Honors Thesis Archive
| Author | Jamie Spallino |
|---|---|
| Title | “It’s Queer that Daylight’s not Enough”: Interdependence Counters Othering in Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness |
| Department | English |
| Advisor | Rick Incorvati |
| Year | 2021 |
| Honors | University Honors |
| Full Text | View Thesis (345 KB) |
| Abstract | American author Ursula K. Le Guin explores the theme of othering through speculative fiction about encountering new civilizations, initially viewing them as hostile due to their differences, and exploring ways of reconciling their otherness. Her first three novels, published in 1966-67 as the Hainish trilogy, establish these themes: each protagonist experiences an archetypal journey combining physical travel with personal, social, and cultural development that counters their instincts to other the unfamiliar civilizations. The Left Hand of Darkness, Le Guin’s first novel on themes of gender and sexuality, is widely considered the first feminist science fiction novel, a genre that counters popular male-centric science fiction tropes and challenges their othering of women. The novel proposes relationships and interdependence as counters to othering, allowing readers to imagine interpersonal connections based on relationality. |
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