It's difficult to settle on one thing to write about, especially after discussing so much in class. After hearing everyone else's thoughts, I almost feel as though I shouldn't have liked the book so much. Perhaps I'm just a simple reader-- I believed Ged was a hero because he was presented as such. LeGuin said he was heroic, so I never questioned his heroism. I didn't have any trouble diving into the book or even liking Ged. To me, everything about him was perfectly understandable-- perfectly human. I believed in Ged and liked him because him because he grew and changed over the course of the book.
It's funny because the other story I thought of when I read A Wizard of Earthsea wasn't any sort of fantasy or science fiction-- Ged reminded me of Johnny Tremain. He followed the same journey of self-discovery: Johnny started off as an incredibly self-centered apprentice with amazing talent but, through a horrible accident that left him disfigured, he learned humility and the importance of knowing who he was outside of his talent. The actual stories are very different, but the personal discoveries of the two boys are incredibly similar. Everything about Ged's character seemed understandable and relatable; it is easy to recognize his flaws, which then makes the reader question his or her own character as it relates to that flaw.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I liked Ged because he was flawed. If I had read this as a child, I probably would have seen this book as a morality tale. I was very conscious of Ged's hubris and, because of that, thought about my own pride. We can learn from Ged more than just what it means to be a hero but what it means to be human. To be human is to be flawed and, I think LeGuin would agree, to be a better human (or even a hero) is to not only recognize those flaws, but accept them and learn from them how to be a better person.
Boys, Bullies, and Bad Guys
14 years ago
Hmmm…you know, I totally see the similarities between Ged and Johnny! I think maybe the whole “humbling” of the student is actually a huge theme in bildungsroman literature and for that matter movies too. Thinking of a movie like The Karate Kid, for instance, there is always a moment when the young “know it all” student thinks they know better than their teacher, or that the task they have been assigned is pointless, only to find that those very skills learned in that moment will be hugely important later on. I guess a lot of kids think they know everything about everything when growing up, only to find out very quickly they actually know nothing. Ged and Johnny both thought they didn’t need other people since their skill sets were so highly developed, only to find that these skills could be taken away or lessened in the case of Johnny’s disfigurement, or that these skills could be used to create a great evil as in Ged’s case.
ReplyDeleteI must say I completely agree with your posting! The fact that Ged DID make mistakes was one of the things I liked so much about him. Let's face it, no one is perfect! This is why I was able to relate to him as a reader. I liked Ged because we were able to see him grow as a reader throughout the novel. I see him as the type of hero young children could look up to because he is given powers at such a young age. This makes him more relatable to children, and even in my eyes makes him more of a hero. So, I definitely believe Ged's experience was a growing process. The mistakes he made in the beginning were learning experiences he used in the end. This is where he was able to find his true identity, and become the powerful wizard he is remembered for.
ReplyDeleteHi Shannon- I like your thoughts, especially your emphasis on pride because that is what stood out the most to me about Ged's character and the difficulty in calling him a hero. I don't think you're a simple reader either, your analysis of Ged's flaws and redeeming qualities is complex!
ReplyDeleteI, too, initially focused in on Ged's pride and how his selfishness made him less of a hero. However, when you put it that way, it truly is human nature to make mistakes! Especially when much is expected of Ged at such a young age. I know when I was almost in middle school, I was already jumping ahead and envisioning what it would be like to be a college student!
ReplyDeleteSo, with that said, we can't deny human nature and Ged should be praised for being able to learn his lesson after only committing one huge mistake of using a dark spell. Usually, it takes more than one mistake for even adults to realize when they're wrong. Moreover, Ged didn't really have consistent guidance throughout the book; people came and went during this most sensitive time of development. In a sense, he had to learn to rely on himself by the book's end.
After hearing your argument in class and then reading it here again on your blog, I have come to see your argument as logical and persuading. I can honestly say that I would not have even thought about looking at Ged as a hero because he was human and "flawed", but in some ways, this is the case. You make a good argument that Ged can be considered more heroic because of his willingness to accept his flaws, thus making him more human. Emily says it best when she said that no one is perfect and Ged is a great representation of this for children. Personally battling with the perspective of seeing Ged as a hero, I am surprisingly moved by your argument. I do believe that Ged is a better human being because he made a conscious decision to face his faults and confront them head on and facing all of the challenges that came with it. I hope that some children will be able to simply notice these qualities within Ged as maybe something not heroic, but at least admirable and inspiration.
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