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A character in The Dispossessed

Desar

Desar is a mathematician who lives near Shevek at the Central Institute.

The book

Cover of The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
The DispossessedUrsula K. Le Guin, 1974

Two opposed societies reveal how revolutionary ideals can harden into conformity without becoming simple villains.

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Who they are in the book

Spoiler-free

Desar is a mathematician who lives near Shevek at the Central Institute. He initially appears aloof, but he helps care for Shevek during an illness. That practical kindness complicates Shevek’s belief that he has become entirely isolated. Desar later recedes from the story, and his fate is not given.

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