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.
Chapter 11: Home
Length: 33 pages, 265 paragraphs
Setting: Valmouth and Oak Farm
This is the longest chapter in Tehanu, and oddly maybe the one I have the least to say about. We get a picture of what life could look like for Tenar and Therru, the steady rhythm of farm and family. Then it gets interrupted by the visceral, violent intrusion of Handy and his friends.
This bit of action works because Le Guin has taken the time to make us feel at home here, at ease.
I especially like, in the end, after the violence, the conversation between Ged and Tenar boils down to their time together decades prior helping each other out of the dark.
The Scouring of the Shire elements of the book go on as asides. Pirates are ousted, bailiffs are appointed, and I’m sure George R. R. Martin would be happy to hear that taxes are levied.
Until next time.
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