“Nine lives” by Ursula K. LeGuin was first published in the November 1968 issue of Playboy Magazine. It was circulated under her initials U.K. Le Guin to prevent any possible deterrence of readers who could have been threatened by the idea of a female writer .
The story revolves around lives of two men, Pugh and Martin who have been stationed on Planet Libra, a remote uranium mining station. They receive assistance from Earth in the form of ten exceptionally intelligent and athletic clones, synthesized from the DNA of a single, highly distinguished individual known as John Chow. The text details their relationships and interactions as they are put to the test in the highly volatile and perilous nature of the planet.
A common feature within …show more content…
As an individual, one tends to promote the enterprise of one’s own goals and ambitions. An individual who exemplifies such behaviours tends to be self-reliant so that his aspirations might not be compromised for the collective interest of a group. This is reflected in the behaviour of the ‘tenclone’. The clones only make love to themselves which, when viewed through the perspective of the single organism they seem to represent, can be interpreted as the self-pleasuring act of masturbation. The clones also seek emotional support from one another which was evident in Kaph’s emotionally dead behaviour - after realising his fellow clones had perished and was not able to rely on them for support - even though Pugh and Martin were trying to be emotionally supportive. This parallels how a self-reliant individual might become emotionally reclusive in difficult situations since he would refuse to accept emotional support from others. As summarised by Pugh, a clone would “be sufficient to itself physically, sexually, emotionally, intellectually. Whatever he did, any member of it would always receive the support and approval of his peers” - like a self-reliant …show more content…
In the next earthquake that struck, Martin was caught out in the Trench - the “epicenter for the local quakes”. Without consideration for his own safety, Pugh left the base in search for Martin - a self-sacrificing action in contrast to the self -preserving actions of the clones. Similarities could be drawn between Pugh’s and Kaph’s actions - Kaph tried to rescue the female clone during the first earthquake - but they could not be any more different. While Pugh knew he was endangering his own life to rescue another individual, Kaph had the impression that he was rescuing himself - In Pugh’s words, “They were all him, he is all of them”. This point is further emphasized when Kaph questioned Pugh’s actions by stating that Pugh was taking an “unnecessary risk” in rescuing Martin whom he personally saw as another individual. Martin himself was willing to ask for help when caught in dire straits, unlike the clones. In the end, both Martin and Pugh emerged unscathed which emphasized the importance of working
The story revolves around lives of two men, Pugh and Martin who have been stationed on Planet Libra, a remote uranium mining station. They receive assistance from Earth in the form of ten exceptionally intelligent and athletic clones, synthesized from the DNA of a single, highly distinguished individual known as John Chow. The text details their relationships and interactions as they are put to the test in the highly volatile and perilous nature of the planet.
A common feature within …show more content…
As an individual, one tends to promote the enterprise of one’s own goals and ambitions. An individual who exemplifies such behaviours tends to be self-reliant so that his aspirations might not be compromised for the collective interest of a group. This is reflected in the behaviour of the ‘tenclone’. The clones only make love to themselves which, when viewed through the perspective of the single organism they seem to represent, can be interpreted as the self-pleasuring act of masturbation. The clones also seek emotional support from one another which was evident in Kaph’s emotionally dead behaviour - after realising his fellow clones had perished and was not able to rely on them for support - even though Pugh and Martin were trying to be emotionally supportive. This parallels how a self-reliant individual might become emotionally reclusive in difficult situations since he would refuse to accept emotional support from others. As summarised by Pugh, a clone would “be sufficient to itself physically, sexually, emotionally, intellectually. Whatever he did, any member of it would always receive the support and approval of his peers” - like a self-reliant …show more content…
In the next earthquake that struck, Martin was caught out in the Trench - the “epicenter for the local quakes”. Without consideration for his own safety, Pugh left the base in search for Martin - a self-sacrificing action in contrast to the self -preserving actions of the clones. Similarities could be drawn between Pugh’s and Kaph’s actions - Kaph tried to rescue the female clone during the first earthquake - but they could not be any more different. While Pugh knew he was endangering his own life to rescue another individual, Kaph had the impression that he was rescuing himself - In Pugh’s words, “They were all him, he is all of them”. This point is further emphasized when Kaph questioned Pugh’s actions by stating that Pugh was taking an “unnecessary risk” in rescuing Martin whom he personally saw as another individual. Martin himself was willing to ask for help when caught in dire straits, unlike the clones. In the end, both Martin and Pugh emerged unscathed which emphasized the importance of working