Chapter 11, Soliloquies in Mishnory Summary

After receiving Ashe's money, Estraven no longer lives as a dependent, but as a "unit," once more able to support himself. He has been angry at the way Genly had given him the money and deliberately insulted him, yet Estraven feels that Genly accepted his advice despite the manner in which it was given. Estraven thinks this means that Genly must have misunderstood half and not understood the rest of what he had told him that night at his home in the Palace. Estraven keeps out of Genly's way because that is clearly what Genly wants.

Estraven, in keeping with the law that each "unit" have employment, works until noon each day in a plastics factory, where he runs a machine that heatbonds plastics together to form little boxes. That evening Estraven writes a long letter to...