Tax (2002) provides a synopsis for each of the books written by Le Guinn in the Earthsea series. There are a number of themes that are comparable and timely with life today in each of the volumes. Concentrating on A Wizard of EarthSea (1986), we find the main character Ged facing his Shadow, his own demon which he must face in order to defeat. This is very symbolic of ‘real’ world living, where everyone must face the reality of themselves on a regular basis, be it learning their family history, dealing with their feelings for another person or struggling with the thoughts in their mind. The Shadow is representative of the human struggle between good and evil.
In the second volume, The Tombs of Atuan (1970), a theme of struggle between ones beliefs and their passion to do what is right is presented when Tenar the priestess has the chance to help Ged the Wizard in his quest to save Earthsea. Tenar faces a difficult decision between what she has been raised to believe, and what she must do to save Earthsea. This is very symbolic of moralist clashes that occur in the modern day, such as the pull that people in relationships might feel between their partner or friends, and their family.
REFERENCES
Tax, M. (Jan 28, 2002). Year of Harry Potter, Enter the Dragon. In The Nation.
Le Guinn, U. (1993; 1968). A Wizard of Earthsea. In The Earthsea Quartet (pp.13-167). London: Penguin.
The question this post answers is almost misleading as you point out that any story which touches on universal themes will always be relevant.
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