A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula LeGuin (LeGuin says that in French her name is pronounced Luh-GANH, but in Breton it's Luh- GWIN. She doesn't say which she uses.) This book is the first of a series of books by Le Guin dealing with the adventures of Ged. The series has won many awards. The book we are reading contains many of the conventions of wizardry—extra sensory perception (ESP) by wizards; the ability to interact with natural forces; the calling, through pride or hubris, of evil forces that must later be vanquished; a quest to fight evil; the relationship of certain types of magic to the four elements: water, fire, earth, water; a magical staff; and the use of an animal familiar---and of course, a school for wizards. Some questions to consider (from ): 1.Ged grows up in the course of this novel. What are the qualities that mark him as childish in his early youth? What are the qualities that mark him as adult at the end?
