I find the social aspect of the story the most interesting, because I think it, not gender, is at the heart of the story.
I think you're right that the gender issues may cloud the social issues. Gender issues are such a trigger for many people, that it almost becomes impossible to separate the underlying story of alienation, confounded expecations, how a very limited society copes with the arrival of what is shockingly different, etc.
If the roles were reversed, or the the gender removed and the differences were ethnic, religious, racial, whatever, then I doubt if the story would be praised in quite the same way. Of course, the issues that it explores would, for the p, be the same; but the actions of the society against the outsiders might well be judged rather more harshly.
no subject
I think you're right that the gender issues may cloud the social issues. Gender issues are such a trigger for many people, that it almost becomes impossible to separate the underlying story of alienation, confounded expecations, how a very limited society copes with the arrival of what is shockingly different, etc.
If the roles were reversed, or the the gender removed and the differences were ethnic, religious, racial, whatever, then I doubt if the story would be praised in quite the same way. Of course, the issues that it explores would, for the p, be the same; but the actions of the society against the outsiders might well be judged rather more harshly.