The Left Hand of Darkness Gender Quotes

Gender and language are tightly connected in the novel. Both Ai's language and his views on gender force him to see the Gethenians through a human perspective, which they are not. If this were a sitcom, it'd lead to shenanigans. Since this is a very serious novel, the jokes are notably absent.

But will he ever be able to see Gethenians as they see themselves? These are people who change gender more frequently than our college roommates changed clothes. Can Ai ever reach such a goal?

Ha. Okay, so there are still some jokes to be had. Notice how Ai calls the man a landlady, suggesting that he even sees people's professions in terms of man's job vs. woman's job.