Ruin Explorer
Legend
It is speculation. I don't think it's unreasoned speculation. I could go into some detail but it would take a while. Suffice to say I think it's a story that's been told a few times, but really only makes sense in narrow contexts (mostly mid-late 20th century America).
That's the problem though, I don't really buy she'd have been kept there, and IIRC it's not even really clear it's "unhappy" per se (maybe I am misremembering), it just seems unlikely. Also, the whole premise of the The Tombs of Atuan is that Tenar is able to say "I don't have to do what my society wants me to do!" and then Le Guin has her reject being trained as a wizard to become a tradwife? Like, I get rejecting being trained, sure, that's kind of another set of expectations, but a tradwife (I know this is a modern term but it encompasses what is going on here imho). Like, why does she want an "ordinary life". She doesn't even know what that is! And instead of there being any examination of why this might be another mistake, that she's wanting something she doesn't get (because how would she? how would anyone? It's classic grass-is-greener), and thus having to learn the hard way, it's like "And it was fine", which just does not sit at all well with this idea of this brave, rebellious woman. Essentially Le Guin seems to be saying "Well if you just become a traditional wife and mother on a farm (A BLOODY FARM OF ALL THINGS, COULDN'T GET MORE TRAD!!!), you'll be happy enough and fit in because you're a woman and that's what makes women happy!".
To me that's not messy life, it's messed-up writing. Obviously it's Le Guin's character she can do what she wants but like, you've got to bring the audience with you and pretty much everyone I know, male or female, young or old, who read Tehanu was kind of like record-scratch/what-the-hell about it. People used to actively disrecommend Tehanu for a long time even, and whilst I wouldn't go that far I do think it's like an example of an author hand-of-god re-directing a character rather than a natural or plausible progression. Double-especially as the message seems to be "just marry someone you don't seem to care about all that much, have his dull, not-very-nice kids, and chill until your first love returns to you, THEN you can live happy ever after with a magic baby!".
Like what kind of message is that for the lady who wrote Omelas and Left Hand of Darkness? It's not even earlier than those, it's way later! It's so late it wasn't even the full Earthsea collection I had as a kid, it was published in 1990 I see.
