Essay Questions

Discuss the parallels between The Dispossessed and the contemporary Vietnam war.

The Vietnam War is one of the most important and identifiable influences on Ursula Le Guin’s The Dispossessed. In general the novel serves as a sci-fi metaphor for the infamous proxy war. Many definite parallels can be drawn between the novel’s extraterrestrial affairs and those of the Cold War involving the United States and the Soviet Union. Most noticeably, the United States is represented by the capitalist nation of A-Io and the Soviet Union by the socialist nation of Thu. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. and Societ Union were engaged in a cold war in which neither side directly engaged each other in battle, but each took part their own share of aggressive actions such as an arms race and proxy wars. Just as in the novel, the two sides are at war to gain control of new territory, Benbili in the novel, in order to impose their own political regime on the area. However, in the novel the two forces are actually engaged in conflict. Another parallel between the book and the Vietnam War is the protest that Shevek encounters on Urras. The Vietnam War and the accompanying draft upset thousands of Americans, particularly those of draft age, who did not see any point to war. They responded by protests across the United States where peaceful ends were not always met. For example, four college students protesting the Vietnam War were killed by the Ohio National Guard at Kent State University. In the novel this massacre is represented by the violence perpetrated by Urrasti officials on rebels during a war-related protest. However, the parallels between the two wars become muddled when Anarres is taken into account. Anarres is not representative of any of the major forces of the Cold War or of any world powers at the time. It stands alone. Although imperfect, Anares may be interpreted as a solution to the underlying issues of the Cold War, or at least a place to start.

Identify and describe the regimes of Anarres, A-Io, and Thu.

Anarres, A-Io, and Thu all follow different ideological structures: Anarres being anarchist, A-Io being capitalist and patriarchal, and Thu being an authoritarian regime claiming to rule under the name of the proletariat. The three ideological structures are contrasted in the novel and symbolize aspects of modern political regimes. Anarres was founded on what was once the moon of Urras by a group of revolutionaries led by Odo, a female anarchist philosopher. The Odonains, as the Anarresti refer to themselves, have negotiated non-interference with the Urrasti and contact between the two worlds is limited. This has allowed the two worlds to each become deeply entrenched in their own ideals and to shun any opposition thought. Anarres is a collectivist society that allows for total freedom of the individual from government and values the well-being of society over the individual. There is no central government but only a small and weakly powerful regulatory ministry called Productions and Distribution Coordination (PDC) which is staffed by temporary workers. Secondly, A-Io is centrally regulated and possesses a capitalist economy. The Ioti, the residents of A-Io, are afforded social mobility, but their freedoms are limited by monetary constraints and gender discrimination. Thirdly, Thu is an authoritarian state with a highly centralized government which has total control of the economy. The government of Thu was the result of the same socialist-revolution that Odo was part of.

Discuss what the low wall surrounding the spaceport on Anarres symbolizes.

The low wall that separates the lone spaceport on Anarres from the rest of the civilization is symbolic of the relationship between the planet and Urras. The spaceport contained within the wall is the only place on the planet where Anarresti are denied access and their freedoms curtailed. From the Anarresti point of view, the wall separates their revolutionary society from the shackles of Urrasti society. From the point of view of the Urrasti, the wall imprisons the Odonians and prohibits their beliefs from spreading. Although Le Guin does not offer direct commentary on the true symbolism of the wall, she does choose it as the place to both begin and end the novel, signaling its overall importance to the work. Its purposeful ambiguity implores readers to consider both points of view, just as the novel implores readers to consider the merits and pitfalls of different political regimes.

How does the nonlinear outline of book relate to Shevek’s General Temporal Theory.

Shevek’s discovery of his grand theory, the inciting element of the plot, unites the seemingly contradictory theories of sequential time and cyclical time. As Shevek sees it, this simple theory encompasses all the complexities of the universe. The General Temporal Theory presents itself in many ways throughout the novel but primarily in the novel’s nonlinear timeline. With every chapter, except for the first and last chapters, the novel alternates between Shevek’s experiences in the present on Urras and in the past on Anarres in a cyclical manner. However, within each of the interior chapters, time follows a sequential pattern. The only exceptions to this structure are the first and last chapter which occur in both the past and present. This nonlinear sequence, at first difficult to follow but easing in understanding as the novel proceeds, mirrors comprehension of the General Temporal Theory by characters in the novel, seemingly complex yet fundamentally simple.

Describe and compare ownership on Anarres versus in A-Io on Urras.

The theme of ownership is prevalent throughout the novel. On Anarres, the anarchist Odonian settlers abolished the concept of ownership. Institutions such as marriage and prostitution, which reinforce economic dominance over individual freedom, do not exist. The people on Anarres even speak a unique language called Pravic which lacks possessive pronouns and other language conventions that convey a message of ownership. The title of the novel even evokes the theme of collectivism, as the Odonians do not own any possessions. In general, the Anarresti people emphasize the community over the individual. Conversely, on Urras the capitalist society of A-Io places heavy importance on ownership. Their concept of ownership extends beyond objects, encompassing people and even nations. For example, women in A-Io are viewed as the property of men and are forbidden from fully partaking in society, and prostitution and marriage are commonplace. Additionally, A-Io and Thu are at war for control over the undeveloped area of Benbili. In A-Io, the wellbeing of the individual is paramount to that of the community.

Discuss any feminist themes present in The Dispossessed.

Although The Dispossessed has faced much criticism for not being a boldly feminist text, the work does contain important messages on gender equality. The book grapples with ideas such as sexual freedom, women’s rights, and heteronormative gender roles. The book’s feminist message shares many of the same values as Second Wave Feminism, a movement occurring at the time of the book’s first publishing to increase the participation of women in society beyond the domestic realm. Despite featuring a male protagonist, the novel does promote a feminist message. For example, the revered founder of Anarres, Odo, was a woman. Additionally, Le Guin contrasts the treatment of women on Anarres and Urras. On Shevek’s homeplanet Anarres, both women and men are sexually liberated and marriage does not exist because it is viewed as a form of ownership. The gender equality prevalent on Anarres is juxtaposed with the shockingly oppressive treatment of women on Urras. On Urras, women are heavily objectified, secluded from the scientific and academic realms, and considered to have lesser intellectual capabilities than men. The juxtaposition of gender equality and blatant sexism on the two worlds draws attention to gender discrepancies in our own societies. Although the feminist message in the text in second to message on governing bodies or the lack thereof, Le Guin does not fail to include her views on the matter.

How does the book’s subtitle–“An Ambiguous Utopia”–reflect the theme of the novel?

The meaning of the initially mystifying subtitle of The Dispossessed becomes quite apparent upon analysis of the novel. The Dispossessed explores the socio-political climate of two worlds and compares them, weighing the merits and shortcomings of each. At the novel’s conclusion, there is no consensus to whether either world is superior. In one light Anarres is the true utopia, but in another, Urras fits the definition more closely, hence the term “Ambiguous Utopia”. Only when the two are compared is it possible to see the complete picture of both. On Anarres individuals may be poor and condemned to a life of hard labor with little material reward, but they are rich in personal liberties. Conversely, on Urras–specifically A-Io–the institutionalized class system may afford some individuals with immense material wealth but it also deprives them of freedom from the tyranny of government and immobility in social standing. Without one the other could not be completely understood. It is only in the context of both does Le Guin make her point that each system endows certain utopian ideals while denying others.

How does Sheveck’s salacious encounter with Vea externalize Sheveck’s internal conflict and attitude towards society on Urras?

When Shevek visits A-Io he is shocked by the dominant role that the concepts of ownership and property have in Ioti society. Not too long after his landing, however, he forgets Odonian collectivist ideals and is distracted by the flashy gifts A-Io has to offer. Internally Shevek grapples with what he has been taught to believe and the material riches he is being bribed with. His internal conflict comes to a head when one night during a party at Vea’s house he becomes too intoxicated, partly due to the lack of alcohol on Anarres. He and Vea enter a bedroom where he misinterprets Vea’s intentions and forcefully kisses her. He then proceeds to hold her down and ejaculates on her skirt while she struggles to evade his grip. Although Vea is disgusted by Shevek’s obscene behavior, she does not call for help for fear of harming her reputation. Instead she simply changes her clothes and proceeds to the party as if nothing unseemly just happened. In the wake of this passage, readers are taken aback by Shevek’s uncharacteristic outburst and alarmed by his imposition over another person. As an Odonian Shevek maintains that this aggressive behavior is wholly counterintuitive to his beliefs, yet he is the perpetrator. This scene awakens Shevek to the fact that he has fallen for the attractiveness of material richness even if it comes at a cost to personal liberty. Now more than ever, Shevek is made aware of and disgusted by the whole of his transgressions since his arrival on Urras.

What does Le Guin ultimately reveal about free will and society?

Though The Dispossessed contains many messages about politics, power, human nature, and feminism, one of the most central messages in the novel is about the relationship between free will and society. Over the course of the novel, Le Guin reveals that humans can never be truly free. In some form or another every individual is bogged down by some type of regulation, internal or external. For example, on Anarres the people are limited by the overbearing social pressure to do the responsible thing despite the abounding external freedoms granted by the absence of a true government. On the other hand, people on Urras feel less internal pressures and thus may enjoy more freedom despite the fact that they live in a highly stratified, government-regulated society. In a conversation with Shevek, Le Guin speaks through Vea pointing out that internal regulation may be falsely guised under freedom from external regulation but that in fact internal regulation may be a more powerful tool for subjugation of free will.

How has Anarres changed since its founding, approximately 150 years prior to the novel’s start?

Annarres has changed both socially and politically since its founding over 150 years before Shevek embarks on his journey to Urras at the onset of the novel. As the initial founders of Anarres, including Odo, passed away, their beliefs became diluted with collectivist propaganda. With the founders’ deaths, the stagnation of their revolution began and the surviving Anarresti fell into a routine of reciting Odo’s creed of being free through responsibility to one another without fully grasping the true meaning. As time went on, Anarresti society developed deep social pressures, forcing the subjugation of the individual conscience to the social conscience‒–curtailing true freedom. Politically, the intentionally powerless and markedly inefficient Productions and Distributions Coordination (PDC) evolved into pseudo-government with more control than was originally intended by the Odonian revolutionaries. For example, Sabul, Shevek’s egotistical mentor who controls what gets published on Anarres, uses his position in the PDC to force Shevek to include him as a co-author on all of Shevek’s work on his General Temporal Theory. This abuse of power demonstrates how the PDC, which was only supposed to administer production, devolved into a body which exerts control over the people, in other words, a government. In narrating the changes that Anarres has faced over the century and a half, Le Guin elucidates that revolutions must be continual in order to achieve and maintain true change.