“The Dispossessed” Story by Ursula K. Le Guin Essay

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“The Dispossessed” is an anarchist utopian story written by Ursula K. Le Guin. It follows the misadventures of Shevek, who was modeled after J. Robert Oppenheimer, the creator of the first nuclear bomb (Fuchs, 2020). Shevek is similar to him in that he is a scientist who works on a theory that would enable faster-than-light communications, called “the ansible.” At the same time, he fears that his invention will be used for war. I think that his reasons for worrying are legitimate, as his creation would be equivalent to the invention of the radio in an age of wooden ships and sails. Communication would have allowed Urras to have a decisive advantage in coordinating their vessels and fleets in space on a scale never seen before (Fuchs, 2020). In addition, the creation would have enabled the construction of faster-than-light ships (Le Guin, 1994). This would have led Urras to a string of easy victories and a potential for forging an empire.

One of the essential themes in Le Guin’s book is the concept of treason. Shevek is declared a traitor twice: First by the Anarresti for deciding to leave their home planet and work in Urras, and later by the Urrasti for sharing his theory with all other nations (Le Guin, 1994). I think both treason events offer a narrative discussion about loyalty to a group versus allegiance to a greater whole. While Anarresti feel Shevek left them for his personal gain, Urras, at the moment, appeared to have offered greater opportunities for research, which were intended to benefit everyone. Likewise, Shevek’s decision to share the secrets of the ansible with everyone mirrored the decision made by American nuclear scientists to provide the technology to soviet spies to achieve parity of force (Fuchs, 2020). It was a decision made out of loyalty, not to one single nation, but to humanitarian principles above all else.

Shevek experiences a cultural backlash when he first moves from Anarres to Urras to pursue his research. He is disillusioned with Anarres and its enforced and glorified collectivism, which in reality is anything but the anarchist utopia it portrays itself to be. On the other hand, Urrasti culture has many dark sides, with its hierarchical, capitalist, and male-dominated society (Fuchs, 2020). I think that the parallels between Shevek and the Creature from Frankenstein are that both characters do not fit both worlds and fail to fit the paradigm of their respective societies.

The assault on Vea Doem Oiie is an interesting and curious scene, which has tremendous implications on the plot and our perceptions of Shevek as a protagonist. The act is detestable and puts an enormous black stain on the character’s otherwise unblemished record. At the same time, it demonstrates a few key ideas that the author tries to convey. First, it shows that normalization of behavior can affect even the best people otherwise brought up in a free environment (Anarresti sexual culture is vastly different from Urras). Second, it promotes the idea of consent, as Vea clearly shows being uncomfortable having sex at the moment, even though she is generally favorable to Shevek. Third, it serves as an allegory that the strong can and will dominate the weak by strength or circumstance unless they are not opposed. I think this allegory serves as a condemnation of anarchism altogether. An anarchist society needs the strength of arms to protect itself, which requires an army that cannot be built without hierarchy and subordination. An arrest of society’s flaws and departure from their proclaimed virtues resonate with this theme.

Overall, I found “The Dispossessed” to be a very intellectually-honest piece of literature. Despite being called a utopia, it does not shy away from the issues real or fictional societies have. It is a profound work of art that addresses many themes, including personal freedom, loyalty, feminism, anarchism, and the greater good.

References

Fuchs, C. (2020). The utopian internet, computing, communication, and concrete utopias: Reading William Morris, Peter Kropotkin, Ursula K. Le Guin, and PM in the light of digital socialism. TripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique. Open Access Journal for a Global Sustainable Information Society, 18(1), 146-186.

Le Guin, U. K. (1994). The dispossessed. Harper Voyager.

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