real word science(scientific exploration, and hard sci-fi concepts are really not what this book is about). Nevertheless Shevek`s life long work is actually really relevant to this narrative. Over simplifying (grossly) what he is attempting, it consists of trying to understand how time works, and is experienced by humans in the universe. There are two dichotomous view on the subject; the simultaneity theorem, under which every event, in past, present and future is, was and will happen simultaneously, giving then, the idea of sequence to reality our consciousness see, as only an illusion, a human mind by product. Which is counterfeit to the sequence theorem, where reality is advancing in time, happening on the same kind of logical moving forward as our minds. One dictates determinism, the other allows for free will. Shevek sees no contempt in both, making flawed ways to explain the world, incomplete methods, understandings, as explained with the rock, tree path dilemma. A recurrent motif (it is weird how in every time the differences in how he explains the same logical problem, show exactly the whys and how of Shevek`s growth). You could try to read the issue and its solution with dialectic Hegelian thinking, but doing so is not satisfactory. There is no synthesis between opposites happening here, no middle ground, union of both ideas to form a new one. In order to surpass the dilemma Shevek has to maintain both as separated equally valid ideas in his mind. Each explaining its own event, parts of the universe. To find answers on his field of though, the search for certainty, scientific precision and method (the freaking kid wanted to describe everything with numbers, because of how hard words and people were to understand) had to be abandoned. Only through acceptance of the illogical, unexplainable, an internally unsolvable contradiction, truth can be reached. Allowing for the creation of an ultimate theory on time. What is the result of that, you may question? The annihilation of space, an universal wall breaker.The creation of the ansible enables a new dawn for mankind, a communicator able to transmit instantaneously messages to any place anywhere, to everyone simply by means of its possession. This is the ultimate democratization of knowledge, allowing for groups even thousands of miles apart to exchange ideas, thoughts feelings. While also not enabling the transportation of troops, armies that would only travel as tools of domination between societies. This mark the beginning of a new universal order, the Ekumen, which is the topic of Le Guin’s earlier work, the left hand of darkness. The federation Shevek’s actions gave the impulse to initiate, is one not based on government or armed forces, but in ideals of a mutually beneficial trade in knowledge. On the conceits of general fraternity, union and help between every population. All in service of the wellbeing of its inhabitants.

I think you just need to stop, when your analysis is nine pages long with no signs of an ending. Hopefully, I could get the point across, and offered some insight into such a fascinating piece of fiction. Certainly the tale of this insecure, preachy, moralizing, self-deprecating to a fault amongst his undeniable merits, obstinate, incredibly melodramatic (omg, what a horrible self-insert), fool always looking for the value and how to build interactions with others will not leave my thoughts so soon (if ever). In addition, I would be delighted if someone had this experience based on what I wrote. Although my anxiety and anguish kept unsolved by writing this, I stand offering to you, my art, myself, on the hopes someone may find it acceptable, take something out of it. Perhaps such a thing is enough, or all anyone can ever achieve, to which with no a