Plastið

Plastið is a fictional material described in the novel "The City of Illusions" by Ursula K. Le Guin. It is presented as a substance that mimics natural materials but is ultimately artificial, lacking true life or organic qualities. The concept of plastið serves as a metaphor within the novel for the artificiality and deceptive nature of the society in which the characters live. It is not a real-world material but a literary device used to explore themes of authenticity, illusion, and manufactured reality. The inhabitants of the city in "The City of Illusions" are surrounded by objects and environments made of plastið, which appear real but are hollow and without genuine substance. This pervasive presence of plastið highlights the characters' struggle to discern truth from falsehood in their manipulated world. The material's artificiality is a key element in understanding the novel's critique of societal control and the loss of genuine human experience.