In this series, I’ll be working my way through Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea works and analyzing her prose chapter by chapter. Spoilers follow. I should also note here that I didn’t notice until the second chapter of Tehanu that I had substituted “deep read” for the academic term “close read.” Alas, I am a writer and only a layman in the academic arts. I’ve elected to keep the title of this series as is because while I quite like this series of posts, I do not think it stands up as a close read.
Chapter 3: Ogion
Length: 10 pages, 84 paragraphs
Setting: Re Albi
Characters introduced: Heather, Aunty Moss, the mage in the employ of the Lord of Re Albi (Aspen, we’ll find out later), the mage from Gont Port
Ogion gives us a little foreshadowing, telling Tenar to teach Therru and that “they” will fear her. He witnesses, in some supernatural sense, Ged and Arren’s triumph beyond Selidor, and then he dies.
Most of this chapter is concerned with Tenar’s role in Ogion’s dying and after his death. Ogion was, in many ways, father to Ged and especially to Tenar, and I think we are getting neck deep in the themes Le Guin set out to explore in this book.
Ged is off in the realm of death restoring balance to the fundament of Earthsea. He’s being a hero in the grand and epic sense. Tenar is doing the work so many women do. She is carrying for a child and helping an old man to die with dignity, on his terms.
After Ogion dies and we know him as Aihal, the authorities show up as they are wont to do. Two wizards bleat about how he has died without anyone knowing his true name and debate where he ought to be buried. Tenar tries to tell them his name and that he should be buried there under the tree where he chose to die.
The men are initially dismissive, even angry until the wizard from Gont Port recognizes her. Even then, it takes an interjection from Aunty Moss to set them straight on things.
The scene is the sort of thing that plays out every day in our real world: a woman or a young person or someone else of less social station than the present experts or authorities gets ignored even though they’re the person that needs to be consulted, has the important insight or information.
Tomorrow there are dragons. Until next time!
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