The Word for World is Forest

by

Ursula K. Le Guin

Mr. Or is a Hairy Cetian, a form of non-Terran (or Earth-based) human that is characteristically gray and stocky-looking. Along with Mr. Lepennon, Mr. Or is an emissary for the League of Worlds, and Commander Yung brings him to a meeting to discuss World 41’s colony status and the massacre at Smith Camp. Lyubov speculates that Yung may not want Or and Lepennon at this meeting, as Or is especially concerned about the treatment of the Athshean natives. Or is shown to be dry-witted, confrontational, and “sour,” a sharp contrast to Lepennon’s polite pleasantness, and he even goes so far as to insult the colonists by implying that they haven’t thought through their relationship to the Athsheans. Raj Lyubov notes that this is the greatest insult for a Cetian, as they are a deeply analytical and careful people. Lepennon and Or decide to leave their ansible, or transmitter, on World 41 in part due to their mounting distrust of the colonists.

Mr. Or Quotes in The Word for World is Forest

The The Word for World is Forest quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Or or refer to Mr. Or. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Violence, War, and Colonization Theme Icon
).
Chapter Three Quotes

“No,” said the Cetian. “That’s done with. A colony like this had to believe what passing ships and outdated radio-messages told them. Now you don’t. You can verify. We are going to give you the ansible destined for Prestno. We have League authority to do so. Received, of course, by ansible. Your colony here is in a bad way. Worse than I thought from your reports. Your reports are very incomplete; censorship or stupidity have been at work. Now, however, you’ll have the ansible, and can talk with your Terran Administration; you can ask for orders, so you’ll know how to proceed. Given the profound changes that have been occurring in the organization of the Terran Government since we left there, I should recommend that you do so at once. There is no longer any excuse for acting on outdated orders; for ignorance; for irresponsible autonomy.”

Related Characters: Mr. Or (speaker), Don Davidson
Related Symbols: The Ansible
Page Number: 80-81
Explanation and Analysis:

Lyubov sat and took it. Let the men from the ship see them all passing the blame around like a hot brick: all the better. The more dissension they showed, the likelier were these Emissaries to have them checked and watched over. And he was to blame; he had been wrong. To hell with my self-respect so long as the forest people get a chance, Lyubov thought, and so strong a sense of his own humiliation and self-sacrifice came over him that tears rose to his eyes.

Related Characters: Raj Lyubov (speaker), Selver Thele, Mr. Lepennon, Colonel Dongh, Mr. Or
Page Number: 87
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Word for World is Forest PDF

Mr. Or Quotes in The Word for World is Forest

The The Word for World is Forest quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Or or refer to Mr. Or. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Violence, War, and Colonization Theme Icon
).
Chapter Three Quotes

“No,” said the Cetian. “That’s done with. A colony like this had to believe what passing ships and outdated radio-messages told them. Now you don’t. You can verify. We are going to give you the ansible destined for Prestno. We have League authority to do so. Received, of course, by ansible. Your colony here is in a bad way. Worse than I thought from your reports. Your reports are very incomplete; censorship or stupidity have been at work. Now, however, you’ll have the ansible, and can talk with your Terran Administration; you can ask for orders, so you’ll know how to proceed. Given the profound changes that have been occurring in the organization of the Terran Government since we left there, I should recommend that you do so at once. There is no longer any excuse for acting on outdated orders; for ignorance; for irresponsible autonomy.”

Related Characters: Mr. Or (speaker), Don Davidson
Related Symbols: The Ansible
Page Number: 80-81
Explanation and Analysis:

Lyubov sat and took it. Let the men from the ship see them all passing the blame around like a hot brick: all the better. The more dissension they showed, the likelier were these Emissaries to have them checked and watched over. And he was to blame; he had been wrong. To hell with my self-respect so long as the forest people get a chance, Lyubov thought, and so strong a sense of his own humiliation and self-sacrifice came over him that tears rose to his eyes.

Related Characters: Raj Lyubov (speaker), Selver Thele, Mr. Lepennon, Colonel Dongh, Mr. Or
Page Number: 87
Explanation and Analysis: