The Dispossessed - people, places, ideas

"Excess is excrement."

- "all you have is what you are and what you give"

Anarres

- Anarresti defected to the desert-climate moon almost two centuries ago, shepherded there by their leader Odo, who envisioned an anarcho-syndicalist society free of the constraints of capitalism - complimentary twin planet of Urras

Sabul

- Anarresti physicist, Shevek's mentor, and hypocrite when it comes to the Odonian ideals of openness and sharing - based on the Anarresti principle of selflessness and no private property, Sabul co-opts Shevek's ideas and attempts to keep him from communicating directly with Urrasti scientists - Shevek detests Sabul but understands that studying with him is the only way to open a line of communication with Urrasti physicists at all

Bedap

- Bedap stands in solidarity with Shevek as the two propose reopening communication, travel, and exchange of ideas between Urras and Anarres, despite the controversy it unleashes and the backlash they face - one of Shevek's closest friends since childhood - Shevek, frustrated with his studies, is depressed and vaguely suicidal at the time of his reunion with Bedap, which provides both of them comfort, and Shevek, knowing that Bedap is a homosexual and has always been attracted to him, consents to embark on a sexual relationship with Bedap, later finding that neither strongly desires the other

Ketho

- Hainish commander on the Davenant, the ship returning Shevek to Anarres at the end of the novel - expresses to Shevek his desire to return to Anarres with him and to live among the Odonians, learning about their world and culture (Shevek agrees to take Ketho down alongside him) - Shevek warns Ketho that things are "broken loose" on Anarres - no telling how the two of them will be received or what society will look like once they reenter it - Shevek warns Ketho that the arrival of an outsider will surely compound whatever anarchy, revolution, or discord has already "broken loose" - Shevek promises Ketho that if he commits to the Anarresti way of life, he will be treated as an Odonian - will be free in the way that all Anarresti are free - in a final warning, Shevek admits that the pursuit of freedom is never truly a safe pursuit

freedom

- Shevek argues that freedom and solidarity are the "duty and right" of anyone who calls himself an Odonian, which is why he opposes the acceptance of any rule, governance, or authority - life on Anarres is not as perfect as it seems, and through the epic portrait of a utopian experiment in crisis, LeGuin argues that true freedom may not exist at all - Shevek and his friends, in their youth, derive their sense of freedom from enthusiastically participating in the machine of their society, and they see the foreign Urrasti ideals of egoism, possession, and wealth as stifling and destructive - as Shevek delves into his new work, he finds freedom in isolation, though he is at first ashamed and worried that he is egoizing - Odonians are no longer truly free, as they are constantly pulled away to go off on rotating work assignments, and yet are prevented from ever finding true satisfaction in the work they do (Shevek is constantly told that his research in the field of temporality is egoistic and unimportant, and frequently has his research co-opted by Sabul) - realizes that Urras houses no special freedom either, as everything is controlled by the state (Shevek becomes an enemy and a threat toward the Ioti state and later realizes that he was never truly free on Urras either) - Shevek draws the conclusion that true freedom and the utopic idea are seemingly impossible to achieve, no matter how discouraging the concept may seem to him

law of existence - struggle - competition - elimination of the weak

- Shevek finds himself caught off-guard in a conversation with Atro, mainly by his sense of nationalistic, even racist pride, in the superiority of the Cetians (Urrasti and Anarresti people) - Atro looks down with scorn at the other races of the galaxy, feeling it is imperative that the Cetians assert dominance over them

Rulag

- Shevek's mother and member of PDC (present when Shevek and Bedap present their proposal to reopen Anarres to likeminded Urrasti) - believes no outsiders should ever set foot on Anarres, and any Annaresti who leaves is not welcome to return - never reconnected with her family, so Shevek grows up without ever knowing her - Shevek can sense Rulag's loneliness and her pain at having not known him for so long but does not find her particularly sympathetic when he awakes to her presence at his bedside - has always believed that work comes first, using that as an explanation for why she abandoned her family - Shevek later realizes and believes it is his fate to be a solitary "egoizer" - familial relationships on Anarres: byproduct of life, not the center of it, no deep bonds (isolationism vs. community)

Takver

- Shevek's romantic Annaresti partner - Shevek admires her kind heart, her belief that "all lives are in common" and her desire to "seek the experience of existences outside the human boundary" - Takver and Shevek experience an instantaneous connection and reveal their mutual desire for monogamous partnership despite the nature of Anarresti society, which encourages experimentation and non-exclusive communal relationships - remains faithful to Shevek during their work separation - encourages Shevek to go to Urras, supporting his dreams of bringing the two worlds into more productive communication and of finally being able to take credit for his scientific theories - a steadfast partner and an enthusiastic supporter of Shevek's work and his ideals - even those that rub against typical Anarresti values of communal living and self-sacrifice

time -> past/future

- Tolstoy's three questions - coexistence of three dimensions of time

women

- Urrasti men/scientists carry on conversations about the vast differences in their respective societies, notably women - Urrasti can only talk about women in terms of "possession" and are taken aback by the way women are seen on Anarres - as equals who are given the same jobs and same weight in society as their male counterparts - Shevek is mildly disgusted by the Urrasti attitude toward women, but he reminds himself to have empathy for these men and to go easy on them - they know nothing but possession - Shevek is generous with the men who host him on Urras, making excuses and concessions for their behavior and their coarse words because he takes pity on them - the term "possessed" takes on a double meaning: the men are "possessed" in that they have possessions and believe that those possessions will bring them joy, whereas Shevek is "dispossessed" of any such illusions about capitalism; the men are also "possessed" in a larger sense of the word, in that they are consumed and haunted by their worldly possessions and their capitalist way of life at every turn, unable to conceive of a world different from their own

Vea (body profiteer)

- a beautiful and alluring Urrasti woman who is fascinated by Shevek and takes him under her wing - takes Shevek out on the town, and the two indulge in decadent meals and a trip to the theatre before returning to Vea's apartment - overcome by his attraction for Vea and his warring desires to be a part of Urrasti life and to remain loyal to his Odonian values, Shevek assaults Vea, attempting to coerce her into sex - for the first time in his life, Shevek overindulges to the point of excess - Vea makes Shevek pay for all luxuries of evening, and the exchange of money for goods and services is startling and off-putting to Shevek - Shevek becomes intoxicated by excess

PDC

- a coordinating system for all syndicates, federatives, and individuals who do productive work on Anarres - Shevek, Bedap, Takver, and their group of friends slowly begin to realize that though there is nominally no government on Anarres, the PDC exerts the control, influence, and coercion of a government, and the three of them—anarchists at heart—begin to wonder what a dismantling or reorganizing of the PDC would look like

sharing vs. egoizing

- a good Odonian has empty hands - LeGuin relays Shevek's life story and highlights the contrast between his utilitarian past and his extravagant present, suggesting that ego and excess can be just as damaging as self-denial and false humility - Shevek's journey is one that requires him to find a balance between Urrasti and Anarresti ways in order to make a true change on either planet - Anarresti principles of humility and restraint, which Shevek began to fear he had forgotten during his time on Urras, resurge in him as integral aspects of his being and his philosophy - begins to understand the significance of empty hands - being emptyhanded (free of ego, free of materialism) has the potential to be a selfless act and a leap of faith, only as long as it is a choice and not an ideal forced upon a person, as it is on Anarres

sequency vs. simultaneity (arrow/circle)

- attempting to reconcile the theories of sequency and simultaneity to come up with an overarching theory of space and time - Shevek's struggle to connect Urras and Anarres parallels his work as a physicist - attempts to merge the theory of Sequency - the notion that time is linear and successive, with the theory of simultaneity - the idea that time is cyclical and eternal -merging two concepts proves impossible until he learns to embrace and accept time's inherent contradiction, to grant legitimacy for its dual nature to coexist as a whole

sacrifice vs. compromise

- compare to "This is Water" - truth may be difficult to wake up to and be aware of - real freedom of thinking involves responsibility of thoughts and actions - empathy (no empathy -> spiritual death) - questioning surroundings and drawing personal conclusions - alternative choice relies on living by one's innate default setting

ansible - allows for instantaneous communication between worlds

- device envisioned by an Urrasti engineer which would allow for communication throughout the galaxy - the engineer releases the designs for the ansible in an academic paper, but does not yet have the necessary theory - the General Temporal Theory - to bring it into existence - when Shevek eventually completes the theory, he hands it over to the Terran embassy in hopes of making the ansible a reality - a man caught between two worlds - and two worldviews - Shevek eventually comes to see the ways in which both societies fall short of their goals and their potentials and ultimately returns to his home planet with the goal of broadening communication throughout the galaxy with the invention of a device which will allow instantaneous contact between faraway planets - the ansible, the physical manifestation of Shevek's years of work on both Urras and Anarres, serves to further collectivism and solidarity throughout the galaxy and stands as a symbolic reconciliation and mediation of Urrasti and Anarresti ideologies, despite the deep flaws inherent in each

artist - essence is sharing

- in order to give oneself over to a cause, there must be a self to give

balance between planets - comes from understanding

- no perfect world exists - initially, Shevek thinks that Urras is the missing puzzle piece to troubles on Anarres

suffering

- nothing worse than doing the right thing for the wrong reason

education on Urras - a means to an end

- on Anarres, Shevek for a long time made himself and his work smaller in order to appease the society he functioned in: a society that reviled egoism, possession, and individual gain - throughout the course of the novel and Shevek's life, he comes to realize that by blindly engaging in self-denial, he has been wounding himself and preventing his people from achieving all they could - only when he has the choice to be either egotistic, empty-handed, or both in balance, is when the can best enrich his own life and the lives of his people - the self is of central importance, and the drive for self-advancement defines every aspect of Urrasti society - on Urras Shevek experiences the liberation of finally being able to work alongside his peers, and at last feeling as if his work is important rather than egotistical or isolationist

human solidarity

- on Anarres, everyone is responsible for the well-being of everyone else and no one owns anything - egoizing is the ultimate sin - on Anarres, the possessive pronoun is never used, as belonging to someone or something is not a known ideal among the Anarresti - Shevek's work is co-opted in both places, though on Anarres it was done in the name of collectivism, and on Urras it is being done in the name of deepening the individualist and isolationist agenda of the powerful Ioti government

Atro

- physicist on Urras and something of a mentor to Shevek - Shevek and Atro have been communicating about ideas and theories through letters for years by the time Shevek arrives on Urras - emphasizes law of existence as a ruthless war for survival - true profiteer and social Darwinist (believing only in "survival of the fittest") - wants to use Shevek's General Temporal Theory, which has been his life's work, to both suppress and oppress the other inhabitants of the galaxy - frames this desire through the lens of allegiance, loyalty, and valor, goading Shevek toward supporting his own "people" at the expense of countless others who could benefit from a comprehensive theory of time

walls behind walls

- realizing the ways in which people have allowed themselves to be made small or unhappy by society - resolution to work together and take personal lives into own hands - Shevek in particular wants to "unbuild" the walls that have cropped up on Anarres and have prevented him from achieving his full potentials and expressing his own individuality to his fellow brothers and sisters

revolution -> begins in the thinking mind

- revolution is obligation of the Odonians - to stop moving forward and pushing the boundaries of their society - to cease behaving like the anarchists they always have been - is to doom their world to the same authoritarianism and oppression they fought so hard and so long to escape - cannot buy revolution - can only be revolution - if it is Anarres one seeks, then one must come there with empty hands and only bring his or her true identity

Chifoilisk - Thu

- scientist on Urras - warns Shevek that he is being "bought" by the Ioti scientists - advises Shevek to be careful of certain people who are associated with government - tells Shevek never to write down his precious General Temporal Theory, lest the Ioti government swoop in and snatch it away - an ally of Shevek's - both Chifoilisk and Shevek's socialist ideals make them suspicious figures in the eyes of the Ioti government - both Shevek and Chifoilisk are themselves suspicious of their surroundings and the Ioti scientists with whom they work at the university - helps Shevek realize that the difference in values between the Urrasti and the Anarresti are not just their views on capitalism and socialism - Shevek's past has led him to believe that everyone everywhere will be helpful and dutiful to their fellow men, but on Urras he sees that greed, individualism, and propertarianism reign - thanks to Chifoilisk, Shevek begins to learn to distrust - now thinks like a propertarian - going to have to keep his beliefs, his fears, and most importantly his work, all to himself

safety vs. freedom ("Freedom is never very safe." - Shevek)

- see freedom - safety is enjoying the comforts of sleeping deep inside the rabbit's fur

Efor

- servant assigned to Shevek during his stay on Urras - Shevek is first baffled by Efor's role and laments the class divisions in Urrasti society that have put Efor in a place of servitude - Shevek expresses an interest in Efor's life, and the lives of the lower classes, eventually winning Efor's trust - when Shevek fears that the Ioti will steal his intellectual property, he seeks to escape the university where he has been staying - helps guide Shevek to the socialist enclave where he will presumably be safe

propertarian

- term used by Anarresti to refer to the moneyed, land-owning inhabitants of their twin planet Urras - often use the word to speak derogatively or accusatorily about someone who has displayed an egoistic or selfish thought, sentiment, or action - an innate human want that has been eradicated from the Anarresti through generations of communal living - children are taught that they cannot use anything that they will not share, as the socialist and anarcho-syndicalist principles of Anarresti society are rigidly enforced in children to the point that they become second-nature to all Anarresti adults - note: Shevek's desire in particular to possess something (for instance, the sun) in contrast to the desire he will develop in adulthood to "possess" Urras, the Moon - points to his rogue individualism - other babies in the nursery are content enough to share, but Shevek stands out among them, both in his isolation and his ambition

Cetians (Annarest and Urrasti)

- the race of the Urrasti and Anarresti people - are, from Le Guin's descriptions, humanoid, but are hairier and taller than Terrans or Hainish

fulfillment/loyalty - functions of time

- the return portion, which is, according to Odo, the "true voyage" - Shevek wonders if he should have brought something back to offer to his family when he reunites with them (nothing on Urras that the Anarresti need) - despite all he has been through, and all he has seen of the universe, Shevek holds fast to the value of empty-handedness, which is central to Odonianism - returns to his home planet and offers himself, bare and dispossessed, to his people, having no ties to property or possessions, and nothing to give but himself and the insight he has gained in his travels

working with time, not against it - time is not wasted then

- through suffering dearly, by understanding that even pain counts, and by working with time instead of against it, Shevek comes to realize what he is capable of and how he can best serve his society - outlines how to walk the path towards a meaningful life

Urras

- to be a physicist in A-Io was to serve not society, not mankind, not the truth, but the State (pawn of capitalist state) - a paradise-like world of plenty which is marred by deep social and economic inequality - Urrasti upper classes enjoy lives of wealth and privilege, while the lower classes, brimming with political unrest and anger over social injustice, stage attacks and organize underground anarchist networks - Urrasti are forbidden from setting foot on Anarres, and so despite the desire of many Urrasti to defect from their world, they are firmly stuck

responsibility

- true freedom is found in responsibility for oneself and one's work alone

perspective

duh.