A Wizard of Earthsea Essay Example
A Wizard of Earthsea
Ursula K. Le Guin
Sparrowhawk, the greatest sorcerer in all earthsea, was eager for the power and knowledge in his reckless youth. With his talent of magic, he saved his village from the invaders. However, what the gift gave him was arrogance and impatience. At the wizard school, he made a friend and an enemy. In a duel, he summoned a monster, a shadow from the threshold of death, which scared him and sent him on a deadly quest across the lonely seas which were full of peril. After taming an ancient dragon and being hunted by the shadow, he realized that a man could not know the end he went to unless he turned. Then, he went hunting the shadow, the most terrible fear in his mind. Far out on the open sea, he confronted the shadow and defeated it by realizing that it was his own shadow. Ultimately, he reconciled the two sides of himself.
Ursula created a fantasy world that everything in the world owned its real name. For instance, Ged was Sparrowhawk’s real name, which his master gave him. The real name contented one’s true essence. To know the real name of a thing or person was to recognize it and have complete mastery over it. Ged’s acts of wizardry usually involved finding these forgotten names and using them to protect himself or others from harm. When Ged was in the lowest tide of his life, his best friend in the wizard school, Vetch, whose real name was Estarriol, gave his real name to Ged as a symbol of trust and friendship. The greatest gift gave Ged the strength to pluck up. To Ged, who had lost his faith, the gift that Vetch gave was a gift only a friend could give, the proof of unshakable, unbreakable trust.
Another essential element was the concept of balance. Just like The Creation of Ea said in the book, “Only in silence the word, only in dark the light, only in dying life.” Everything was in equilibrium. Changing one unit into another would make an impact on the whole world of earthsea. “To light a candle is to cast a
Ursula K. Le Guin
Sparrowhawk, the greatest sorcerer in all earthsea, was eager for the power and knowledge in his reckless youth. With his talent of magic, he saved his village from the invaders. However, what the gift gave him was arrogance and impatience. At the wizard school, he made a friend and an enemy. In a duel, he summoned a monster, a shadow from the threshold of death, which scared him and sent him on a deadly quest across the lonely seas which were full of peril. After taming an ancient dragon and being hunted by the shadow, he realized that a man could not know the end he went to unless he turned. Then, he went hunting the shadow, the most terrible fear in his mind. Far out on the open sea, he confronted the shadow and defeated it by realizing that it was his own shadow. Ultimately, he reconciled the two sides of himself.
Ursula created a fantasy world that everything in the world owned its real name. For instance, Ged was Sparrowhawk’s real name, which his master gave him. The real name contented one’s true essence. To know the real name of a thing or person was to recognize it and have complete mastery over it. Ged’s acts of wizardry usually involved finding these forgotten names and using them to protect himself or others from harm. When Ged was in the lowest tide of his life, his best friend in the wizard school, Vetch, whose real name was Estarriol, gave his real name to Ged as a symbol of trust and friendship. The greatest gift gave Ged the strength to pluck up. To Ged, who had lost his faith, the gift that Vetch gave was a gift only a friend could give, the proof of unshakable, unbreakable trust.
Another essential element was the concept of balance. Just like The Creation of Ea said in the book, “Only in silence the word, only in dark the light, only in dying life.” Everything was in equilibrium. Changing one unit into another would make an impact on the whole world of earthsea. “To light a candle is to cast a