Themes

Theme: Language In A Wizard of Earthsea, language is recognized as power that can be used as a tool for manipulation. In order to cast a spell, you need to possess the knowledge of true names of things and you need to be able to speak the right language. The importance of something’s true name, which is its name in Old Speech is emphasized throughout the novel. If you are a wizard, once you can speak something’s name you can exercise power over it. Magical language is a secret. Therefore, the essence of something lying in its name expresses the vitality of language. The words must be used well, with precision, with awareness of their many resonances, their echoing meanings.

Theme: Choices In A Wizard of Earthsea, the main character, Ged, has to confront himself with the variety of decisions that further influence his path as a wizard. Throughout the novel Ged is chased by the shadow creature, a gebbeth, who is able to conform to any form. It leaves Ged with little recourse. Moreover, he is forced to leave situation after situation by reason of danger caused by the gebbeth and fear of hurting people by bringing the creature near them. Ged carries with himself the great power. Yet, the great power that he possesses carries with itself great responsibilities, therefore, in order to choose the right path in situations when his various responsibilities come into conflict his decisions are frequently called into question by himself.

Theme of Coming of Age Ged's coming of age – his transition from kid to adult – is packed with drama: he fights off raiders, goes to a magic school, unleashes a shadow monster, defeats a dragon, and sails to the end of the world. We guess growing up is rough for everybody. Ged starts as a proud and dangerous kid, and over the course of the novel, learns to be a little more humble and thoughtful. Through his trials, Ged learns what his place is in the world.

Theme: of Power A Wizard of Earthsea follows this rule: it tells the story of super powerful magician Ged. Through the book, we see Ged realizes the limits of his power. When you're a wizard, you may have godlike power, but that doesn't make you a god – it mostly makes you responsible for what you do with that power.

The ethics of power A central theme of Wizard of Earthsea is the ethical and proper use of power. Le Guin’s created world is not merely a depiction of an idyllic pastoral world in which people still practice subsistence lifestyles; all inhabitants are aware of something called the Equilibrium. Maintaining the Equilibrium means maintaining the pattern and the order of the Earthsea universe. This is something that is always on the minds of mages; the wise must possess a deep understanding of how the world works before performing any deed of magic, great or small. One of Ged’s teachers on Roke, the Master Hand, conveys the responsibility associated with the power of magery, the major human ability for change in Earthsea: “But you must not change one thing, one pebble, one grain of sand, until you know what good and evil will follow on that act. The world is in balance, in Equilibrium. A wizard’s power of Changing and of Summoning can shake the balance of the world. It is dangerous, that power. It is most perilous. It must follow knowledge, and serve need. To light a candle is to cast a shadow… (Wizard, p. 43-44)” There is an implicit ethical responsibility towards maintaining the Equilibrium. Even small deeds can have unintended consequences on the greater whole. The school on Roke is built upon the principle that learning to harness the gift of magic is not enough; pupils must acquire the wisdom of if and when to use it. Students learn how to apply their disciplines and hone their craft, but more importantly spend time learning how to think critically and ethically about its applications. As the narrative unfolds and Ged unleashes the shadow that scars him and kills the Archmage, we recognize the disastrous consequences of using that power inappropriately.