I don't know that much about wizardry books so I'm connecting this book with the greatness that is Star Wars. I believe that movie series and this book have much in common. I guess wizardry and space adventure aren't that far apart.
I believe the tow series follow the same rules when it comes to the stories heroes. In A Wizard of Earthsea, the hero is a wizard named Ged. Ged was anointed to be the greatest wizard of all time since he was a kid. Everyone saw it in this man; he was even sent to go train with an Arch Mage to perfect his powers. He loses patients and goes to a school where he can learn quicker. In this school he becomes powerful and is almost overcome by evil. He doesn't become pure evil but he does create a spirit that is trying to take him to the dark side. Through a long journey he becomes the man he is supposed to be and saves the day.
Now compare this to Darth Vader. Mr. Vader lost his mom at an early age, was told he was going to be the one to save the universe, was sent to trian with a Jedi named Obi-Wan (maybe you heard of him.) Then he becomes power hungry and leaves his training. When Vader does this he joins the dark side. This is the small difference in the two stories. However it is similar because this is where Vader ulitmately becomes the person that he is supposed to be. Through his journey Vader does bring peace to the universe and becomes one of the greats just like our friend Ged.
The similarities are eerie. I wouldn't consider either to be a true hero, but they are characters that people relate too and cheer on. This seems to be a winning formula for characters as both are legendary.
The clip I chose to pick is where Darth loses his patience and becomes evil. I see the similarities in him and Ged.
Darth Vader Scene
Darth Vader Scene
I would never have drawn that similarity but I am sure glad that you did. I did not think that way but now thinking back on the novel, it is crazy how much they "shadow" each other. Pun intended!
ReplyDeleteI really love this idea! I remember watching Episode 3 and feeling sympathy for Anakin/Darth Vader and that's the same way I felt about Ged, even though they may not make the best decisions. Although, I think one difference between the two is that Vader lets his shadow overcome him, and Ged embraces his shadow and finds a way to balance the light and dark side.
ReplyDeleteThe parallel to Star Wars is interesting, especially the relationship to the Dark Side and Ged's shadow. And then in Harry Potter there are the Dark Arts. I wonder fantasy is so explicit about identifying evil. What is the value in telling us that something is evil rather than letting us determine for ourselves?
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that has always bothered me about Star Wars is the dynamic between the Jedi and the Sith. In Episode III, Obi-Wan says "only a sith deals in absolutes," yet the Jedi view the Dark Side as absolutely evil and forbidden. When characters in Episodes I and II talk about Anikin "bringing balance to the force" I always wonder why it doesn't seem to occur to anyone that the force is pretty unbalanced in favor of the Jedi. I always kinda thought Anikin fulfilled his destiny exactly as foretold by becoming Darth Vader. One of the hallmarks of the Jedi way is the complete rejection of the self, whereas the Sith revel in self-ishness. Anikin becomes Darth Vader, in part, because he refuses to give up those things that make him an individual. I much prefer Le Guin's view of the hero, which not only recognizes the need for self-awareness, but suggests that the darkness inside us cannot be ignored, but must be named as a part of the self before it can be mastered.
ReplyDeleteI love your comparison to Star Wars. I would have never compared darth vadar and Ged, but they do have similiar upbringings. Vadar chose to go to the dark side, but Ged also went there when he dueled Jasper. although Ged did do something heroic in the end, it'd be really interesting to see if he fully embraced the dark side of magic.
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