Question: what is the theme of the left hand of darkness

title: The Left Hand of Darkness
text: These conflicts are demonstrated by the varying loyalties of the main characters . Genly Ai tells Argaven after Estraven 's death that Estraven served mankind as a whole , just as Ai did . During the border dispute with Orgoreyn , Estraven tries to end the dispute by moving Karhidish farmers out of the disputed territory . Estraven believes that by preventing war he was saving Karhidish lives and being loyal to his country , while King Argaven sees it as a betrayal . At the end of the novel Ai calls his ship down to formalize Gethen 's joining the Ekumen , and feels conflicted while doing so because he had promised Estraven that he would clear Estraven 's name before calling his ship down . His decision is an example of Le Guin 's portrayal of loyalty and betrayal as complementary rather than contradictory , because in joining Gethen with the Ekumen Ai was fulfilling the larger purpose that he shared with Estraven . Donna White wrote that many of Le Guin 's novels depict a struggle between personal loyalties and public duties , best exemplified in The Left Hand of Darkness , where Ai is bound by a personal bond to Estraven , but must subordinate that to his mission for the Ekumen and humanity .