Several motifs help structure Tehanu: the education or growth plots of Tenar, Ged, and Therru; the heroic romance of Therru's assumption of magical dragon-like power; the political melodrama involving women as victims and men as victimizers; and the romantic comedy of the mature love of two middle-aged characters from earlier novels.

As usual with Le Guin, political reform and healing through love occur together. Tenar's decisions regarding Therru, Ged, her son, and her enemies place Tenar in a position of having to make decisions through which ideological themes are debated. Tenar's motives for her choices are consequently springboards for the novel's thematic interests.

As cunningly as the action and narration are rendered, Le Guin's artfulness is in the richness of her symbolic language. This richness is more difficult for Le Guin to achieve than for many writers because she chooses not to rely on cultural master...