Abstract
This paper analyses Ursula K. Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea (1968) and Ramdhari Singh Dinkar’s Rashmirathi (The Charioteer of Rays, 1952), with a special focus on Ged and Karna.The questions of power and balance in conjunction with the two protagonists in these two texts is discussed. Focusing on works by authors from the East and the West, the paper draws a parallel in order to understand the persistent significance of such existential questions. Le Guin in A Wizard of Earthsea traces Ged’s quest and his confrontation with the Shadow. It is his acceptance of the Shadow that facilitates his understanding of the intricacies of power and balance that govern, both, Earthsea and the world we inhabit. Dinkar’s Rashmirathi revolves around Karna, one of the focal characters of the Indian epic, Mahabharata, and his existential/moral struggles.The text addresses the questions of power and balance through the choices that Karna makes over the course of this epic battle, and how they have larger ramifications for other people, as well as, for the outcome of the war.Through a cross-cultural comparison, the paper highlights how various narratives engage with the importance of maintaining power and balance in order for peace to prevail.The two authors’ construction of their main protagonists exemplifies this tussle as well as the disastrous consequences that ensue as a result of abuse of power/man’s hubris.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Ged, Karna, Power,Balance,Hero's Construction
