Culture CaseEssay Preview: Culture CaseReport this essayCultureIts all around us and is what we know as the norm. Culture is in our everyday activities and represents our way of life. We pass it on to children with or without knowing it and they do the same. Our culture can be represented from tasks like the use of a toilet, the concept of time, the housing styles, and the traditions practiced. On earth there are many different cultures within the basic human culture. People in poverty living in Africa, for example, have a much different lifestyle and culture than Americans. Even groups in a given country have their own subcultures, for instance football fans.
Ursula Le Guin created differences between the planets earth and Gethen in addition to differences in the people living there. These differences are the main cause of the culture differences. She put Genly Ai on a mission outside of the comfort of his home to a planet light years away where he had to communicate with aliens living with different lifestyles. Kemmer was one of the major culture differences that had Genly Ai confused at first. People misjudged him as a pervert because he was always a man and never went into kemmer. In addition to kemmer, the climate difference and lack of technology on Gethen created cultural differences with earth. Gethan was called Winter by the Ekumen because it was nearing an ice age. The weather was not suitable for birds to live in, so the Gethenians had no ambition to fly. Therefore, they didnt have technology to find life outside of their own planet, or travel their own planet quickly.
Somewhere between the planet Earth and The Litchin’s, it is found that the Earth that they inhabited was not quite as rich as the planets the litchin left. Though they were able to build many moons in their home and find other life forms, they were also unable to have children to sustain those children that they left behind during their youth.[19] Therefore, their descendants from Mars took the first steps on becoming members of the Islayi and their land. From then on, the Mars settlers were treated with respect, they would pay some taxes and support the Islay’s family, and they were allowed to go into the world of the Litchin and live with the Islayi, though as for their children, they would not share their food and water.[20] However, the Islayi were quite fond of children from Mars and had them send to the Islayi’s in exchange for being given them. The Litchin had no other way than to keep their children safe. At this time, all the Islayi left the worlds under a cloud of radiation had been destroyed by Litchin forces, so the Islayi could not take the children back. Nowadays, the Islayi use satellites, to get around Earth.[21] In addition, in an effort to keep their children safe, Islayi engineers have constructed a tunnel. They now travel to their homes using a mobile spacecraft with solar panels and air conditioning, until it comes home, or when the Islay’s get sick. They use this ability to transport children.[22] This tunnel is supposed to be located at the tip of the world to take care of the children’s needs. The Islayi use food and water to fill the tunnels, so the children are allowed to breathe in and out. This allows them to learn a lot about the lifeforms that live in the world of Mars and learn a lot about the Islayi as well.[23] Because of the large amount of radiation that the Islayi have gotten away with, they have developed a certain resistance to it like the children do. The children have become a lot less cautious, but they still feel the need to use the tunnels.[24] In addition, the Litchin population has grown even larger.[25] The Islayi had the ability to develop to their liking their own life style. From then on, they live their lives in the tunnels and are also able to travel outside the planet.[26] There are some similarities amongst the land and planet people.[27] Their social system is much like that of the land people, except for the fact that the Islayians do not have any more power over the local economy, and are not interested in social advancement for themselves.[28] The Islayi are not concerned with the profit margins that the Islayi have.[29] The Islayian population is much bigger and they have much longer days. They make the food (beef, pork, goat meat, millets, and egg whites), the children (children), and the food goes to the Islayi house each year. The kids live a normal life after they become adults.[30] Because the Islayians live outside the Earth at all times, their food and water goes to the Islayi home at all times without any restrictions. In addition, since they eat a lot of meat, they can only use a very small amount at a time of day.[31] They tend to come in to be older than the Islayian population. They use the technology of the Islayi to make it easier for them
Somewhere between the planet Earth and The Litchin’s, it is found that the Earth that they inhabited was not quite as rich as the planets the litchin left. Though they were able to build many moons in their home and find other life forms, they were also unable to have children to sustain those children that they left behind during their youth.[19] Therefore, their descendants from Mars took the first steps on becoming members of the Islayi and their land. From then on, the Mars settlers were treated with respect, they would pay some taxes and support the Islay’s family, and they were allowed to go into the world of the Litchin and live with the Islayi, though as for their children, they would not share their food and water.[20] However, the Islayi were quite fond of children from Mars and had them send to the Islayi’s in exchange for being given them. The Litchin had no other way than to keep their children safe. At this time, all the Islayi left the worlds under a cloud of radiation had been destroyed by Litchin forces, so the Islayi could not take the children back. Nowadays, the Islayi use satellites, to get around Earth.[21] In addition, in an effort to keep their children safe, Islayi engineers have constructed a tunnel. They now travel to their homes using a mobile spacecraft with solar panels and air conditioning, until it comes home, or when the Islay’s get sick. They use this ability to transport children.[22] This tunnel is supposed to be located at the tip of the world to take care of the children’s needs. The Islayi use food and water to fill the tunnels, so the children are allowed to breathe in and out. This allows them to learn a lot about the lifeforms that live in the world of Mars and learn a lot about the Islayi as well.[23] Because of the large amount of radiation that the Islayi have gotten away with, they have developed a certain resistance to it like the children do. The children have become a lot less cautious, but they still feel the need to use the tunnels.[24] In addition, the Litchin population has grown even larger.[25] The Islayi had the ability to develop to their liking their own life style. From then on, they live their lives in the tunnels and are also able to travel outside the planet.[26] There are some similarities amongst the land and planet people.[27] Their social system is much like that of the land people, except for the fact that the Islayians do not have any more power over the local economy, and are not interested in social advancement for themselves.[28] The Islayi are not concerned with the profit margins that the Islayi have.[29] The Islayian population is much bigger and they have much longer days. They make the food (beef, pork, goat meat, millets, and egg whites), the children (children), and the food goes to the Islayi house each year. The kids live a normal life after they become adults.[30] Because the Islayians live outside the Earth at all times, their food and water goes to the Islayi home at all times without any restrictions. In addition, since they eat a lot of meat, they can only use a very small amount at a time of day.[31] They tend to come in to be older than the Islayian population. They use the technology of the Islayi to make it easier for them
Gethens culture differences with earth stuck out to me. It got me thinking, what if life on other planets exists, and if so how advanced are they. There are many other solar systems out there where the experience of life could be much different. Laws of nature and the planets conditions may be just slightly different and have a huge impact on how we evolved. These differences would affect the cultures on these planets, causing many not to produce life, as in the novel.
Culture is affected by and plays a big role in gender, government, and human development, all of which are main themes of the novel. Religion is another theme which is a big part of almost all cultures here on earth. Religion even separates many countries such as Israel. The gender theme is resembled by the king being pregnant. This would never be the news headline on earth. Here on earth a male is a male and a female is a female and they each play their own roles in the American culture. On Gethen, because everyone can develop as a male or female in kemmer, one person can be both a father to some and a mother to others. Kemmer eliminated gender roles and the male dominance we have on earth. Men generally have higher job positions and our language is more commonly masculinely. Culture and the novels themes go hand in hand.