Gods
After reading "The Gods Themselves" I have a few points that I want to highlight. One, the presence of non-humanoid intelligent life. Two, the objectification of women. Three, the use of birth permits in a world where all genetic engineering is outlawed.
A few posts ago, I commented on the absence of any non-humanoid lifeforms in most of the works that we'd read. In "The Dispossessed", Shevek and the other characters are very similar to humans. In fact, the primary characters seem to more closely resemble humans than the Terrans, who are apparently modeled on humans. I felt that the abundance of humanoid creatures was based on the unreasonable assumption that all planets would be most conducive to humanoid lifeforms. I could easily imagine a planet where the human structure would be unreasonable and impractical. I therefore enjoyed Asimov's use of non-humanoid lifeforms in the para-universe. (That is, at least in gender and development, they are not similar to humans.) However, the complete lack of any objective description/explination of soft ones in appearance and nature made the second section of the book hard to get into. This justified other authors use of humanoids somewhat, because it gives the reader a basis of understanding without explanation, but Asimov's invention of a non-human species still shows a greater breadth of imagination.
Secondly, a brief comment on the objectification of women. Even in the para-universe, the female part of the triad is ignored and underrated. The intitial emotional bond is created between the two male triad members, and the female is only added later, almost as an afterthought. (The presence of two males throws into question the very definition of being male. It might be more accurate to represent the soft ones as having three genders. The fact that Asimov does not do this, despite his creative powers, and his decision to make two thirds of the triad- including the most important third- male is another example of the underrating of women. So is the stereotypical depiction of women as more sensitive.) Finally, even in in the real universe, women are objectified. None of the scientists involved in the devlopment of the Proton Pump are female. There are no significant females at all in the first part. The only important woman is Selene, who has limited scientific training, and must rely instead on "Intuition". And, on the last page, even her intellectual contributions are suddenly overshadowed by her role as a child-bearer.
Finally, the odd treatment of genetic engineering. In the world of the novel, the population of the earth has fallen to only two billion. All genetic engineering has been outlawed, even including in vitro fertilization, which is not necessarily a genetic engineering technology. However, citizens of both the earth and the moon must apply for permits to have children. What are they trying to prevent, overpopulation? The presence of nonpolluting, free power in unlimited supply would certainly allow the earth to comfortably support far more than two billion people, and the moon is stated to be ready for an influx in population. Birth rationing is not needed to prevent overcrowding. So, what is it then, but a form of genetic engineering? Although the government does not inspect or engineer the particlar egg and sperm used to create a fetus, the issuing of birth permits does allow them some control over what sort of genes are passed on. By rationing these permits, and denying them to criminals, halfwits, deliquents, and others, the government could easily create a genetic engineering program without a single test-tube baby.
posted by lennearb @ 3:20 AM
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