The Dispossessed

The Dispossessed
Cover of first edition (hardcover)
Author(s)	Ursula K. Le Guin
Cover artist	Fred Winkowski
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	The Hainish Cycle
Genre(s)	Science fiction
Publisher	Harper & Row
Publication date	1974
Media type	Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages	341 pp (First Edition)
ISBN	ISBN 0-060-12563-2 (First edition, hardcover)
OCLC Number	800587

The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia is a 1974 utopian science fiction novel by Ursula K. Le Guin, set in the same fictional universe as that of The Left Hand of Darkness (the Hainish Cycle). The book won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1974,^[1] both the Hugo and Locus Awards in 1975,^[2] and received a nomination for the John W. Campbell Memorial Award in 1975.^[2] It is also notable for achieving a degree of literary recognition unusual for science fiction works.

The story explores many ideas and themes, including anarchism and revolutionary societies, capitalism, individualism and collectivism, and the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis.

It is also notable for its description of the invention of the new physics that is the basis for the fictional ansible, an instantaneous communications device that plays a critical role in Le Guin's Hainish Cycle. (The invention of the ansible places the novel first in the internal chronology of the Hainish Cycle, although it was the fifth Hainish novel published^[3]).

Setting

The story of The Dispossessed is set on Anarres and Urras, the twin inhabited worlds of Tau Ceti. Cetians are mentioned in other Ekumen novels and short stories. An Anarresti appears in the short story The Shobies' Story. Urras before the settlement of Anarres is the setting for the short story The Day Before the Revolution.

In The Dispossessed, Urras is divided into several states which are dominated by the two largest ones, which are rivals. In a clear allusion to the United States (represented by A-Io) and the Soviet Union (represented by Thu), one has a capitalist economy and patriarchal system and the other is an authoritarian system that claims to rule in the name of the proletariat. Further developing the analogy, there is in A-Io an oppositional left-wing party which is closely linked to and supporting the rival Thu, as were Communist parties in the US and other Western countries at the time of writing. Beyond that, there is a third major, though underdeveloped, area called Benbili — when a revolution breaks out there, A-Io and Thu invade Benbili generating a proxy war. Thus, Benbili comes to represent south-east Asia, an allusion to the Vietnam War.

In the last chapter of The Dispossessed, we learn that the Hainish people arrived at Tau Ceti 60 years ago, which is more than 150 years after the secession of the Odonians from Urras and their exodus to Anarres. Terrans are also there, and the novel occurs some time in the future. A date of 2300 has been suggested, while the complexities of Urrasti history hint otherwise.

The plot

Structure

The chapters alternate between the worlds — even-numbered chapters are set on Anarres, odd-numbered chapters are set on Urras. The only exceptions are the first and the last chapter which include both worlds and are, thematically, chapters of transition. In chapter one, we are basically in the middle of the story, while the plot of the last Anarres-chapter (i.e., the penultimate chapter, or, chapter twelve) ends at a point before the plot of the first chapter begins.

Chapter numbers in chronological order
2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13

This peculiar narrative structure creates a phenomenon for the reader's processing of the text: linearity (or, in Le Guin's terms generic to that narrative universe, Sequentiality) is being subverted in favor of utter-most approximation of beginning and ending of the story—not knowing, however, whether or not this effect was expressly intended by Le Guin's use of this structure, it encourages readers to question their own perception and conception of time, which are also basic topics, themes and motifs discussed within the novel, both explicitly by Shevek and other characters and implicitly by construing the narrative world around them.

Le Guin is neither the only nor the first American writer using this stylistic device of nonlinear narration. For instance, William Faulkner used this kind of structure (cf. "A Rose for Emily", Light in August), while in his writing an apparently unmarked change of perspective, or point-of-view, between or within chapters, may occur.

Themes

The story takes place on the fictional planet Urras and its moon Anarres (since Anarres is massive enough to hold an atmosphere, this is often described as a double planet system). In order to forestall an anarcho-syndical workers' rebellion, the major Urrasti states gave the revolutionaries the right to live on Anarres, along with a guarantee of non-interference, approximately two hundred years before the events of The Dispossessed.^[4] Before this, Anarres had had no permanent settlements apart from some mining.

The protagonist Shevek is a physicist attempting to develop a General Temporal Theory. The physics of the book describes time as having a much deeper, more complex structure than we understand it. It incorporates not only mathematics and physics, but also philosophy and ethics. The meaning of the theories in the book weaves into the plot, not only describing abstract physical concepts, but the ups and downs of the characters' lives, and the transformation of the Anarresti society. An oft-quoted saying in the book is "true journey is return.".^[5]

The meaning of Shevek's theories – which deal with the nature of time and simultaneity – have been subject to interpretation. For example, there have been interpretations that the non-linear nature of the novel is a reproduction of Shevek's theory^[6]

Anarres is in theory a society without government or coercive authoritarian institutions. Yet in pursuing research that deviates from his society's current consensus understanding, Shevek begins to come up against very real obstacles. Shevek gradually develops an understanding that the revolution which brought his world into being is stagnating, and power structures are beginning to exist where there were none before. He therefore embarks on the risky journey to the original planet, Urras, seeking to open dialog between the worlds and to spread his theories freely outside of Anarres. The novel details his struggles on both Urras and his homeworld of Anarres.

The book also explores the Sapir–Whorf Hypothesis, that language shapes thinking, and thus, culture. The language spoken on the anarchist planet Anarres, Pravic, is a constructed language that reflects many aspects of the philosophical foundations of utopian anarchism. For instance, the use of the possessive case is strongly discouraged (a feature that also is reflected by the novel's title). Children are trained to speak only about matters that interest others; anything else is "egoizing" (p. 28-31.) There is no property ownership of any kind. In one scene, Shevek's daughter, meeting him for the first time, offers him "You can share the handkerchief I use,"^[7] rather than "you may borrow my handkerchief", thus conveying the idea that the handkerchief is not owned by the girl, merely carried by her.^[8]

Cover of first paperback edition

The Dispossessed looks into the mechanisms that may be developed by an anarchist society, but also the dangers of centralization and bureaucracy that might easily take over such society without the continuation of revolutionary ideology. Part of its power is that it gives a spectrum of fairly well-developed characters, who illustrate many types of personalities, all educated in an environment that measures people not by what they own, but by what they can do, and how they relate to other human beings. Possibly the best example of this is the character of Takver, the hero's partner, who exemplifies many virtues: loyalty, love of life and living things, perseverance, and desire for a true partnership with another person.

The work is sometimes said to represent one of the few modern revivals of the utopian genre,^[9] and there are certainly many characteristics of a utopian novel found in this book. Most obviously, Shevek is an outsider in Urras, following the "traveler" convention common in utopian literature. All of the characters portrayed in the novel have a certain spirituality or intelligence, there are no nondescript characters. It is also true to say that there are aspects of Anarres that are utopian: it is presented as a pure society that adheres to its own theories and ideals, which are starkly juxtaposed with Urras society.

However, the work is subtitled "An Ambiguous Utopia", and one of the major themes of the work is the ambiguity of different notions of utopia. Anarres is not presented as a perfect society, even within the constraints of what might define an anarchist utopia. Bureaucracy, stagnation, and power structures have problematized the revolution, as Shevek comes to realize throughout the course of the novel. Moreover, Le Guin has painted a very stark picture of the natural and environmental constraints on society. Anarres citizens are forced to contend with a relatively sparse and unfruitful world.

Le Guin's title could be in reference to Dostoyevsky's novel The Possessed,^[10] but hardship caused by lack of resources is also a prominent theme. Much of the philosophical underpinnings and ecological concepts came from Murray Bookchin's Post-Scarcity Anarchism, according to a letter Le Guin sent to Bookchin.^[11] Anarres citizens are dispossessed not just by political choice, but by the very lack of resources to possess. Here, again, Le Guin draws a contrast with the natural wealth of Urras, and the competitive behaviors this fosters.^[12] Le Guin's foreword to the novel notes that her anarchism is closely akin to that of Pyotr Kropotkin's, whose Mutual Aid closely assessed the influence of the natural world on competition and cooperation.^[13] Le Guin's use of realism in this aspect of the work further problematizes — ambiguates — a simple utopian interpretation of the work. Anarres is not a perfect society, and Le Guin shows that no such thing is possible.

Reception

Baird Searles characterized the novel as an "extraordinary work," saying Le Guin had "created a working society in exquisite detail" and "a fully realized hypothetical culture [as well as] living breathing characters who are inevitable products of that culture."^[14] Gerald Jonas, writing in The New York Times, said that "Le Guin's book, written in her solid, no-nonsense prose, is so persuasive that it ought to put a stop to the writing of prescriptive Utopias for at least 10 years."^[15] Theodore Sturgeon praised The Dispossessed as "a beautifully written, beautifully composed book," saying "it performs one of sf's prime functions, which is to create another kind of social system to see how it would work. Or if it would work."^[16] Lester del Rey, however, gave the novel a mixed review, citing the quality of Le Guin's writing but claiming that the ending "slips badly," a deus ex machina that "destroy[s] much of the strength of the novel."^[17]

Translations

• Chinese (Simplified): "一无所有", 2009.
• Chinese (Traditional): "一無所有", 2005.
• Dutch: "De Ontheemde"
• Finnish: "Osattomien planeetta", 1979.
• French: "Les Dépossédés".
• German: "Planet der Habenichtse", 1976 later "Die Enteigneten", 2006.
• Hebrew:1980 "המנושל"
• Hungarian: "A kisemmizettek", 1994.
• Italian: "I reietti dell'altro pianeta", later "Quelli di Anarres", 1976.
• Japanese: "所有せざる人々", 1986.
• Korean: "빼앗긴 자들", 2002.
• Polish: "Wydziedziczeni"
• Portuguese: "Os Despossuídos", "Os Despojados"
• Czech: "Vyděděnec", 1995.
• Russian: "Обездоленные", 1994, "Обделённые", 1997.
• Serbian: "Čovek praznih šaka".
• Spanish: "Los desposeídos", 1983.
• Swedish: "Shevek", 1976
• Turkish: "Mülksüzler".
• Greek: "Ο αναρχικός των δύο κόσμων".
• Bulgarian: "Освободеният"
• Romanian: "Deposedaţii", 1995.

Other versions

In 1987, the CBC Radio anthology program 'Vanishing Point' adapted 'The Dispossessed' into a series of six 30 minute episodes.^[18]

See also

	Anarchism portal
	Novels portal
	LGBT portal
	Speculative fiction portal

Short stories by Ursula K. Le Guin

• "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas"
• "The Day Before the Revolution"
• "The New Atlantis"

Themes

• Anarchism in the arts
• Libertarian socialism

References

Notes

1. ^ "1974 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. http://www.worldswithoutend.com/books_year_index.asp?year=1974. Retrieved 2009-07-29. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "1975 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. http://www.worldswithoutend.com/books_year_index.asp?year=1975. Retrieved 2009-07-29. 
3. ^ In The Word for World is Forest, the newly created ansible is brought to Athshe, a planet being settled by Earth-humans. In other tales in the Hainish Cycle, the ansible already exists. It was first coined in Rocannon's World where it is central to the plot
4. ^ The story is told in Le Guin's "The Day Before the Revolution".
5. ^ Said by Shevek near the end of Chapter 13
6. ^ Rigsby, Ellen M. (2005), p. 169
7. ^ Ursula K. Le Guin, The Dispossessed, p.69.
8. ^ Burton (1985).
9. ^ Davis and Stillman (2005).
10. ^ "Study Guide for Ursula LeGuin: The Dispossessed (1974)" - Paul Brians
11. ^ Janet Biehl, Bookchin biographer; letter in UKL archive
12. ^ Mathiesen.
13. ^ Peter Kropotkin, Mutual Aid (1902).
14. ^ "The Dispossessed: Visit from A Small Planet", Village Voice, November 21, 1974, pp.56, 58
15. ^ "Of Things to Come", The New York Times Book Review, October 26, 1975
16. ^ "Galaxy Bookshelf", Galaxy Science Fiction, June 1974, pp.97-98
17. ^ "Reading Room", If, August 1974, pp.144-45
18. ^ Times Past Old Time Radio Archives.

Bibliography

Anarchism and The Dispossessed

• John P. Brennan, "Anarchism and Utopian Tradition in The Dispossessed", pp. 116–152, in Olander & Greenberg, editors, Ursula K. Le Guin, New York: Taplinger (1979).
• Samuel R. Delany, "To Read The Dispossessed," in The Jewel-Hinged Jaw. N.Y.: Dragon Press, 1977, pp. 239–308 (anarchism in The Dispossessed).
• Neil Easterbrook, "State, Heterotopia: The Political Imagination in Heinlein, Le Guin, and Delany", pp. 43–75, in Hassler & Wilcox, editors, Political Science Fiction, Columbia, SC: U of South Carolina Press (1997).
• Leonard M. Fleck, "Science Fiction as a Tool of Speculative Philosophy: A Philosophic Analysis of Selected Anarchistic and Utopian Themes in Le Guin's The Dispossessed", pp. 133–45, in Remington, editor, Selected Proceedings of the 1978 Science Fiction Research Association National Conference, Cedar Falls: Univ. of Northern Iowa (1979).
• John Moore, "An Archaeology of the Future: Ursula Le Guin and Anarcho-Primitivism", Foundation: The Review of Science Fiction, v.63, pp. 32–39 (Spring 1995).
• Larry L. Tifft, "Possessed Sociology and Le Guin's Dispossessed: From Exile to Anarchism", pp. 180–197, in De Bolt & Malzberg, editors, Voyager to Inner Lands and to Outer Space, Port Washington, NY: Kennikat (1979).
• Kingsley Widmer, "The Dialectics of Utopianism: Le Guin's The Dispossessed", Liberal and Fine Arts Review, v.3, nos.1–2, pp. 1–11 (Jan.–July 1983).

Gender and The Dispossessed

• Lillian M. Heldreth, "Speculations on Heterosexual Equality: Morris, McCaffrey, Le Guin", pp. 209–220 in Palumbo, ed., Erotic Universe: Sexuality and Fantastic Literature, Westport, CT: Greenwood (1986).
• Neil Easterbrook, "State, Heterotopia: The Political Imagination in Heinlein, Le Guin, and Delany", pp. 43–75, in Hassler & Wilcox, editors, Political Science Fiction, Columbia, SC: U of South Carolina Press (1997).
• Mario Klarer, "Gender and the 'Simultaneity Principle': Ursula Le Guin's The Dispossessed", Mosaic: A Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature, v.25, n.2, pp. 107–21 (Spring 1992).
• Jim Villani, "The Woman Science Fiction Writer and the Non-Heroic Male Protagonist", pp. 21–30 in Hassler, ed., Patterns of the Fantastic, Mercer Island, WA: Starmont House (1983).

Language and The Dispossessed

• Deirdre Burton, "Linguistic Innovation in Feminist Science Fiction", Ilha do Desterro: Journal of Language and Literature, v.14, n.2, pp. 82–106 (1985).

Property and possessions

• Werner Christie Mathiesen, "The Underestimation of Politics in Green Utopias: The Description of Politics in Huxley's Island, Le Guin's The Dispossessed, and Callenbach's Ecotopia", Utopian Studies: Journal of the Society for Utopian Studies, v.12, n.1, pp. 56–78 (2001).

Science and The Dispossessed

• Ellen M. Rigsby, "Time and the Measure of the Political Animal." The New Utopian Politics of Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed. Ed., Laurence Davis and Peter Stillman. Lanham: Lexington books., 2005.

Taoism and The Dispossessed

• Elizabeth Cummins Cogell, "Taoist Configurations: The Dispossessed", pp. 153–179 in De Bolt & Malzberg, editors, Ursula K. Le Guin: Voyager to Inner Lands and to Outer Space, Port Washington, NY: Kennikat (1979).

Utopian literature and The Dispossessed

• James W. Bittner, "Chronosophy, Ethics, and Aesthetics in Le Guin's The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia, pp. 244–270 in Rabkin, Greenberg, and Olander, editors, No Place Else: Explorations in Utopian and Dystopian Fiction, Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press (1983).
• John P. Brennan, "Anarchism and Utopian Tradition in The Dispossessed", pp. 116–152, in Olander & Greenberg, editors, Ursula K. Le Guin, New York: Taplinger (1979).
• Bülent Somay, "Towards an Open-Ended Utopia", Science-Fiction Studies, v.11, n.1 (#32), pp. 25–38 (March 1984).
• Peter Fitting, "Positioning and Closure: On the 'Reading Effect' of Contemporary Utopian Fiction", Utopian Studies, v.1, pp. 23–36 (1987).
• Kingsley Widmer, "The Dialectics of Utopianism: Le Guin's The Dispossessed", Liberal and Fine Arts Review, v.3, nos.1–2, pp. 1–11 (Jan.–July 1983).
• L. Davis and P. Stillman, editors, "The new utopian politics of Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed", Lexington Books, (2005).

Additional references

• Judah Bierman, "Ambiguity in Utopia: The Dispossessed", Science-Fiction Studies, v.2, pp. 249–255 (1975).
• James F. Collins, "The High Points So Far: An Annotated Bibliography of Ursula K. LeGuin's The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed", Bulletin of Bibliography, v.58, no.2, pp. 89–100 (June 2001).
• James P. Farrelly, "The Promised Land: Moses, Nearing, Skinner, and Le Guin", JGE: The Journal of General Education, v.33, n.1, pp. 15–23 (Spring 1981).

External links

• The Dispossessed publication history at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• Study Guide for Ursula LeGuin: The Dispossessed (1974) ISBN 0-06-105488-7
• Audio review and discussion of The Dispossessed at The Science Fiction Book Review Podcast
• Golwen wiki - Anarres Specifically, note the link to a readable map of Anarres (Argentina, Spanish language)
• Golwen wiki - Urras Specifically, note the link to a readable map of Urras (Argentina, Spanish language)
• The Dispossessed at Worlds Without End