Ged Friendship Outline

In the novel, A Wizard of Earthsea, Ged encountered many difficult situations that challenged him not only physically, but mentally. These situations troubled him, as well as the people around him including his friends, enemies, and acquaintances. As he aged throughout the book, his level of maturity increased and he began to handle his challenges with wisdom and rationality. Each of his challenges contributed to his character and helped him progress in terms of his skills and morals as a wizard.

When the shadow was first set loose upon the world Ged studied, and asked everyone what the shadow was, and where it came. “From the wrong side of the world.”(LeGuin 71) said one of his teachers. The unconscious, “after a time of need, usually arises to re-adapt the conscious attitude in a better way to the unconscious factors, therefore, to accept what seems like ‘criticism’ from the unconscious.” (von Franz 171) Not accepting this “criticism” manifests itself as actual events that occur throughout Ged’s life. Ged first calls upon his power when the Kargs attack his village in Gont, and he becomes angry at his own weakness. “It rankled at his heart he should die, spitted on a Kargish lance, while still a boy: that he should go into the dark land without ever having known his own name, his true name as a man. He looked down at his thin arms, wet with cold fog-dew, and raged at his weakness, for he knew his strength.” (LeGuin 8). He didn’t cast the spell to save everyone,

Without courage, Ged wouldn’t find balance within himself and mature so greatly. When Ged is at Roke, he summons a spirit and opens the door for his shadow to come to his world. For a while, Ged tries avoiding the shadow; it is his greatest fear. When Ogion tells him that he needs to hunt the shadow, Ged sets out to find and defeat it. Listening to Ogion’s advice, even though he is afraid, shows how Ged matures. Ged is in the ocean, all alone on his boat, and he shouts, “I am here, I Ged the Sparrowhawk, and I summon my shadow!” (145) That takes a lot of bravery to summon his greatest fear without anyone else around to help him if he is in danger. He knows how important it is to control this shadow in order to protect everyone in Earthsea from this evil. When the shadow comes, with all of his willpower and strength, Ged fights it, and then continues to chase it, even though he wants to give up. In the end of the novel, Ged and his friend Vetch travel further than anyone knew was possible to search for Ged’s shadow. They find land where they believe is near the edge of the world. As Ged walks towards the shadow, it appears as his father, Jasper, Pechvarry, and Skiorh. Although Ged is full of fear, he knows exactly what he must do and he “[does] not stop, but [slows] his pace, and as he [goes] forward he [raises] his staff up a little higher” (193). Ged is finds out that the only way to defeat the shadow is or it to become a part of him. He is running completely on courage in this moment and knows it is what he must do. When Ged and his shadow come face to face, “aloud and clearly, breaking that old silence, Ged spoke the shadow’s name and in the same moment the shadow spoke without lips or tongue, saying the same word: ‘Ged.’ And the two voices were one.” (194). Ged accepts that the shadow is part of him and that the good in him and the evil in the shadow must balance each other and become one.

Ged’s battle between his pride and true self destroys the foundation of his entire life. In Le Guin’s novel, Wizard of Earthsea, Ged a young wizard learns the limits and dangers of magic. He changed more and more after each conflict he was faced with. As he faced troubles along his journey to become one, he transformed from an adolescent boy to a strong, humble man. Ged let his pride overcome his judgement, he ran from the darkness that lurks behind him, and he finally faced his enemy; himself.

Grete’s isolation from society stems from her passion and interest for her loved ones. Grete spends all her time at home caring for her family members. Kafka describes her as “perceptive; she had already begun to cry when Gregor was still lying calmly on his back”

Ged was not able to consider the consequences of his actions until he learned from his Master Ogion that, “ ‘Sorcery is not a game [played] for pleasure of praise… every word, every act… is done either for good, or for evil. Before you speak or do you must know the price that is to pay’ ” (25). Through this wisdom, Ged learned to humbly use magic only in times where it would serve need, not pleasure. He applied this lesson throughout his quest, and was thus able to improve his ethical understanding of wizardry. Ged demonstrated his understanding of this lesson when he was able to communicate it to Yarrow, his best friend Vetch’s, sister. By teaching her that, “ ‘To summon a thing that is not there at all… is a great mastery… which exists beyond our needs’ ” (165), highlighted Ged’s developed mentality of the true power of magic. He displayed his development when he understood that, “… no wizardry would serve him… but only his own flesh, his life, against the unloving” (149), during his battle with the shadow beast. Even though Ged was aware that his life was at risk, he refrained from resorting to magic to fight his battle because he understood that its ethical value goes beyond physical

At first, Grete tries to come to terms with Gregor’s transformation, which emulates on the family. Before, she had a close relationship

Instead of learning why Ogion was doing this, his impatience blinded him from the lesson of imbalance, which lead him to become frustrated with his Master. He became so impatient with Ogion, that he made the decision to transfer to Roke. Ged thought “Ogion’s seemed a long road towards mastery, a slow bypath to follow” (Le Guin, 26). Therefore, his impatience blocked his mind from learning the true lesson of imbalance, rushing him to believe that Ogion was unintelligent, which has set him behind and not believing beyond what he

After being playfully teased by the daughter of Re-Albi, Ged finds himself determined to impress her by invoking dangerous spirits and performing high-level sorcery. Consequently, Ged fails horrifically and blames Ogion for “teach[ing] [him] nothing “(27). Instead of further investigating and reflecting upon this experience, Ged decides to abandon Ogion’s wisdom and knowledge after being tempted by a flashier rendition of the art. However, this isn’t the first instance of Ged attempting to tip the equilibrium to graciously feed his esteem.

In A Wizard of Earthsea, Ged’s first meeting with his shadow was a terrifying experience, especially as a child. Ged’s shadow is released as a result of performing an evil spell that puts his flawed traits into a physical form. The evil trait that was released as his shadow was Ged’s disobedience, because he went against his master, Ogion, and performed a spell. Ged’s shadow is first seen in a dark, demonic form. Their first real confrontation was described by one of Ged’s friends witnessing their encounter:

Gregor’s transformation to a monstrous vermin brings great turmoil to the family. Each member of the family’s lives change forever. Grete and his mother are forced to start working. Neither of them have ever had a job before. The father, who had a once successful business,

Even though he didn’t have a large quantity of friends, he did have high quality friends. Those friendships prospered because of the things he did for them.

This supports Griet’s change in identity, form being too scared to speaking her mind to having the courage to give her opinion to her master.

Ged’s pride prevented him from understanding the importance of equilibrium; however, when he was exposed to the consequences of imbalance, he learned the essentiality of establishing equilibrium within himself. Ged used magic as a tool of superiority to increase his ego and enhance his social appearance. His corrupt mentality and misuse of magic blinded him of the peril of imbalance and disruption of equilibrium. Ged believed that under his dominion, “All things were to his order, to command. He stood at the centre of the world”, however when, “… [a] shapeless mass of darkness… quick and hideous… leaped at Ged’s face” (62, 63), the consequence of misunderstanding the power of equilibrium became real for him. Since Ged primarily viewed equilibrium

Meanwhile, the transformation Grete undergoes during the short story is vital to her future. Earlier, she was once able to live easily off her loving brother Gregor obviously, this changes as he transforms. Upon Gregor's, transformation Grete and her brother seemed to have an affectionate relationship toward one another. To begin with, Grete was the only