Education Quotes in A Wizard of Earthsea

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

Ged paced on a while, and then suddenly turned, and kneeling down before the mage he said, "I have walked with great wizards and have lived on the Isle of the Wise, but you are my true master, Ogion." (7.113)

It's interesting that Ged has to go home to get the sort of advice that he couldn't get at the Roke magic school. (Seriously, if you compare Ogion's advice to the advice of Archmage Gensher, well, Ogion comes out looking like a genius.)

Quote #8

He knew now, and the knowledge was hard, that his task had never been to undo what he had done, but to finish what he had begun. (8.59)

Some of Ged's education occurs outside of school, and this is perhaps the biggest part of that. By the time Ged has become the hunter, he seems to have learned something very important: that the shadow is not something to be defeated, but accepted. That's certainly not something he learned at school.

Quote #9

"Little sister," Ged said, "it is I that have no skill explaining. If we had more time  –" (9.73)

Only some people can do magic, but everyone can understand magic since it's is part of the natural world. At least, that's the way it seems to us when Ged talks to Yarrow, Vetch's little sister. But there's another reason why we pulled this quote: Ged seems to have switched over from being a student to being a teacher.