Education Quotes in A Wizard of Earthsea

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

The more he learned, the less he would have to fear, until finally in his full power as Wizard he needed fear nothing in the world, nothing at all. (4.5)

Ged has a very particular reason for wanting an education: power. The more he learns, the more powerful he'll be. But notice that Ged isn't thinking about what sort of awesome stuff he'll do with his power – he's thinking that he won't have to fear anything.

Quote #5

All he knew of it was that it was drawn to him and would try to work its will through him, being his creature. But in what form it could come, having no real form of its own as yet, and how it would come, and when it would come, this he did not know. (5.34)

This stretches our understanding of education, but it's important to notice that what makes the shadow so frightening to Ged is that it's largely unknown. Again, we see a connection between ignorance and fear.

Quote #6

"You are from Roke," he answered. "The wizards of Roke give a dark name to wizardries other than their own." (6.40)

As we learn later, this guy is actually a liar – he's an ex-wizard who's been taken over by the Stone or by Serret. (It's not exactly clear.) But what a moment this is, because we don't know if he's right. After all, we're not from Earthsea, so there might be other magic traditions besides the school on Roke. For a moment, Ged's uncertainty about magic on Earthsea matches our own uncertainty.