Perfect Model Question & Answer On The Lathe Of Life By Ursula Leguin

Between the main two philosophical currents in the book, which character is the utilitarian and who is the Taoist? Please give an example form the book.
George Orr is definitely the Taoist. He has an ability to dominate and control the world through his dreams, but decides to set this ability aside. He seeks for harmony and balance that is why tries to stop Doctor Haber – the utilitarian. Haber thinks that the things he changes through George’s dreams will bring happiness not only to him, but to all other people. As the utilitarian he thinks that if the achieved result is good, it does not matter that the means to achieve it were immoral: the end justifies the means, and the means should be evaluated not as immoral, but as a moral. That is why he kills six billion people to avoid overpopulation.
Do you think that their appearance (turtles) has anything to do with the symbology LeGuin was using at the beginning of the book (keep in mind most sea turtles eat jellyfish)?
During the first half of the novel the reader accepts George Orr as a current-borne and wave-flung jellyfish that “drifts in the tidal abyss”. (1) He is spineless, “vulnerable and insubstantial”, has no self-control, confidence. But he has a hidden power – his dreams change the reality. George is afraid of them and is not ready to take such a responsibility. He is calm and submissive that is why easily falls under influence of Dr. Haber, who takes control of Orr’s dreams.
But later, George decides to rebel and creates the aliens. They bear some resemblances to the turtles. The turtle is a symbol of protection. These animals are slow, but steady. In my opinion, the aliens helped George to fix the world a little bit and to keep it stable. Instead of Dr. Haber, the aliens take George under control, as most sea turtles eat jellyfish. But they do not destroy George, they just dominate him.
1.What has been lost now that humanity is all the same and race was never an issue? Are these losses acceptable in exchange for the things like the Slavery, The Civil War and Segregation never happening?
After some changes that were made through the dream, the humanity had the same color of the skin – gray. The author meant that people lost their identity, their cultural roots. On one hand, the exchange for the things like the Slavery, The Civil War and Segregation never happening seems to be acceptable. People leave in peace, no war, violence, discrimination. But on the other hand people become the same, the grey mass, with no history, cultural differences. LeGuin uses color gray as a symbol of calmness, neutrality, indecisiveness.
2.Why does George think that Heather can’t exist in this world? Based on this passage and everything you’ve read about her in the book so far, how is Heather’s identity linked to her ethnicity?
Heather is George’s beloved woman and that is why she is one and only, unique, better than the others. Consequently, she cannot exist in a world of gray impartial people. It is interesting to mention that “[Heather’s] father was black and [her] mother was white”. (90) The mixture of these two colors make gray, but George calls her brown – “The color of the earth”. (91) Heather is different, so George cannot imagine her in a trivial world.
3.Why does George think that his existence is possible not only in this, but in any world?
In my opinion, George thinks of himself as a creator of the worlds, all the realities. He is responsible for all the changes that happen and he must exist and control them further. Moreover, George can be seen as a jellyfish that is mentioned in the first chapter. He is spineless and flexible and can adjust to any new reality.
3.Why does George think that Dr. Haber’s existence is inevitable? What does he mean by “He only got bigger at every incarnation”?
George thinks that Dr. Haber’s existence is inevitable, because he controls George’s dreams and he cannot create a new reality without himself. “He only got bigger at every incarnation” means that Haber became mightier and wealthier with every new dream. At the end he had an idea to make God of himself. But as George pointed out: “To be God you have to know what you're doing”. (134) And Haber did not know how to stop; he was thirsty for power and wealth not thinking about consequences.
How do you interpret the ending of the novel?