Ursula Le Guin would make a terrible despot, because she really doesn't think power is a good thing. We're not talking electricity (we're pretty sure she's a fan…), we're talking about the ability to influence or control other people.
According to Le Guin, power is a corrupting, negative, male, influence, and she's sick and tired of it. Or, at the very least, our society would be much improved if there were an opposing force that could help balance it out.
So in "A Left-Handed Commencement," she advocates that none of them go on to hold power over anyone else, but that they are also able to resist being victims of power themselves.
Questions About Power
- According to Le Guin, why is power a negative thing?
- Who holds all the power? What are her instructions to help change the way this affects our society?
- Why is it so important to consider when Le Guin delivered this speech? What influences from current events are evident within her address?
Chew on This
Power in and of itself is a harmful force because it oppresses other people.
Power is mostly about personal greed and jealousy. Those who have it want more, and those who don't, wouldn't be obsessed with it if they had it.