Importance Of Names In Ursula Leguin's A Wizard Of Earthsea
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When babies are born, they are given a name. A person’s name represents his or her identity. As people grow older, their names change along with different opinions, feelings, and perception in life. In the fantasy fiction novel, A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula LeGuin, Ged is an ambitious wizard of having greatness. Because he is very ambitious, he gives into temptation by Serret, which causes his shadow to be released. Therefore, the shadow transforms into his precarious enemy, which so kills the Archmage. When Ged recognizes the danger of his shadow, he goes on a journey to overcome the situation. During his journey, he experiences many name-changes, which include Ged, Sparrowhawk, and Duny. He learns that names are an important concept…show more content… In the beginning, Ged goes to meet Serret at the Terranon. She discusses about the stone who will give him the shadow’s name. However, Ged knows that the stone would brainwash him of his character. As a result, he refuses to negotiate with the stone. This idea suggests that Ged understands that to overcome his shadow, he must find it himself. Also, he acknowledges the risks of losing his identity. After he refuses to talk with the stone, he has to escape the castle. When his nearby enemies overwhelm him, “Ged took the shape of a great hawk… He went on, falcon-winged, like an unfalling arrow, like an unforgotten thought” (LeGuin 164-165). Likewise, the comparison between how he is like an unforgotten thought suggests that he has lost control within him. As Ogion reaches to his home, he discovers Ged as Pilgrim Falcon. Ged forgets his former identity and needs help from his mentor to bring him back to human. Quickly, Ogion casts a spell to bring Ged back to his former identity. The idea of Ged’s actions to become Pilgrim Falcon foreshadows how he could lose his identity permanently if he changes himself again. In truth, if he