Week 4 Sara

What parallels can you find between A Wizard of Earthsea and the Harry Potter franchise? What other influences does Burn (2005) suggest for Harry Potter?

I chose to answer the first question.

On one hand, to me, there doesn't seem to be much in common between A Wizard of Earthsea and Harry Potter, apart from the obvious mutual subject matter of magic, and a young boy becoming a man whilst studying its' craft. The central philosophies behind the nature of the magic appear to be different. While Harry Potter is a more straight-up-and-down good versus evil battle in its seven volumes, in the first title at least, A Wizard of Earthsea involves the central character 'becoming one' with darkness inside of him; his 'shadow', and thus becoming a man. Although the character of Harry Potter struggles with his connection to his nemesis Lord Voldemort, it is certainly a different climate to Earthsea, where the central focus of the wizards is to 'keep the balance' between good and evil, as they believe unbalance between the two causes disharmony. The central focus of the Harry Potter books is purely to defeat the evil which attempts to take over their world.

However, on closer inspection, there are some similarities, characters and situations in both which refer back to the archetypal theory. There are humble allies (Ron and Hermione; Fletch), arrogant, socially priviliged foe (Draco Malfoy; Jasper) and wise old male teachers (Dumbledore; Ogion the Silent). The central theme of each has to do with the struggle between good and evil, and finding one's own way to becoming an adult.

References
Le Guin, U.K, (1968). A Wizard of Earthsea. United States: Parnassus Press.