I also reread The Dispossessed regularly (I could even say religiously... it's my favourite book too), and I tend to have to skip past that scene. I've actively avoided thinking about it because it messes up my love of the book, in many ways. I think that Le Guin is trying to show us that flirtation can only be read as invitation in a truly sexually open culture, and how much being inexplicably in a position of privilege can corrupt; but I don't think it works. Either that or I can't handle Shevek being suddenly such an unpleasant character... one or the other!

The ugh/yay thing made a lot of sense to me without being a parent but thinking in terms of work things and how difficult it is to make the time to do the things I actually want to do the most. Thank you for this post, metaphortunate!