There was one particular topic that we did not cover in class that I would like to bring up here. The roll of women both on Anarres and Urras. When looked at Shevek's homework it appears that women are entirely free. Free to take whatever jobs they want, live with or without someone, and in general have the same freedoms as the men. However, there does seem to be some prejudices against their sex as natural properterians because they can give birth. Since they produce human life it is natural to desire to hold onto and protect their young, its part of a human's natural instinct. This is the only time that this type of prejudice is shown an Anarres so I am not sure how much weight that one encounter holds.
Then, when we look at Urras, there seems to be a blatant disregard for women everywhere. They are simply used as sex toys and the women seem to think that this is alright. It is true that women can hold a type of power through sexuality over men, but if they men control all the laws, the government, the household, the learning centers, and every societal institution... the power that women hold cannot be that great. Sexuality only serves as a tool if a women has a certain man with a certain type of power interested in her. She must then compete with other women for the control of that man to push her influence on him, and even then, if he is strong willed there may be little to no influence that she has upon him. I think there is nothing so obvious in their lack of power in that it is considered proper for women to walk around topless at high society parties. This, to me, is basically a peep show for rich boys. Since Urras is basically a reproduction of our current world, what does that say about women in our own society? Sure, there are limitations on women in terms of what jobs they can take and which ones are more difficult to aspire to, but there are still options. Are we still only sex toys? In adds on TV and in magazines there are naked pictures of women holding expensive items (the more expensive the less they wear). But is that the case in every day life? I don’t go home, hang out with my friends, and get naked. Clothes have become more covering in the last few years, so I think it is not so much a reflection on our clothes but what we are expected to do. I know girls here at school sometimes sleep with different boys every week. However, that was no different from life on Anarres. They were free to practice their private sexuality, even encouraged. There is something too private to show yourself naked in public that at least the society on the moon understood.
I’m not quite sure how to answer my own question. Women on Urras do seem to reflect something in our American society. Something negative and ugly. In the scene in which Shevek becomes drunk and comes on his hostess I think portrays this grotesque side of our culture best of all. Its almost too alluring, too charming. A society that sedates us with its excess and then expects us to remain proper and cultured is contradictory. There is something else wrong that I cannot quite put my finger on. Anyone else care to take a guess?
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I think that the life of women on Urras highlights not our society in general, but certain aspects of our society. Especially in the more wealthy classes, some women are expected to stay home, raise the children, and host parties - they don't choose to do this, but are forced by ment. Urras women, Vea especially, are very similiar to this class of women on Earth.
In the same way, the way that society on Urras doesn't think women are capable of doing things like physics, some men (and women) on Earth believe that men are better at math and science - look at Harvard President Lawrene Summer's remarks!
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