As in the other Earthsea novels, Le Guin sets up a thematic opposition between being and nonbeing. Arren must choose between serving being and serving nonbeing. His plight is similar to that of Ged in A Wizard of Earthsea and Tenar in The Tombs of Atuan. Although he wants to serve Ged, whom he loves, Arren is strongly tempted by the immortality that Cob offers. Ged's teachings in the course of their adventures help to make clear the values and ideas attached to these symbolic poles. Le Guin also infuses the landscapes of Earthsea with symbolic meanings, most notably in the "dry land," but also in almost every area the pair visits from Hort Town to the Children of the Open Sea.

The story is told mainly from Arren's point of view. This has the initial effect of obscuring the tenderness of Ged's feelings for the...