Hesse & Le Guin/Views on Dichotomy

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A 10 page research paper/essay that contrasts and compares Ursula K. Le Guin's science fiction/fantasy The Land Hand of Darkness and Hermann Hesse's Steppenwolf, which are two novels that share a basic orientation in that both narratives employ fantasy in order to illustrate the author's views on the tendency of human beings to view reality, including themselves in dichotomous terms, primarily in terms of polar opposites. Both authors make the point that this "either/or" type of thinking does not actually reflect reality, which is much more complicated than the black-and-white scenarios that dichotomous thinking tends to produce. However, beyond the similarities in their philosophical foundations, the novels are, of course, completely different. However, comparing these narratives illustrates the ways in which Hesse and Le Guin employed the genre of fantasy in order to achieve their artistic goals. Bibliography lists 4 sources.