Talk:Tehanu

Gender Issues
I'm not sure that the removal of the sentence ("A criticism levelled by a number of readers is that this gender sensibility has exalted polemics over narrative, with the result that the feminist message is heavy-handed and the narrative has suffered.") is justified without some explanation. It's certainly an opinion that I have heard raised about the book. I would have left it in and asked for a citation. If one wasn't forthcoming then remove the sentence. --Perry Middlemiss (talk) 05:46, 20 February 2009 (UTC)


 * It's POV/OR without a source. Yes, it could stay in without a source, but personally I think it's better taken out (or perhaps hidden) until a source is found. --Ged UK (talk) 07:49, 20 February 2009 (UTC)

I feel the the Gender Issues section oversimplifies the book and gets some things plain wrong.

The part about Ged being like a fifteen-year-old boy because wizards are celibate is clearly presented as a matter of sexual development and desire being somehow magically blocked, not a matter of emotional maturity. Wizards are portrayed as having a variety of personalities -- for example Ogion's maturity and humility is contrasted with the arrogance and pettiness of the two wizards who arrive after his death. Their flaws are not presented as tied to celibacy or devotion to magic but to taking their power in society for granted.

The notion that Ged flees his friends because he is emotionally immature and then "enters into a relationship with her . . . begins to develop emotionally . . . reborn by deferring to female power" doesn't seem quite right either. Their relationship isn't presented as one deferring to the other, and he seems changed before that, apparently by his time spent herding goats outside the narrative. He goes from fleeing friends because they might request help to following enemies and confronting them in aid of friends, and then the romantic relationship comes afterwards.

In general, I think the analysis in that section shortchanges the questioning and questing nature of the story. It makes it sound as though the author has simply written a morality play to make a simple point, but Tenar spends a lot of time asking herself questions like, "What is women's power?" and "How can someone like Therru be happy?" The author doesn't so much answer those questions as validate them. Even when Tenar is certain of something, the author will often temper it with events that cause the reader to hold more doubt than the character -- for example her son showing (beginnings of) changes in behavior after she decides he is a lost cause. Bjaress (talk) 07:53, 17 June 2017 (UTC)

no teasers
"Therru turns out to be much more than she seems." this needs to be expanded, and to give the actual conclusion of the book. Similar hints in the description about the nature of other people needs expansion also.

In addition, the interpretation of characters in the analaysis of this and the other EarthSea novels needs to be sourcedDGG (talk) 02:49, 10 June 2009 (UTC)
 * You mean because she's half dragon? It's been a while since I've read it. I'll try to get to it soon, you're right it is teaser-tastic. Ged  UK  18:31, 10 June 2009 (UTC)
 * I didn't even know about the continuations after the first three till I saw this. Something to look forward to. DGG (talk) 03:19, 12 June 2009 (UTC)