Analyse af Ursula K. Le Guins 'The Rule of Names'

Can names contain mystical power, and can we assume that appearances are not deceiving? These questions are the main themes in the American writer Ursula K. Le Guin’s fantasy short story “The Rule of Names” from 1929. Mythological creatures including wizards and dragons are dominating in the short story and constitutes the magical element a fantasy story should contain.

“The rule of names” is set in a fantasy universe. The physical setting of the story refers to being formed of oceans and islands divided into regions. The action takes place on Sattins Island on the planet of Earthsea in a small village during December. Le Guin writes; “Morning Mr. Underhill,” said the villagers as he passed them in the narrow street between houses with conical, overhanging roofs like the fat red caps of toadstools.” We are in a secondary world. Le Guin describes a world that is different from the real world, in which it contains wizards, dragons, mystical powers and a different constructed society with commanding rules. The social setting in the story is influenced by superstition. The Sattins Island community believes they are supposed to keep their names to themselves, to keep others from controlling them with the use of their names. Besides that, the villagers believe the rule that says, that wishing each other good morning generates foul weather. The villagers are nonliterate and learn about superstition and traditions in school. Wizards take up a lot of space and are the dominating characters in the community. Furthermore, there are no doctors to protect the inhabitants of the village, the villagers believe that the wizard; Mr. Underhill is their healer.