LOH themes, characters, role of psychology & philosophy Flashcards
what’s one theory about the origin of George Orr’s name?
a nod to dystopian novelist George Orwell
what machine “mediates” George & Haber’s relationship?
the augmentor
what two motifs in LOH do the
Aldebaranians represent?
the jellyfish and the sea turtle
what possibility about the Alderbaranians is kept ambiguous?
that the Alderbaranians were always benign, even before George dreamed they were, and that their first attempt at contact was misinterpreted as an invasion
why is a dream not a reliable tool for humanitarian improvement?
they’re not rational, they conjure up “radical dreamland solutions” instead of feasible improvements
why does humanity dissolve to nonexistence when Haber dreams?
He is empty and without compassion
what famous SF tropes does Lelache jokingly compare Haber and the augmentor to?
The quintessential mad scientists with his infernal machine
examples of infernal machine trope
the submarine Nautilus in Jule Verne’s One Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Time Machine in H.G Well’s 1896 novel
where was the word “robot” first used?
Karel Čapek’s play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots)
what is arguably the most famous depiction of a robot in the early twentieth century?
in the 1927 film Metropolis. Set in a dystopian future, the film features a stylized, female
robot who is transformed into the likeness of a human
woman with terrible consequences.
what two nineteenth century stories are famously about technology?
“The Paradise of
Bachelors and the Tartarus of Maids” and Ambrose
Bierce’s 1899 story “Moxon’s Master.”
what is among the most sophisticated technological advancements in the 21st century?
self-driving cars
what story inspired Issac Asimov’s novel I, Robot (1950)
a 1939 short story of the same title by Eando Binder
code of conduct for robots (created by Issac Asimov)
- a robot may not injure a human being or allow them harm via inaction
- robots must obey human commands unless they go against the first law
- a robot must protect itself so long as it doesn’t go against 1st or 2nd law
what novel was later made into the film Bladerunner?
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep? (1968) by Philip K. Dick
what is a common end to the infernal machine?
destroyed by its creator, or self-destruction
what is rare about Leguin’s attitude toward the augmentor and other technology in LOH?
she views technology as blameless. tech is merely tools that reflect the intention of human creator
what Eastern philosophies does George Orr embody?
Buddhism and Taoism
what Western philosophy does Haber embody?
cartesian philosophy
in what way does Leguin represent the intertwined duality of nature (yin & yang)?
through Haber’s activity and Orr’s passivity
what does Orr’s well balanced kitchenware represent?
Leguin’s view that all technology should be made with balance and care, instead of for malicious intents
in what way is George Orr an unreliable narrator?
we only have his word for the nuclear destruction of the whole world in 1998
in what way is George Orr an anti-hero?
he lacks the common attributes of a western hero, yet he saves the world
in what way is Mannie Ahrens an anachronism?
he’s a representation of the hippie past and the 1960s youth countercultural movement
how does Leguin show us that Mannie Ahrens is an emblem of friendship?
through the image of mutual support when Lelache observes him ““leaning morose against the peeling frame of the front door, he and the old house lending each other mutual support.”
what are the central themes in LOH?
1) shifting versions of reality; 2) philosophical viewpoints 3) humanity and technology; 4) warfare; 5) racism, immigration, and xenophobia; 6) the power of
friendship and love; and 7) patterns of
dominance and control.
what is the state of reality in LOH?
it is subject to fantastical change because it is tied to Orr’s subconscious mind
what question does the theme of shifting realities pose?
how do we determine what is the real and what is the unreal?
what current events made the question of reality pressing in LOH’s time?
the vietnam war, different generations had opposing views on what was “True” about the war. Also watergate, a major political scandal, which happened shortly after LOH’s publication
what makes LOH’s question of reality relevant today?
today’s readers are navigating a more complex world of misinformation, and the novel simply asks us to question what we believe is true and why.
what are the two main opposing philosophical viewpoints in LOH?
Taoism and utilitarianism
Leguin’s epigraphs
Leguin’s epigraphs take from Chinese Taoist school of thought which emphasizes balance. also from Western Utopian thinking, primarily Thomas More’s novel Utopia.
why is it unlikely that Haber’s motivations are altruistic only?
with each effective dream his stature improves
how does Leguin first signal that the war is a central theme?
opens with George grappling with the consequences of nuclear catastrophe
when did the US get involved in Afghanistan’s conflicts like in LOH?
1979 when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in an attempt to suppress insurgencies led by U.S.-backed mujahideen
what expands in tandem with warfare in LOH?
conflict between Haber and Orr
what does LOH suggest is not consistent with human nature?
a complete cessation of human misery
Lelache’s background gives us mini-commentary on which race related issues?
the history of race-
based slavery, legacies of colonialism and imperialism,
familial and economic instabilities, legal and
illegal immigration
what does Lelache’s frustration with her identity represent?
sociopolitical circumstances have left very little room for understanding of multiethnicity
what is a flaw in Leguin’s portrayal of a biracial character?
she essentializes race (Lelache is missing from the world when all people are made grey). saying that race is essential to Lelache’s being denies her character some complexity
in context of racial issues, what do the aliens represent?
tensions about immigration and xenophobia
how is George presented from the offset?
as a man who needs help
what sustains Orr in his conflict with Haber?
the power of love and friendship
how does LOH criticize tendencies towards dominance?
through the struggle between Haber and Orr, and Lelache’s dismissal of of a symbol of interracial cooperation and friendship that she envisions after meeting George
the ring of fire
path along the pacific ocean with frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity - LOH takes place here
the Willamette River
a river neighboring portland
which two volcanoes are visible from Portland?
Mount St. Helens and Mount Hood
The Haystack in Cannon Beach
a naturally occurring rock stack in Oregon
what is sea imagery associated with in LOH?
the unconscious mind and dreaming
how does mount hood echo the conflict between Orr and Haber?
it erupts as the tension between them culminates
where were the earliest dreams recorded?
Five thousand years ago in Mesopotamia on clay tablets
what role were dreams believed to play in Roman and Greek antiquity?
messages from deities or from the dead; thought that dreams could predict future
Who did Leguin consult with while writing LOH?
Dr William Dement, founder of the American Academy of Sleep (AASM). He studied the relationship between physiology and psychology
Dement’s research
pioneered tests and treatments for narcolepsy. His organization, the AASM established standards for diagnosis/treatment of sleep disorders and established an exam for sleep specialists
the talking cure
methodology established by Viennese physician Josef Breuer for the treatment of nervous disorders (including “hysteria”)
psychoanalysis
studied human consciousness and subconscious, pioneered by Sigmund Freud. Freud practiced the talking cure; he and his patient would talk through the patient’s pathology,including their dreams.
The Interpretation of Dreams (1899) by Sigmund Freud
a guide for unmasking “dream symbolism” or the representation of repressed desires in dreams, usually tied to sexuality
what do dreams mix according to Freud?
daily experiences - “day residues”, with our deepest wishes
what are the four basic activities of dream-work according to Freud?
condensation, displacement, representation, and secondary revision; these were said to help the psychologist decipher dreams
Carl Gustav Jung
Swiss psychologist. His 1921 book Psychological Types developed the concept of personality types (e.g. introvert vs extrovert)
what did Jung and Freud fundamentally disagree on?
the role of sexuality in the formation of neuroses. this disagreement led them to rivalry.
what did Freud and Jung agree on?
dreams are key elements of human health and consciousness
what concept of Jung’s influences LeGuin’s work?
the true self and the shadow; she wrote about this in her essay “The Child and the Shadow”
what psychologists/sleep medicine specialists did Haber reference?
Dement,
Aserinsky, Berger, Oswald, Hartmann, Freud
Hans Berger
pioneered use of electroencephalography (EEG)
Ian Oswald
examined effect of thinking, attention, & visual imagery on the alpha rhythm shown by the EEG. Wrote an influential book called Sleep.
Ernest Hartmann
incorporated neurophysiology, endocrinology, and biochemistry in his sleep/dream research.
Chuang Tse
Chinese Taoist philosopher who is quoted in LeGuin’s 1st, 2nd, and 3rd epigraph
What does the first epigraph in LOH set up?
the paradox that the novel will address (for reference:
Confucius and you are both dreams, and I who say you are dreams am a dream myself.This is a paradox. Tomorrow a wise man may explain it; that tomorrow will not be for ten thousand generations.)
where are the non-taoist epigraphs taken from?
European SF writers H.G Wells and Victor Hugo
A Book About the Way and the Power of the Way (1997) by Ursula LeGuin
A modern and english rendition of Lao Tzu’s text: Tao Te Ching
which of LeGuin’s works capture her interest in Utopia?
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas (1973), The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia (1974), Always Coming Home (1985)
what is the utilitarian motto inscribed on Haber’s HURAD office?
“The Greatest Good for the Greatest Number”
utilitarianism
form of consequentialism, which says that the most ethical choice is the one with the greatest outcome for the greatest amount of people
inscription in the foyer of Haber’s office building
“The Proper Study of Mankind is Man.” - Alexander Pope
