The Tombs of Atuan, by Ursula K. Le Guin, can be best described as a psychological coming of age novel, due to the growing of the main character by showing independence and ability to stand up for what she believes is right. The main character, Arha develops as a person throughout the story and we see her age and change drastically from the beginning of the book to the end.
At the beginning of the book, it shows that Arha is very mentally weak. When Penthe gets beaten Arha cries very soon after (Le Guin 25). Later in the book Kossil takes her into the labyrinth for the first time, and once she realizes she will have to go there alone later, she faints (42). At this point in the story she is still young and immature. She shows weakness in her mentality often, as expected of a child. It is obvious that Arha shows childlike characteristics in this part of the book and has yet to start to mature.
The reader can first see Arha change and start to mature when she goes against Kossil and does not starve the prisoner, but keeps him alive for some time. Arha asks herself , “What must I tell Kossil?” She then says, “Nothing. Not yet. I am mistress of the Labyrinth. This is no business of the Godking’s,” (74). In this instance Arha starts to mature and realize that she can handle some things in …show more content…
Ged explains to her that names have power, so the name Arha has an effect on her. Arha decides that she will now be Tenar. She says, “I have my name back. I am Tenar,” (118.) She has to make the decision to let Arha die and Tenar be reborn (139). When Arha decides to become Tenar, she shows how she has matured and can stand up for what she believes. If she were to stay Arha, she would continue to worship the Nameless Ones that she now knows are evil. Her ability to make a decision about who she wants to be shows how much she has grown from the beginning of the book when she just did what she was
At the beginning of the book, it shows that Arha is very mentally weak. When Penthe gets beaten Arha cries very soon after (Le Guin 25). Later in the book Kossil takes her into the labyrinth for the first time, and once she realizes she will have to go there alone later, she faints (42). At this point in the story she is still young and immature. She shows weakness in her mentality often, as expected of a child. It is obvious that Arha shows childlike characteristics in this part of the book and has yet to start to mature.
The reader can first see Arha change and start to mature when she goes against Kossil and does not starve the prisoner, but keeps him alive for some time. Arha asks herself , “What must I tell Kossil?” She then says, “Nothing. Not yet. I am mistress of the Labyrinth. This is no business of the Godking’s,” (74). In this instance Arha starts to mature and realize that she can handle some things in …show more content…
Ged explains to her that names have power, so the name Arha has an effect on her. Arha decides that she will now be Tenar. She says, “I have my name back. I am Tenar,” (118.) She has to make the decision to let Arha die and Tenar be reborn (139). When Arha decides to become Tenar, she shows how she has matured and can stand up for what she believes. If she were to stay Arha, she would continue to worship the Nameless Ones that she now knows are evil. Her ability to make a decision about who she wants to be shows how much she has grown from the beginning of the book when she just did what she was