Characters
What is Tenar?
This was the name of Arha before she was taken to serve the Nameless Ones.
Arha first encounters the intruder in this sacred chamber of the Labyrinth.
The Painted Room
Arha reacts this way when she first sees the stranger in the Painted Room.
She screams at him to leave
Light in these chapters symbolizes this abstract concept.
Knowledge / Truth
“She feels a profound sense of her name… ‘I am Tenar!’”
Tenar reclaiming her identity
This priestess dies early in the story, leaving Arha without guidance.
Thar
This part of the Labyrinth contains ancient treasures and is cold and foreboding.
The Great Treasure Room
Arha chooses to keep the stranger alive for this reason, rather than letting him die.
She wants a “more fitting punishment” and feels curiosity/compassion
Tenar’s declaration “I am Tenar!” represents this major theme.
Identity / Rebirth
“She unexpectedly encounters a stranger… stirring fear, fascination, and realization.”
Arha’s first meeting with Ged in the Painted Room
This power‑hungry woman becomes Arha’s main antagonist after Thar’s death.
This deeper region of the Labyrinth is home to malevolent spirits that pursue Tenar and Ged.
The Undertomb
Ged uses this object to illuminate the pit where he confronts Manan.
His magical staff
The sea represents Tenar’s fear of this overwhelming new reality.
Freedom and the unknown
“Ged… insists she was not meant for darkness.”
Ged reassuring Tenar during their voyage
This servant helps Arha move the unconscious prisoner.
Manan
This twisting underground maze symbolizes Arha’s inner entrapment.
The Labyrinth itself
Tenar briefly considers using this symbolic object against Ged during the voyage.
Her priestess dagger
Arha’s choice to hide the prisoner instead of killing him explores this moral theme.
Moral ambiguity / Compassion vs. cruelty
“She desires a more fitting punishment… yet feels empathy.”
Arha’s conflicted feelings about the prisoner
This man’s stories of dragons, Havnor, and the outside world begin to reshape Arha’s worldview.
Ged
This entire structure collapses behind Tenar and Ged as they escape into the dawn.
The Tombs of Atuan
Ged and Tenar arrive in this city at the end of their journey.
Havnor
The collapse of the Tombs symbolizes the destruction of this oppressive force.
The old religious order / the Nameless Ones’ control
“They burst out into the dawn light… leaving that dark chapter behind.”
Tenar and Ged escaping the Tombs