47 pages • 1 hour read
The Lathe Of Heaven
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Essay Topics
Le Guin begins the narrative with a literary device similar to a Zen koan: a dialogue or story intended to present the reader with a challenging quandary. She asks what a jellyfish will do when cast out of the ocean onto a sunny beach. Why does she begin with this question, and what effect does it have on the narrative?
The author names her main character after George Orwell, the author of another futuristic book, 1984, written in 1949. Both are dystopian books with bleak outlooks for the future of humanity. Compare and contrast the two texts as they relate to the character of George and the narrative presented by George Orwell.
Taoism, a major influence in the thinking of the author, teaches the virtue of leading a simple life and seeking balance. How does George embody these precepts? How does Haber contradict them? What are the pros and cons to each character’s life philosophy, and how do they influence the text?
Why does George doubt Haber when he insists his goal is to cure George of his fear of dreaming? Why does George doubt Haber when he says he manipulates George’s dreams to make the world a better place? What do these behaviors say about George and Haber as characters?
After Heather hypnotizes George, he has a negative dream: The aliens on the moon have invaded the Earth. They hear sirens and must dodge military operations as they return to Portland. Yet, even knowing this, he wakes with a great smile and is perfectly calm for the first time when he returns to Haber’s office. What has changed for him? Trace this change through the narrative to inform your argument.
What message is the author sending when George’s dream turns the whole human race gray and Heather ceases to exist? What can be inferred about the text’s representation of race and ethnicity?
Heather instructs George to dream that Haber is a worthy person who means him well. Does Haber change in any way after this? How or how not?
The star Aldebaran, from which the aliens originated, is sometimes called “the follower” because it rises after another star in the Taurus constellation. When George tries to explain how his dreams work to a distracted Haber, he says he is a follower, though not a follower of Haber’s instructions. What does he mean?
In what ways did the changes Haber created through George’s dreams make the world a better place? In what ways did the dreams make the world a worse place?
Le Guin lists a number of macro issues as contributing to the breakdown of society: the greenhouse effect (climate change), overpopulation, food scarcity, racial strife, drug misuse, nuclear saber rattling, conflict in the Middle East, wealth inequity, epidemics, and encroachment on personal rights. These are all issues that the author’s world faced in 1971. How many of these problems still exist, and how are human societies addressing them? If the text were rewritten today, how might it alter to account for these lingering issues?
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By Ursula K. Le Guin
