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Literary Devices
Definition of Allegory
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The Tortoise and The Hare" is... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and... read full definition
Allegory
Explanation and Analysis:
Le Guin utilizes the alien landscape of Winter and its various civilizations as allegories for human governments and political systems. Karhide and Orgoreyn allegoricize feudal and authoritarian communist societies, respectively. As in all of her written works, Le Guin does not present one governmental system as inherently superior to another, though it is clear that she favors egalitarianism.
Rather than extol the virtues of a single societal structure or form of governance, Le Guin prefers to present systems as they are, exploring all possible outcomes and juxtaposing them. Le Guin does not blindly adhere to a single political philosophy; she uses science fiction as a vessel through which to carry each philosophy to its inevitable conclusion. Orgoryen, despite its centralization and improved capacity for organization, uses its resources to induce a climate of fear and suppression, much like the Soviet Union. Karhide is decentralized, with citizens seemingly incapable of organizing en masse outside of their familial, clan-based units. Yet this lack of organization is an unexpected boon: if one cannot organize, one cannot commit mass atrocities or oppression. While Karhide remains at times superstitious and paranoid, its relative lack of "civilization" is a benefit rather than a detriment.
