Both The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis and The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin deal with the idea that child protagonists must follow a type journey to defeat each other's enemies and participate in finding their own identity in the process. However, these ideas are approached in very different ways as Lewis uses more biblical implications to suggest the synonymy of finding one's identity with the rejection of sin and the search for the path to Christ, while Le Guin puts a more secular and introspective spin on the search . , suggesting that you confront yourself to discover who you really are. Delving deeper into the characters of Edmund, Peter and Ged, the concept of change and turning point reflect the implications of the messages about personal identity that both authors sought to convey. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, each of the four children embarks on a journey of self-discovery as they enter the realm of Narnia, some more obvious than others. The most obvious character who has a notable journey of self-discovery is Edmund. At the beginning of the novel, Edmund presents himself as a selfish, defiant, attention-seeking, and greedy bully. It's true that many of these traits stem from middle child syndrome and the effect of her relationship with Peter. However, he constantly discourages Lucy and goes so far as to turn against his brothers over the royal title and the Turkish delights the White Witch offers him before changing his mind. He is consumed and defined by his envy and need for attention. Edmund is so blinded by his thirst for revenge on his brother and by his greed that he only has to witness the White Witch turning an innocent group of animals into stone to realize that she is truly evil and does not have his best interest or that of anyone else. in the heart. That's when “Edmund, for the first time in this story, felt sorry for someone besides himself. It seemed so pitiful to think of those little stone figures sitting there all the silent days and all the dark nights, year after year, until the moss grew on them and finally even their faces crumbled. This is a major turning point in his spiritual journey because he begins to discover his true purpose and realizes the error of his ways, although at this point it is too late for him to undo. His redemption at the hands of Aslan speaks volumes about the author's view on the importance of forgiveness and second chances in the journey of self-discovery. If he had been condemned for his mistake, he would not have had the chance to mature into a brave and noble hero or fulfill his purpose as the rightful king that Narnia needed him to be. Peter also shows his evidence of growth and discovery when they come across the street lamp while chasing the white deer. Although Susan is, by her very nature, reluctant to move past the vaguely familiar lamppost, Peter says, "Why ever, since the four of us were kings and queens in Narnia, have we laid our hands on any matter of importance, such as battles, quests, quests of weapons, acts of justice and the like, and then delivered; but still what we took in hand, the same we got.” Where before Peter and Susan were wary of believing and exploring something unfamiliar to them, his words here they show that traveling through Narnia and fighting the White Witch with Aslan has made him much more confident in their ability to overcome anything they encounter, as as well as a more open minded towards the unknown The unifying theme and overall lesson learnedduring their stay in Narnia is one of altruism, evidenced by the fact that the children did not choose to stay in Narnia once they felt the need to leave. Instead, they gave up on a real life and took with them everything they learned about themselves. Lewis used this story as a grand allegory for his Christian spiritual beliefs, with symbolic figures such as Aslan and the White Witch representing good and evil respectively. He uses Edmund's plight as a metaphor to imply that resisting the traps of evil and temptation can lead any sinner onto the path of good, which is our implied individual purpose. For example, when Edmund is first introduced to the Witch, his status and what she offers him attracts her and he even finds himself defending her to Peter, saying, “which side is right? How do we know that the Fauns are right and the Queen (yes, I know, we're told she's a witch) is wrong? We know nothing about either of them." As he sees the potential of power (and Turkish delight) offered by the Witch, he tries to convince himself that the Witch is simply misunderstood rather than truly evil. However, once he is further exposed to the Witch's ruthless ways and villains of the Witch and the danger it imposes, he comes to his senses. It is this realization and refusal of continued involvement with the Witch that allows him to be saved by Aslan. The practicality of extracting and applying the broader proposition made by a metaphor to Christian ideology depends on the reader's beliefs, but even those who are not religious can draw meaning from the suggestions made, such as the rejection of temptation, selfishness, and greed for a greater cause. The message revealed through Edmund is much more biblical where the message revealed through Peter, that self-discovery can come to those who are open-minded and willing to make mistakes, is a message that can be applied more universally. Although the religious tone may emerge heavily at some moments in the story, it is still very likely that the plot can be alternatively understood or objectively appreciated for what it is (especially by children who may be too young to grasp its symbolic meaning) which is what which makes it a classic. In Ursula Le Guin's The Wizard of Earthsea, the protagonist Ged undergoes his most all-consuming search for identity when he sets out to defeat a rampaging shadow only to discover that his longtime rival was essentially just himself. Like Edmund, Ged starts out as a bratty, proud, immature teenager. The reader humbly sees him make several mistakes due to the need to show off his magic and prove himself to others, such as when he tries to impress the daughter of the lord of Re Albi or when he accidentally summons a spirit in his fight with Diaspro. However, it is the same pride that begins Ged's search for personal identity after freeing the shadow. Driven by guilt over the fate of the Archmage of Roke, this turning point takes him from loud and proud to shy and paranoid that he will make another big mistake but to find his middle ground, he must learn to balance between the two parts. about himself and between what he thinks he can do and what he can actually do. With the help of Vetch's reassuring attitude, Ged comes to a conclusion: “All the years and places of his short, broken life have returned to the mind's reach and formed a whole again. He knew once again, finally, after this long, bitter, wasted time, who he was and where he was. It is here that Ged begins to think more clearly and rebuild his confidence, even though he was still afraid of what might happen to those around him. In the end, at the.