Hainish is a term used to refer to a human from Hain. In the novella, Mr. Lepennon is Hainish and comes to oversee the colony on World 41. The novella implies that the Hainish are refined and civilized, and that their civilization is an old one—apparently, they once colonized Earth. In Ursula Le Guin’s “Hainish Cycle” (an unofficial book series that includes The Word for World is Forest), the Hainish have colonized most other planets and now oversee an “interstellar supergovernment.” The Hainish somewhat resemble Terran humans in appearance, but they have white skin.
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Hainish/Hainishman Term Timeline in The Word for World is Forest
The timeline below shows where the term Hainish/Hainishman appears in The Word for World is Forest. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter One
...or another planet, and the latter seems likelier. Maybe it’s the humanoids (the Cetians and Hainish), whom Davidson never trusted.
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Chapter Three
...one of the men is a Hairy Cetian named Mr. Or, and one is a Hainishman named Mr. Lepennon. Lepennon compliments Lyubov’s research on the Athsheans’ sleep. Lyubov assumes that the...
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Lyubov stares at Lepennon, ruminating on the fact that civilization is easy for the Hainish, the same way it’s easy for the “little green men,” the Athsheans. An officer named...
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Chapter Four
...than this. The Cetians are probably trying to take over the Terran Government, and the Hainish are in on it, since “rats help rats.” They’re planning to let creechies kill the...
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