Ursula Le Guin's "Nine Lives" as a Feminist Statement
In the beginning of the 20th century, feminists movements started to arise, with the conviction of vindicate women in the social arrengement of that time, in order to get the same opportunities as men. Literature could not escape from this reality; as a result, women began to write about their situation. Ursula Le Guin´s “Nine Lives”, published in the 1960´s, was one of the first attempts in science fiction literature to adress the condition of women in the social arrengement. “Nine Lives” is set in Libra, a rocky planet which is far away from Earth,in the outer space, and in a distant future. Owen Pough and Alvaro Guillén Martín, the two main characters, are two astronauts in charge of exploring the planet searching for uranium. While being there, a ten-clone crew arrived to help in the searching.
The author presents the clone crew as five males and five females. Le Guin introduced them as being identical in both physical aspects and cognitive skills: “They were all tall, with bronze skin, black hair, high-bridged noses, epicanthic fold, the same face.”, and “Given the same stimulus, the same problem, we´re likely to be coming up with the same reactions and solutions at the same time.”. However, in the development of the story, the author clearly supports the female gender. For instance: “ Just delete the male gene from half of the cells and they revert to the basics, that is, the female.”; or “...clones function best bisexually.” In the story, the female clone are presented with characteristics that differ enormously with those of women in the 60´s: Independent, with the same opportunities as men, with the same skills, and not being shameful of themselves as people. Ursula is contrasting the differences between these two types of women; in “Nine Lives” Le Guin suggests what women should be and behave. For example: “They woke and the girl sat up flushed and sleepy, with bare golden breasts. One of her sisters murmured something to her; she shot a glance at
The author presents the clone crew as five males and five females. Le Guin introduced them as being identical in both physical aspects and cognitive skills: “They were all tall, with bronze skin, black hair, high-bridged noses, epicanthic fold, the same face.”, and “Given the same stimulus, the same problem, we´re likely to be coming up with the same reactions and solutions at the same time.”. However, in the development of the story, the author clearly supports the female gender. For instance: “ Just delete the male gene from half of the cells and they revert to the basics, that is, the female.”; or “...clones function best bisexually.” In the story, the female clone are presented with characteristics that differ enormously with those of women in the 60´s: Independent, with the same opportunities as men, with the same skills, and not being shameful of themselves as people. Ursula is contrasting the differences between these two types of women; in “Nine Lives” Le Guin suggests what women should be and behave. For example: “They woke and the girl sat up flushed and sleepy, with bare golden breasts. One of her sisters murmured something to her; she shot a glance at
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