The Tale of the Twin Shadows reflects the deepest values of Gethenian life — balance, interdependence, and sacrifice. The twins’ story mirrors the Taoist philosophy that inspires Gethen’s culture: the unity of opposites, where giving and receiving, action and rest, are part of the same cycle. Rai and Therem’s bond embodies the androgynous wholeness of Gethenians, who recognize no fixed division between male and female, strength and tenderness, self and other. Their story teaches that to preserve the Hearth, one must give without fear and love without possession.