Chapter 14: The Escape

In Chapter 14, The Escape, Estraven seems to be a different person as he’s narrating throughout the chapter. At first, the name of the chapter made me think that Genly Ai was going to try to escape the Pulefen Farm himself. I didn’t expect Estraven to try to help Genly escape from the farm. Ever since the beginning of the story, from Genly’s perspective, Estraven seemed like an indifferent liar and traitor. After Estraven was exiled, Estraven tried to warn Genly to be more cautious and told him that the Orgoreyn people were probably going to “use” Genly. Genly was too naïve to understand what Estraven was talking about, which was probably imprisonment to interrogate Genly of his mission. After Genly was arrested, Estraven went looking for Genly to liberate him and continue with Genly’s mission. Estraven explained to Genly that he rescued him in order to break the rivalry between Karhide and Orgoreyn. I think Estraven rescued Genly because he became one of the Handdarata. He probably answered his own question of wether to really trust in Genly or not, as the solution to Karhide’s and Orgoreyn’s rivalry. The darkness of Estraven’s character is concealed with the new Handdarata personality. Genly doesn’t really believe Estraven would go through so much to save Genly. I wouldn’t believe Estraven either, but I would believe him if we communicated with mindspeech.
In page 186, Estraven says:

“What I had seen and heard lay heavy on me now.”

He probably felt that what the ex-prisoners had told him, would happen to Genly. I think he said it would lay heavy on him because probably with the Handdarata personality, he was more emotional. From Estraven’s change, I can see that he really does need Genly’s help to promote progress in the planet of Gethen.