The Lathe Of Heaven

Le Guin gives symbolic names to the main characters of the narrative, sometimes using names that have multiple potential meanings, as if attempting to challenge the reader creatively. The chief example of this, as mentioned in the Character Analysis section, is the main character, George Orr. Le Guin is said to have admired the work of George Orwell, the speculative fiction author whose most famous work, 1984, bears significant similarities to The Lathe of Heaven: Both are set in an imagined future, and an individual strives for uniqueness and freedom while held captive in an authoritarian state that maintains complete control of his life.

The name Haber is derived from the Spanish infinitive meaning “to possess,” and also an approximation of the German “haben”: to have. Haber seeks to possess throughout the narrative, though his priority shifts in the novel from wanting to have control of George’s effective dreams to having the ability to dream effectively himself. Ironically, when Haber’s wishes are fulfilled and he gains possession of the ability to change reality with his dreams, he nearly destroys the world. The author cautions the reader to be careful about what one wants to possess.

Heather’s family name, LeLache, is a French noun meaning “coward.” Initially, she holds others at arm’s length through her use of brash sounds and expressions, implying that beneath the hard exterior she is secretly fearful. She reflects, as she comes to know George, that people have leaned on her all her life, indicating that she had created emotional barriers to protect herself. When George dreams her back into existence a second time, she is fearless, thus rendering her name ironic.

After they begin to mingle with human beings, the turtle-like aliens acquire the designation Aldebaranian aliens. Astronomically, Aldebaran is a bright star and part of a cluster in the constellation Taurus that, because of its order of rising in the night sky, is also called “the follower.” As George considers how the aliens came to be, he realizes that they followed his dreams. He identifies them as belonging to a dimension of time. In current science fiction usage, Aldebaran sometimes refers to time travelers.