Ursula K. Le Guin

Differences on how the individual affects society The stories “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut and “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula K. Le Guin are different in their use of theme, setting and imagery which helps describe different ways that people view how the individual affects society. “Harrison Bergeron” is set in the future, and everyone has been handicapped to become equal, no one is smarter, stronger, or more beautiful than anyone else. It tells the story of Harrison is…

Le Guin’s Application of Western Culture in the Dao de Jing As an American woman who writes science-fiction, Ursula K. Le Guin differs greatly from the original audience of the Dao de Jing. The Dao de Jing was written in ancient China during the Warring States period from 475–221 B.C.E (Bokenkamp, 2015). Lao-Tzu, the accredited mystical author of the text, sensed the impending downfall of the kingdom of Chu. Before Chu’s collapse in 221 B.C.E., Lao-Tzu had written the Dao de Jing at the request…

The Left Hand of Darkness, written by Ursula K. Le Guin uses vivid imagery and different perspectives to create a high quality science fiction novel. The story starts with Ekumen, the union of human worlds, sending Genly Ai, the envoy, on a mission to form an alliance with Gethen. Genly Ai eagerly begins the first two years of his mission in Karhide (a country in Gethen) but is faced with suspicion and fear. Accompanying an alien dropping down and proposing an alliance, Gethenians also fear the…

Cruelty is a behavior that causes pain or suffering to a person or animal. In “The ones who walked away from Omelas” by Ursula K. Leguin, there is a lot of cruelty directed towards a little child so that all the citizens are happy. Cruelty in this manner, is really not seen as cruelty but sort of a sacrifice. In “The old man with enormous wings” by Gabriel Garcia, the cruelty is directed towards an old man just because he is different and has wings. Cruelty in this story is seen as entertainment…

This week I have read Guy Debord’s The Society of the Spectacle, as well as Raoul Vaneigem’s The Revolution of Everyday Life. I read the first chapter of each of these pieces. A lot of the ideas and comments about the nature of reality made in Guy Debord’s piece remind me a lot of science fiction author Douglas Adams writings, specifically his two books about Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. There is one line specifically in Debord’s piece about how the spectacle “interrelates and…

Le Guin states, “At times one of the adolescent girls or boys who go to see the child does not go home to weep or rage, does not, in fact, go home at all…They keep walking, and walk straight out of the city of Omelas, through the beautiful gates”(350). As…

In A Wizard of Earthsea Ursula K. Le Guin creates a groundbreaking fantasy, in which Ged battles evil in a world where magic is as habitual as breathing. Duny, an arrogant Gontish boy uses magic taught to him by a village witch to defend his village against Kargish pillage, greatly injuring himself. A powerful wizard from Re Albi named Ogion heals the boy and presents Duny with his true name, Ged thereafter taking him as prentice where Ged first encounters powerful dark magic. Eventually Ged…

reflect on how we were raised or on the nature of human beings? Without acceptance there is a lack of peace, understanding, and mistrust, if you look at the world today there is a great lack in all these categories. The authors Ronald J. Allen, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Diane Glancy point out how acceptance is not an automatic response to others in the “American Flag Stands For Tolerance””, “The Wife’s Story””, and “Without Title.””. The newspaper editorial, article, and the poem create a distinct…

it has been known that authors possess their own views of what individuals represent within a society, where there is tension between the majority and the individual. The works of “Once Upon A Time”, by Nadine Gordimer, “The Wife’s Story” by Ursula K. Le Guin, and the motion picture Invictus, directed by Clint Eastwood, all share a common underlying theme, or life lesson that is portrayed through a median. The common theme is that although it may be tempting to merge with the remainder of…

“Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, and “The Ones Who Walk Away from the Omelas” by Ursula K. Le Guin are all stories that highlight the ugly side of humanity. In each story, there is a group of people who have all the power and do what is necessary to control the others, forcing the people to live a certain way. By using setting, imagery, characterization and symbolism, the authors illustrate the role of power and make it feel relevant to the reader. Setting is…