"The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. LeGuin Quiz

Answer: Gethen or Winter

The events in this book take place on the planet Gethen, which was originally called Winter by its Hainish discoverers. Gethen is a cold planet (compared to Earth) and may be in the middle of an ice age (Chapter 7). Most of Genly Ai's complaints have to do with the colder than normal (for him) temperatures.

The planet has earth normal air and gravity (at least Genly never remarks on either of these planetary attributes).

Answer: The Envoy

Genly Ai is the representative of the Ekumen on Gethen, a confederacy of worlds. He has come to Gethen alone in order to show that his mission is peaceful. During all of his travels, he is called the Envoy, rather than the ambassador - as is made plain in chapter 8.

Answer: Therem Harth ir Estraven

Estraven is the other main character in this book and plays a large part in Genly Ai's survival and the success of his mission on Gethen. We first meet Estraven in Chapter 1. King Argaven is the king of Karhide. Faxe the Weaver is a member of the foretelling group to which Genly asks a question in Chapter 5. Uth Shusgis is a commissioner in the Orgoreyn government.

Answer: Karhide and Orgoreyn

Karhide is the first nation that Genly visits. It is a monarchy. Orgoreyn is somewhat socialist and is run by commissioners. Genly crosses into Orgoreyn and doesn't understand how much danger he is in. Estraven tries to warn him, but Genly does not listen. Genly does travel to Otherhord but it is in Karhide. Sith is another continent that we really don't hear about in this book. Perunter is mentioned as having people "who are not only bearded, but hairy all over" (Chapter 5).

Answer: They are androgenous except at certain times when they reproduce.

All humans on Gethen are androgenous except when they go into "Kemmer", the sexual portion of their reproductive cycle. If a child is conceived during kemmer, the feminine person stays female until approximately a year after the birth (for lactation). Genly suffers at several points in the story because Gethanans think that he is a "pervert" - that is, that he is continuously in kemmer.

This is explained as a report inserted into Genly's story (report) from one of the first investigators (Chapter 7).

Answer: Nine

There is one weaver, two zanies, one pervert (continually in kemmer), and five foretellers. They answer Genly's question definitely with no hedging, telling him that Gethen will be a member of the Ekumen in five years. The question to be asked must not be open ended, as that can cause the foretelling to go haywire.

It is interesting that Genly finds it difficult to accept foretelling as he can bespeak people (telepathy) and there are hints that hainish culture gives training in other talents that are similar (Chapter 10).

Answer: Shifgrethor

We are introduced to shifgrethor in Chapter 1, where it is made apparent that Genly does not understand, and possibly cannot understand, shifgrethor. Among other things, it lowers one's shifgrethor to openly give advice (or explain shifgrethor). Thus, shifgrethor is unintelligible to Genly throughout the book.

He never really understands it and Estraven doesn't know that he doesn't understand it until close to the middle of the book when Genly is in danger. Once Estraven comprehends this, he can finally advise Genly on how to act to fulfill his mission.

Answer: He loses his papers and is locked up.

It is actually quite easy to enter Orgoreyn. He is just asked whether he will return that night. He enters Orgoreyn via the Sinoth valley, a territory which is under dispute by Karhide and Orgoreyn. While he is there, the village where he is staying is attacked in the middle of the night.

He doesn't have his identity papers with him and everyone must have identity papers in Orgoreyn. Without those, he is locked up with others in the same situation. This foreshadows later events in Orgoreyn.

Answer: Estraven - he pretends to be a fur trader and then a guard at the farm.

Estraven finally realizes that Genly doesn't understand shifgrethor as the people of Gethen measure it and feels that he is in debt to Genly as well. He rescues Genly, nurses him back to health and escapes with him from Orgoreyn over the icefield to the North. During the process of crossing the icefields Genly and Estraven form a strong friendship.

Answer: Estraven advises this.

Estraven finally convinces Genly that he does not understand the people of Gethen and that he must call his ship down to prove to them what he really is. This is, perhaps, one of the less convincing parts of this book, as earlier (Chapter 3) Genly mentions that the people of the planet being brought in to the Ekumen must make this choice for themselves. Also, he states that often it takes several Envoys (or mobiles) to convince the Ekumen to send down the ship. Nonetheless, he calls down the ship. Estraven (with whom he has become friends) dies in the process.