Exile, communication and unity in the science fiction of Ursula K. Le Guin

This thesis examines the roles of exile and communication in the science fiction of Ursula K. Le Guin. Specifically, it examines the exile’s role in the progression from isolation towards unity that has been identified across Le Guin’s oeuvre, and the need for effective communication in maintaining this unity. The argument of this thesis is that the exile’s journey is, in all cases, fundamental to the eventual attainment of unity but that in order for unity to be realised, something must be sacrificed of the individual. The exile must always, therefore, pay a price for unity above and beyond the fact of their exile. Other critics have written, separately, on the concepts of unity, exile and communication as they appear in Le Guin’s fiction. To my knowledge, however, these concepts have never been adequately linked together. Certainly, the concept of exile has not been studied in enough detail, considering its importance to Le Guin’s overarching vision. This thesis aims to rectify this lack by presenting a cogent literary analysis that locates these three concepts within Le Guin’s work and identifies the co-dependency that emerges from their interactions.