The Struggle

Genly Is envoy, or first mobile sent by the Ekumen to the frozen planet of Winter for a diplomatic mission. To the genderless people of Winter he is an alien "pervert", or someone who is in permanent kemmer. He is in a new world so much more different than the others he has been to. He is not used to meeting a group of people who happen to be genderless; this for Genly is a struggle for it is difficult for him to see Gethenians the way the way they see themselves. In chapter 8 page 106, it is revealed that the king is pregnant; to him this is strange for he thinks of it to be odd, but the older clansman he spoke to "found this funny-they said he was too old to be bearing children". The kings is seen as this masculine figure especially in Genly's eyes, so hearing this is strange to him but to the clansman this is normal. It seems that Genly can't completely accept this lifestyle for he still does things such as referring to the people he meets as he or she depending on how he sees them. This reveals that the world he is from have a strong belief in their own lifestyles and that it is the only right way to live. Since Genly doesn't quite accept their lifestyle, it also shows that his world isn't the type of place that is accepting of lifestyles far more different than their own. We are able to understand how Genly must feel since we are used to only being around others who are sexually oriented, and have never been around someone who isn't sexually oriented.