"During the pause I began to think that an inept and undefended alien should not demand reasons from the prime minister of a kingdom, above all when he does not and perhaps never will understand the foundations of power and the workings of government in that kingdom." The two countries of Gethen- Karhide and Orgoreyn- may share a border, but they do not share a common political system. This divide is what sets Genly on his mission and even though he is at a disadvantage for persuading the countries decision, he takes the initiative to learn more about Karhide's strange customs. Politics play a major role in the novel especially when they expand on the central theme of communication. Leguin molded her novel around the real life events of the time and because of this, it easily reached the readers emotions and understanding. First off, just how important are politics to the citizens of Karhide? They only know their way of life and refuse to believe that there are any other ways of life. When Estraven and Genly first meet and are discussing the issues of the divide Estraven says, "No, I don't mean love, when I say patriotism." He is showing that the citizens take their "love" to a whole new level and begin to cross the line between patriotism and nationalism. The King has everyone so terrified of change that they not only love the way their country is run, but believe it is the best and only way to live. From what Genly understands, King Argaven is a mad man. He is afraid of any type of change and does not want his country to join the League of Planets. Although Karhide and Orgoreyn share a border, they are not entirely the same nor are they entirely different. This political divide is what is keeping Gethen so unbalanced. Estraven knows how to fix this issue, but just like Genly, he has no power or say in politics. He was exiled for voicing his opinion and no longer has any stand in the political decisions. One of the novels primary