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Ethos
Chapter 3
Explanation and Analysis—Reminiscing About Anarres:
During his time on Urras, Shevek remembers how his childhood friend Tirin, on Anarres, used to wonder about life on Urras, suggesting that there might be something worthwhile in Urrasti culture:
He and Tirin and Bedap had used to talk half the night, teasing and daring each other into always bolder flights of mind. He vividly remembered some of those nights. He saw Tirin, Tirin saying, “If we knew what Urras was really like, maybe some of us would want to go there.” And he had been so shocked by the idea that he had jumped all over Tirin, and Tir had backed down at once; he had always backed down, poor damned soul, and he had always been right.
Tirin dared to think outside of the conventions that govern Anarresti life, and he was punished for it—a similar punishment to what Tirin would eventually experience by daring to consider Urrasti culture through depictions in the theater. Later on, Shevek refers to Tirin as a "true revolutionary," with an appreciation for his friend's inquisitive spirit. Thinking of Tirin, Shevek reflects on how much he himself has changed since then, from a boy shocked by the prospect of visiting Urras to an adult now in residence there.
Related Themes:
