Troubles in A Wizard of Earthsea and Life Issues - Essay Example

?Troubles in “A Wizard of Earthsea” and life issues Through the use of feminist criticism, problems like pride, lackof obedience, lack of equity in society, bias and use of the father tongue and mother tongue are clearly shown in the story A Wizard of Earthsea (Le Guin). The author of the story is herself a feminist, so perhaps it is not surprising that feminist theories take such a strong place in her work. Unusually, the story uses only male characters. The author explains that this is because she grew up hearing stories told to her by her father from Homer, and she loves both hero and love stories. However, even with this explanation the decision appears highly unusually. This paper discusses the problems which occurred in the story, how these connect with real life experiences and what could have happened if such problems did not exist. One problem that is exemplified by the story is the use of mother tongue and father tongue to commune and command respectively. The story can be regarded as a coming of age story through individual journeys to mother tongue from father tongue. Based on the authors view on mother tongue, all participants are seen to share equal thoughts since they are equal. Looking at the issue of language, mother tongue is later asserted that it makes binaries to be inseparable. Father tongue’s separating nature is compared to how the binaries of listener and speaker are distanced. However, ability to empower and commune is found in every half of binary. Mother tongue has actually being given an upper hand in the story showing that the writer is a feminist (Le Guin 32). Language should be entangled with personality and society since it shapes both the society and personality. It becomes a problem for mother tongue to be recognized and father tongue to be unrealized. The language of commune and command could have been given other names if the writer was not a feminist. For such problems to be curbed people should not use touching names like gender when creating differences as people will take sides based on gender but not on the main issue. If such a problem had not been made the writer could not have been biased in the story on gender issues. An example of this can be seen by the picture of Ged that is given by his friend Vetch. Vetch uses mother tongue saying Ged is loving, humble and hardworking. Vetch being an older student becomes a voice of compassion and reason to Ged who was troubled and proud despite being skillful than Vetch. Le Guin does not hesitate in pointing out that the skill of kindness is greater than magic (64). It is clear that Ged is against the use of father language to the extent of recognizing even the small good deeds of Ged. As much as one does not concur with certain ideas, he or she should learn to be real and recognize the positive side of the other person even when dealing with an enemy. If other names had been used other than mother tongue and father tongue, the writer might have recognized Ged’s skills. Second, lack of equity in the society is a problem which is worth recognition since at island school of Roke, Ged is told by Master Hand that only at Equilibrium is when the world is said to be in balance. The power of Summoning and Changing can cause the shaking of the world. Ged is depicted in many ways to be a non-traditional hero via the binaries of symbiotic continuum (Le Guin 8). However, as other speculative fiction contemporaries are employing the use of masculine characters which make one to be able to outdo antagonism, Le Guin does not see this as an action to glorify. If men and women are balanced in the society, competitions which create unnecessary issues will end leading to happiness in the society. Third, the pride of Ged is a recognized problem in the text. The qualities of service and humility will be seen when Ged is separated from fiction hero traditionalist. All in-born talents of Ged end due to development of pride which later makes him to lose the world’s shadow. Ged felt like proving his power to Jaspy concerning superior skills by saying all things were under his command as he stood at the world’s center due to its perspective and his power (Le Guin 112). Ged was almost killed by pride. His pride is associated with stance assumed by the speaker when father tongue is used since the speaker considers himself instead of viewing both the listener and the speaker. Ged demanded instead of communing just as any communicator using the father tongue. After Ged’s consciousness, he discovered that he had wrought on earth (Le Guin 138). It is worth noting that the Archmage from Roke died as he tried undoing Ged’s evil deeds making the earth cursed until Ged himself finds a good way of undoing the evil deeds. However, Ged’s pride had become overcome by fear when he had gathered the confidence to follow his shadow. He finally discovered that there is the dark but not truth. Ged is found to be humbled and strong after accepting himself and realizing that dominance is not a way to express power. Le Guin shows that she is a feminist by saying that people privileged as a result of cultivated power are not better off than others is clearly shown here (Le Guin 142). Due to the weakness of being proud, Ged suffered a lot; Le Guin could have been quick to correct him at first by not judging at such a late stage. People should learn to correct mistakes as they occur and avoid celebrations at the fall of others. However, if Ged was not proud, he could not have regretted at a later time. Fourth, biasness of the writer is very clear in the story hence the conclusion that she is a real feminist. When Ged was not certain about himself and shaken of what life had for him, his healing process began with his friend Vetch. Vetch told Ged his true name since real names were important in magic hence the friendship was strengthened (Le Guin 172). Le Guin does not help Ged in any way during such confusing moments. This shows her biasness in gender. Perhaps if she had encouraged Ged, his problems could have been minimized and his pride reduced. This indicates that, when people around us have problems, we should help them since problems can be corrected; we should not allow people learn by their weaknesses. If Le Guin had encouraged Ged or show some concern about him his confusions could have reduced and she could not have been seen as a biased writer. Fifth, the lack of obedience is a great problem carried out by Ged. Men are expected to follow a path which is not against natures’ flow. This is the case in the story since as Ogion is seen by Ged, it is recognized that inaction is the best action. It is Ogion who tells Ged that “Manhood is patience.” It is only until when Ged is whole having own his shadow that he learns from the saying (Le Guin 111). As Ged has aged, he advises the coming Earthsea’s king that he should do nothing since it is noble, righteous and praiseworthy. He also says it is good to do nothing and advises the king to do what it is a must and that which has no other way of being done. Ged has actually acted as nature demands by being Taoist’s ideas embodiment and being a protagonist. Due to Ged being a protagonist, the writer is seen to be far away from contemporaries’ work. If Ged had conformed to traditions of his society he could have lived longer. It is not wrong for one to say that due to feminism of the writer her story is seen to be gender biased. The problems like lack of obedience, lack of equity, pride, use of mother tongue and father tongue, biasness and lack of equity are clearly seen in the story. Such problems relate to what people face in day to day living. If such problems were to be corrected earlier great problems that emerge could not be there. Works cited Le Guin, Ursula. A Wizard of Earthsea. New York: Bantam, 1975. Read More