#also her thoughts in power and domesticity in tehanu. interesting | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

terramythos · 3 years

Text

TerraMythos 2021 Reading Challenge - Book 15 of 26

Title: Tehanu (Earthsea Cycle #4) (1990)

Author: Ursula K. Le Guin

Genre/Tags: Fantasy, Fiction, Third-Person, Female Protagonist

Rating: 8/10

Date Began: 6/24/2021

Date Finished: 6/30/2021

Decades after The Tombs of Atuan, Tenar decided to settle down and live an ordinary life on the shepherding Isle of Gont. Now a farmer’s widow, she adopts a disfigured and horrifically abused child, who she names Therru. When a giant dragon deposits a grief-stricken Ged at her doorstep, Tenar finds herself in a strange situation as she cares for her old friend and her adopted daughter. But threats from Therru’s past and a malevolent force on the island soon threaten Tenar’s small family.

Despair speaks evenly, in a quiet voice.

Content warnings and spoilers below the cut.

Content warnings for the book: Violence and death. Mentioned murder. Severe child abuse. Descriptions of traumatic injury and disfigurement. Mentions of r*pe, including of children. Trauma, sexism, and ableism are explored in depth.

Tehanu is a much different book than the trilogy that precedes it. Perhaps this is unsurprising, considering the 17-year gap between this book and The Farthest Shore. I’d describe the Earthsea series as “grounded fantasy”. While all of them take place in a magical world, the thesis of each book is universal; the fantasy always comes second. Tehanu takes this idea to an extreme. The story is about everyday life as a common woman in the Earthsea world, with fantasy barely factoring in. The pacing is intentionally slow and introspective, which is something I normally don’t like, but Le Guin is a consistent exception.

Key characters from the previous books make an appearance. Obviously Tenar is the biggest return, absent since The Tombs of Atuan. The Tenar in this book is older and much more mature, having decided to live a simple life in spite of her adventures and accomplishments. Ged returns, but he’s a shell of his former self, as he mourns the loss of his magic and the man he used to be. Even King Lebannen (formerly Arren, the main character of The Farthest Shore) makes a brief appearance, and is quite a palate cleanser after the horrible men throughout the rest of the book.

Probably my favorite aspect of the novel is the fact that these characters stand well on their own without magic to prop them up. Tenar explored the terrifying freedom she won in The Tombs of Atuan; got married, settled down, had kids — but still finds herself at a loss on what to do with her life after her husband dies. Ged is in a similar boat; he’s gone from an almost mythic character to an ordinary man, and like Tenar finds himself at a crossroads in life. Other characters embody this idea of transformation and uncertainty; Therru’s escaped her abusers and now has a loving mother, but what does the future hold for someone with her appearance? Stuff like that.

The idea of metamorphosis and new beginnings is well-trodden. But what makes Tehanu interesting is Le Guin primarily examines this with the middle-aged characters. Tenar and Ged are legendary figures in the world of Earthsea, but life has taken them to an uncertain future. The thrust of the novel lies in finding a purpose and becoming someone new. I also like that Tenar/Ged is endgame; I got Vibes from The Tombs of Atuan, but neither character was in a position where it would work. Seeing them form a romantic relationship much later in life is touching and cute. But it’s not the reason that either of them grow as people; finding one’s purpose is something one has to do on their own. Their relationship only develops once both parties have done so.

My main complaint about A Wizard of Earthsea, the first book, is the sexism inherent in the setting, which is never examined below the surface level. Perhaps Le Guin’s outlook changed, or perhaps the publishing environment did, because often Tehanu reads like a response to this criticism. The central theme of the book is misogyny, the patriarchy, and its debilitating effects on women. Le Guin examines everything from micro-aggressions (“common wisdom” that happens to paint women as inferior) to domestic issues (“women’s work” and how much that actually is) to outright sexual assault (both in threats and actual acts; it is heavily implied this is part of the abuse Therru endured). She even goes into how powerful women are only considered as such because a man gave them that power.

While I appreciate the fact she addresses these issues in such a frank, blatant way, at times reading Tehanu felt like reading a basic feminism primer. These subjects are all things I’m familiar with, and I feel like anyone who’s studied key feminist ideas would be aware of them also. Maybe 1990 was different? Le Guin doesn’t add any insights to the bleak reality of patriarchy and sexism, which is a little disappointing compared to previous books. That being said, this book is aimed at young adults despite its dark subject matter. Tehanu could be the first exposure to these ideas that many children receive; looking at it that way, it makes sense that the analysis comes off as basic.

I also found the book’s examination of gender to be very cishet-normative. That’s definitely not surprising, considering the book was published in 1990, but to a 2021 reader this hasn’t aged super well. There’s a lot of discussion about the relationships and differences between men and women--whether there are any or not, how magic differs between them, the ability to bear children, and so on. There’s a weird sexual component to this, like how wizards (who are exclusively men) have to remain celibate in order to… keep being wizards? But women who are witches don’t have to do that, and that’s an advantage women have? (There’s mentions of male witches too, iirc, but it’s not expanded upon— do they have to remain celibate? Who knows.). I found this whole bit pretty odd and unnecessary, although I realize a lot of my perspective on the matter comes from a modern view of sex and gender (and, y’know, being trans). Not all the gender takes in the book are bad, but they are limited.

I found Le Guin’s exploration of trauma and ableism through Therru to be more interesting. There’s a lot of examination about how society treats Therru, a survivor of unspeakable abuse. Her trauma is visible due to severe burns along part of her body, leaving her with a missing eye and disfigured hand. Tenar spends much of the novel wondering what future Therru has; no matter how capable she is and how much she acts like any other little girl, strangers gawk at her, or assume she “deserved” what happened to her. Therru becomes happier and more independent over the course of the novel, but relapses into a traumatized state when she encounters one of her abusers. As a survivor, it’s heartbreaking and distressingly realistic. As much as I like Tenar, I almost wish the novel was from Therru’s perspective (other than the brief jump at the end), but I realize it would spoil the ending.

I’m torn on the ending because, while I thought it was cool and had some interesting revelations, it’s a jarring tonal shift. As I mentioned, Tehanu is a slow novel with a heavy focus on everyday life, and the trials and tribulations both Tenar and Therru experience. There’s even a climactic event a few chapters before the end; the only thing left is a persistent loose thread from earlier in the novel. That subplot explodes to the forefront a bare chapter and a half before the end of the book, and a lot of action-y fantasy stuff happens. It doesn’t come out of nowhere; it’s set up throughout the novel, but it is sudden.

That being said, I do like that the subplot with dragons vs humans is hinted at as early as The Tombs of Atuan. When Tenar tells the legend about the origin of dragons early in the story, my mind immediately went to that one room from the Labyrinth with the sad winged humanoids painted on its walls. I’m curious if there are hints elsewhere in the series. I also figured out Therru’s true name and how she relates to that subplot based on context clues. While it’s not a shocking twist, it is a satisfying one. Though parts of it gave me a “magical destiny” vibe which is counter to much of the series so far; I do wonder how the last two books will address this. (Also… did Le Guin imply Kalessin is Segoy? AKA God? What did she mean by this. So Ged literally like… hitched a ride from God, who promptly yeeted out of the story until the end? That’s kind of funny. Maybe I misinterpreted something.)

I probably sound critical of this book, but I did genuinely enjoy it. It just didn’t speak to me the way the previous two did. The next book is a short story collection before the conclusion to the series, so we’ll see where it goes! Tehanu set some stuff up that I expect will be expanded upon in these volumes.

#8/10 #taylor reads #2021 reading challenge

14 notes · View notes

gostaks · 5 years

Text

yuletide 2019 letter is done!

(I might end up editing before assignments go out, but once they do this letter will be static)

Hello creator! Thank you for writing/creating for me this yuletide :D

My AO3 is gostaks

Brief TOC (Not linky b/c tumblr sucks)

General info

The Arcadia Project

Damar

Earthsea

Emelan

General stuff

DNW:

body horror

porn without plot—porn *with* plot is fine

mind control

canon-atypical child abuse

I'm not up to date in Earthsea! I’m cool with spoilers but I would prefer fic that doesn't require any canon knowledge beyond Tehanu (by publication order). Thanks!

If you’re not sure whether something is a dnw/it’s borderline, you can assume it’s okay. Feel free to contact me via mod but really I’m only concerned about obvious examples.

Likes:

Tone-wise, anything from fluff to darkfic is welcome. I have a soft spot for stories that juxtapose content and tone, or that are very different in tone to their source material!

Backstory or worldbuilding: I love stories about how familiar people or places came to be that way. Anything from distant past to five minutes before the story starts is absolutely welcome

Far future: I also love stories about characters many years later, or about the ways they’ve changed their world. I particularly enjoy stories about characters stepping into the roles of their mentors or being deeply changed by the power they wield.

Little details: What do characters lives look like on a micro scale? Show me powerful characters doing mundane things or the things that feel mundane to them.

alternate universes and timelines, the more out there the better!

Unconventional fanworks and interactive fiction: I love unconventional formats and IF! I would be super happy to receive either. My one caveat is that some days I’m limited in the amount of clicking and typing I can do, so it may take me a little while to actually work through your story if you don’t give me a transcript :D

How to stalk me: this is my tumblr; my ao3 is also gostaks. ‘nuff said.

Specific fandom likes + prompts

If you already have an idea you’re psyched about please write that for me! I wanna see what you think is fun to write :D

The wordcount of each of these sections isn’t balanced, but please don’t take that as an indication that a canon isn’t wanted! I’m super psyched to read fic from any of these fandoms.

The Arcadia Project, Mishell Baker

Where to find it: The Arcadia Project is a three-book series of new adult-ish urban fantasy novels (Borderline, Phantom Pains, and Imposter Syndrome).

If you’re looking for a fifteen-minute fandom, I’d like to formally invite you to read the preview available on goodreads, then write me a fic based on whatever you think the rest of the book might shake out to be. I suspect whatever you come up with will be interesting and possibly hilarious and it would definitely be an awesome gift to receive (tw for preview: suicidal ideation and discussion of suicide, psychiatric institutionalization, sexual assault mentioned briefly)

Likes: I initially came to the Arcadia Project for its depiction of mental illness. I fell in love with the characters, but I would very much be open to an OC-heavy story set in the same universe. I love how willing Baker is to make all of her characters abrasive, and how characters struggle on-screen with being better and kinder and healthier people and don’t always succeed.

Prompts:

People interacting with their echoes! Millie (& or /) Claybriar, Brand and Parisa Naderi, or any of the other echo pairs we’ve seen!

Millie and Claybriar just hanging out? Like going to see a movie or cooking or drawing together or just anything cute and mundane.

Millie trying to do something creative or trying to deal with the fact that she can’t interact with Claybriar the way normal echoes interact.

Related, normal interactions between echoes! What’s it like to go through the process of getting your Echo? What does the paperwork look like? What’s it like to be an up-and-coming film professional and then have someone drop out of the sky and tell you that not only are fairies real but you’ve got one, they’re your soulmate, and it’s very important that you Come Meet Them Right Now?

Caryl! Literally. Anything. Caryl. (And Elliot, who was originally Caryl and is thus lumped in for the sake of I Love Caryl)

Caryl being a kid with the Project, the early years of her learning how to interact with Earth again

Early days Elliot—what was the process of creating his spell like? Is the way he existed at the beginning of the series the way he’s always looked and worked? Or was his current form and behavior the result of a lot of tweaking and experimentation?

Daemon au. Oh, come on, you know I had to ask.

Caryl (& or /) Millie and their dysfunctional relationship, or the ways in which they can grow and change and become better for each other

Caryl’s first meetings or regular interaction with other project members, dinners at Residence 4, recruitment, anything like that

Elliot POV like… at any point. Show me what he’s thinking or feeling, or his mostly-off-screen character development as the rest of the series progresses.

Normal life on the Project. What do agents normally do when things aren’t going to shit?

Blatantly fishing for rep here but I’d love to see a character with tourettes in the Arcadia Project universe, whether that means headcanoning one of our old characters as having TS or introducing an OC. Super duper not required but it would totally make my day :D

Damar, Robin McKinley

Likes: Damar is a super nostalgic canon for me—I read the books for the first time in middle school and a lot of the way I come to these books is like super informed by that. If you give me the tropeyest trope that ever trooped I will love it :D I love the richness of detail in these books, and the way the world feels lived in—there are lots of details that allude to history we don’t see on screen. I’d love to see your take on that backstory and worldbuilding, if that’s something you’re interested in!

Prompts:

There is a vanishingly small possibility that you, writer, are interested in writing a story about orange merchants in Daria. If so, yes? Very yes?

Harry and Aerin interaction, on as epic or not-epic scale as you want. Like, visions? Both summoned through time to fight a massive threat? Going out for coffee together?

Harry/Aerin! I have no idea how you’d make it work but yay fantasy femslash. This is probably a good candidate for an out-there au if you’re feeling that :D

stories about other people who have wielded Gonturan!

Or show events in the books from Gonturan’s perspective. What’s it like to be a sword?

Aerin & Talat!! I love their relationship so much. They’re both so good for each other :D

Talat POV! What does he think of Aerin? How does he feel about fighting dragons and generally being heroic?

Any of Harry or Aerin’s adventures after their books end! They both wield Gonturan and protect their kingdom against magical threats, of course. I’d also love to see Harry as a diplomat, and the work that goes into creating a better relationship with the Homeland through diplomatic channels

Earthsea, Ursula K. LeGuin

Requested Character: Tenar!

Likes: I love how grounded Earthsea is. It tells stories about people, first and foremost. The magic system is epic, and there are so many stories that could be told in this world! As stated above, I’m only up to date as far as Tehanu. I’m fine with spoilers, but I might be totally lost if what you want to write relies on further books.

Prompts:

Tenar (& or /) Ged being domestic!

Ged having to learn how to do farm things over again without magic, and Tenar teaching him

Just… spending time together. Cooking or working or talking or just sharing each other’s warmth.

The aftermath of the end of Tehanu—being controlled like that must be horrible and I doubt they left unscarred. How does that affect them and Tehanu down the line?

AU where Tenar stays as Arha in Atuan. How this works out is up to you :D

Tehanu being a kid or Tehanu being a dragon or, of course, Tehanu being both a kid and a dragon. Cue hijinks.

younger!Tenar in her first few years in Earthsea! What was it like, adjusting? Living in the city?

are there any habits she picked up in the Tombs that are hard to break, or that she’s kept for her entire life?

What’s her reaction to big crowds? Attention? Not having the time and space alone that she’s used to?

Where does Tenar have unexpected gaps in her knowledge? Like, does she know how to cook for one, or only for a whole temple? does learning how to navigate new places while seeing them make it harder?

Tell me more about women’s magic. Could a woman, given motivation, become a wizard? How does this dichotomy interact with a more complex or modern understanding of gender identity?

Emelan, Tamora Pierce

Likes: Wow, real elementary school hours here. I first read the Circle of Magic books when 10 felt really old. The concept of ambient magic is awesome and I love how big and intricate the world always feels. I’d love to see our characters continue to grow and teach, or to see more of the world around the Pebbled Sea or beyond!

Prompts:

Main four

Future fic! What are they doing five years post-Will of the Empress. 10? 50? How have their powers developed?

On the dark side, I’d love to see someone seriously try to get Tris and/or Briar to do war magic for them. Is it possible, with any amount of force or magic, to trap one of the discipline crew at this point? How else might they be compelled or encouraged to do what someone else wants?

Life at Discipline sometime during those four years. Lessons? Adventures? “Ugh Little Bear peed on the floor again, Briar it’s your turn to clean it up!”? I want to see what takes up their time when no one’s life is threatened.

Letters! Epistolary fic! Show me what they thought was important to share with each other while they were out in the world, and what they decided not to tell.

Teachers

Backstory! We know a little bit about what each of their teachers’ lives were like before, but I want to see more. Show me what a day in the life of dancer!Lark or farm girl!Rosethorn was like.

What’s it like to learn magic as an adult? Is it easier or harder to learn how when you already have practical skills and a baseline of control? What’s frustrating? What’s trivial?

How do the teachers interact when the kids aren’t around? I love love love Lark/Rosethorn, but I’d also love to see more interaction between them, Niko, and Frostpine.

Second generation students

any of the students going about their training as young mages—what’s Pasco’s life like now that he’s a Provost mage? Did Niko teach Glaki learned any interesting spells while they were on their way back to Emelan? How’s Keth’s glasswork going?

Students interacting with each other! What does Evvy think of Pasco? What would either of them think of Nia and Jory?

Evvy as a novice! How does that work? How is the way she interacts with Winding Circle and her teachers different from before she decided to become a novice? What about from the way the discipline crew interacted with Winding Circle?

Evvy gets a cat—either pre-Street Magic (I’d love to see more of her life before she met Briar and Rosethorn) or post-Melting Stones with all the complexity there.

You know that scene that was mentioned in Will of the Empress where some subset of {Briar, Evvy, Rosethorn} met with silk weavers and learned about how codes and messages were sent through slubs in the fibers, but then we didn’t see it on screen during Battle Magic? That would be awesome to read.

#shut up alan #realtime #text #dear creator letter

0 notes