The Politics of Gender in Ursula Le Guin’s “The Dispossessed”
The Politics of Gender in Ursula Le Guin’s “The Dispossessed”

Summary/Abstract: Ursula Le Guin is one of the most important and critically acclaimed science fiction writers. Her fiction is well-known for depicting various feminist themes: gender equality, the social construction of gender and gender roles, sexism, patriarchy, and motherhood. While Le Guin’s relationship with feminism developed and changed throughout her career as a mainstream author, The Dispossessed (1974) received much attention from feminist critics. Feminist critics were generally disappointed with the lack of feminist thought in relation to language, narration and portrayal of women. The aim of the article is to engage with feminist critique as well as to address such conceptual issues like the construction of gender and gender roles, the distinction between biological sex and gender, and finally, to re-examine gender politics in “The Dispossessed”. The article suggests that “The Dispossessed” portrays the social construction of gender and gender roles, gender equality and challenges gender norms. In doing so, the novel advocates feminist cause and promotes feminist values, most importantly – gender equality.

• Details
• Contents