Asra's Stories

When reading the first chapter of the story, I was slightly lost, but the real confusion came when I had reached chapter 2. These offbeat chapters were getting to me, and after the first 3 sets of stories, I had to re-read them again. Until I realized that these stories contained something more than just random topics, such as in chapter 2, which explaining that suicide was the most unfavorable crime within Gethen, or even in chapter 7 that explains sex or kemmering within the Gethanian society by the first investigator. That's when I had fully understand why these chapters were put into the book. They were used to guide the readers or to foreshadow the events that may happen soon, despite that outlandish story in chapter 17, which talks about 3 shapes falling into an abyss. Then these shapes create life in different aspects from trees,water, and even people, this was by far the most confusing one of them all in my opinion. There might also be the reason why there are random stories in the book, when Genly was in the camp, he came across a guy name Asra. Now Genly and Asra were both in the Barracks, they both had plenty of time to accompany each other, so Asra had told tales and myths to Genly, and vice versa. Now this is where I believe the random myths are included into the story, it may seem far-fetched but it's just a little theory of mine. Also, if you guys have any assumptions or thoughts on these myths and legends let me know!