Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Disposessed: A Sample Essay For Inspiration & Mimicking

The world of Anarres in Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Dispossessed is remarkably alien to our world, in that it seems to be a perfect representation of the ideals of political anarchy and collectivism across an entire planet. Ostensibly, everything is meant to be the ideal vision of political and social freedom – there is no governmental authority, for instance. However, as the character Shevek learns in his own study of research into the ansible, the people of Anarres do not like when people deviate from the cultural consensus. Anarres as a society is particularly alien in that its collectivism calls upon all citizens to be involved in all basic major projects, something the highly educated Shevek, with a specific skill set, opposes, since he works in a specific field he feels he should focus on. This is alien to me, as I feel like Shevek in that that kind of extreme collectivism places too much of a burden on people whose skills could be put to use elsewhere.
When discussing the idea of what side of the wall Shevek belongs on, it is difficult to say. He considers himself inconvenienced and persecuted by the collectivists of the anarchic Anarres. However, in A-Io, Le Guin also points out the kinds of oppression that many people experience under a capitalist system, and Shevek feels exploited there. Based on his existing allegiances and his own philosophical and intellectual underpinnings, I believe that Shevek would still be more comfortable in A-Io society, as he could commodify his skills to create a better life. However, Anarres, despite its flaws, is still Le Guin’s greatest potential for an ideal communist future.