Children Book which Appeals to Adult Readers - Research Paper Example

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: Categorizing the Novel as a Children’s Book which Appeals to Adult Readers. C. S. Lewis’ work, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, is most often considered to be a children’s book, however, the novel offers a great deal to adult readers as well. Through multiple levels of understanding, the novel allow for different experiences to be created for different age groups of readers. While not strictly an allegory, the novel provides deep experiences with symbolism and allusion from which sophisticated understanding can be experienced by an adult reader. I looking at some of the references and passages in the novel, it is clear that the events in the story allow for multiple interpretations which are dependent upon experience of age. No matter what age the reader, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe provides a content rich experience in reading the novel. The novel, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was published in 1950 after a failed attempt to write the novel occurred approximately a decade earlier when he wasn’t reaching his intended goals. Once he began to write again in 1948, he finished seven books in the series by 1956, although he had never intended to write a sequel to the original novel. The entire series is often used in classroom reading and is respected for both its appropriateness for children and for its various themes that help children to find ways in which to explore deeper meanings through presentations of themes in accessible forms (Hinten 2). However, there is an inherent complexity that allows for adults to also enjoy the work, thus providing for a mutually enjoyable experience that children and adults can experience together. One of the reasons that the work of C. S. Lewis in his Chronicles of Narnia can be enjoyed by adults is through the benefits it provides as a spiritual allegory. According to Bramlett, Lewis is “recognized as the greatest defender of the faith in the twentieth century” (3). He is considered one of the most famous Christians of the twentieth century, writing books on Christian science fiction as well as on topics of theology that were intended for the average person. He also wrote essays, poetry, book reviews, and articles for newspapers and journals. He is considered to have been responsible for the conversion of many people to Christianity as well as influencing the course of spiritual understanding for thousands more. His writing career began in the middle of the 1940’s and lasted until his death in 1963, providing spiritual awakening and commentary for the scores of readers who experienced his work. The Chronicles of Narnia is an allegory of Christianity that allows spiritual understanding to be accessible for children. However, according to Kubash, McNiel, Bellotto and Lewis, it was never intended to be a recreation of the Bible. The many parables within the series of books, however, were intended to create an understanding of spirituality and the sacrifice of the resurrection story. Therefore, it was written in such a way as to connect to the ways in which children understand belief, but also with enough substance to be attractive to adults. Through the use of fantastical elements, the core aspects of spiritual awakening are explored through the use of literary concepts that are more easily accessible to young minds than might be possible through the stories in the Bible. The most powerful comparison can be made between Aslan and Jesus Christ. Aslan was the son of a powerful being, The Emperor over the Sea which can be compared to Jesus being the son of God. In an event that alludes to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, Aslan gives his life for the sins that Edmund has committed, thus sacrificing himself in much the same way that Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross. In the same way that Jesus appeared first to women after his resurrection, Lucy and Susan are the first to see Aslan rise after his death (Kubash, McNiel, Bellotto and Lewis 12). Through the magical nature of the storyline, the elements of Christianity that are difficult to convey to children can be explored and understood. As well, the use of pagan and familiar mythological elements provide a resource from which adults can enjoy the stories. The opportunity to enrich and inform adults through the ways in which the stories provide a discourse on spirituality allows the stories to be considered more than just children’s books. Lewis intended for the novels to appeal to both adults and children (Kubash, McNiel, Bellotto and Lewis 11). One of the most often comments made about the novel is that it was written as an allegory of the Bible. However, according to Lindskoog, the books do not meet the criteria for being allegorical literary works. She states that the work has occasional allegorical moments, but to try and find a path through the work as wither a strict or loose allegory fails to provide consistency of meaning that would be needed to consider that the Bible is re-envisioned in The Chronicles of Narnia (207). Therefore, while the meanings of many of the important spiritual points of the novel are clearly accessible, the literary meaning of allegory is not represented through this particular work by Lewis, neither did he intend for it to be represented. He has been quoted as stating that it is emphatically not an allegory (Kubash, McNiel, Bellotto and Lewis 11). However, the world that is created in the series does provide a structure from which to reveal the creation, evolution, and spiritual end of a universe that experiences many of the same themes that are explored in the Bible. In creating this universe, an exploration of the meaning of spirituality can be undertaken in order to frame deeper meanings within Christianity. Within this context, the attraction of the novels to adults can be clearly understood. In some ways, the novel creates a dialogue about suppositions of the intentions, the emotional context, and the expectations of God in creating mankind. Through exploring these elements of spirituality in the framework of a universe based on classic mythologies and fantastical creatures, a deeper meaning can be accessed from a new perspective on the themes. While the work is not strictly allegorical, there is a high level of symbolism and allusion that can be studied within the work. As an example, Mr Tumnus is most likely a shortened form of the name Vertumnus who was a Roman god responsible for seasons and for growth. His position in the story is one of no power, symbolic of the nature of the state of Narnia as a forever winter has been put into place. As well, his name and position in the book provides a clue to one of the themes of the story which is the turning of the seasons and the growth that takes place during the passing of time. In addition, it is Mr. Tumnus who asks Lucy if she is a ‘daughter of Eve’, which is suggestive of referencing the Bible, but comes from Milton’s Paradise Lost (Hinten 11). The story has multiple layers of such references that provide volumes of analysis; however the primary importance of these layers is in how it provides readers of all ages a context from which to enjoy the work. One of the ways in which the novels of Narnia appeal to both adults and children is because they operate on two levels of experience. According to Hinten “the books are permeated with subtle references to literature, Christianity, linguistics, mythology and other areas” which gives a contextual secondary sophistication that is more appealing to adults (3). Other novels that Hinten lists that have the same kind of duality are Alice in Wonderland and Huckleberry Finn. This type of duality provides a novel that is primarily intended for a children’s audience a depth that supports a larger literary life for the work. Through creating multiple levels of understanding, a novel can provide new context for subsequent reading of the work as age provides more complex capacities for understanding. In other words, reading the novel at the age of ten will provide one understanding of the novel that can be revised when it is read at the age of nineteen. Further into adulthood, life experience and education may provide more complex understandings as maturity creates a more sophisticated understanding of literary concepts. In examining aspects of Lewis’ life, one can further explore some of the complex meanings within The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. According to Edwards, “In the land of Narnia, ‘lost children’ find their way home through Aslan’s intervention. And, in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, in order to be found, they must first realize that they are lost” (29). While this can be compared to the way in which faith and belief are discovered through Christian salvation, it can also be compared to the experiences that Lewis had during his childhood. At the age of ten, his mother died leaving him to experience the rest of his childhood and adolescence with his father who had become withdrawn after the death of his wife (Hinten 12). In looking at the basic structure of the experiences of Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter, his own experience in growing up can be seen reflected in the abandonment and alienation that is apparent in the lives of his characters. The four children who are at the center of the novel have been sent from London to live in a house in the country in order to keep them safe from the threat of the bombing that occurred during World War II. The novel frames their experience by saying that they had been “sent away”, suggestive of the way in which a child would understand what had happened to them (Lewis 3). However, as an adult who understands something of history, it would be clear that the children were a part of the program which allowed for children to be fostered in homes away from London in order to protect them from the dangers of war that were being inflicted upon London. This is an example of the simplicity versus complexity duality of comprehension levels that exist for the reader. A further example of this can be seen in the way in which Mr. Tumnus describes the White Witch, in comparison to the way in which an adult will come to understand her. Mr. Tumnus states that “Why, it is she who has all Narnia under her thumb. It’s she that makes it always winter. Always winter and never Christmas; think of that!” (Lewis 19). In reading this, a child might understand that she is a mean witch who makes it always winter and never Christmas, but an adult will understand that she is a despot, a dictator who has subverted nature in order to impose her will. Through the simplicity of this description of the villain in the story, the complexity of the multiple layers of understanding can be observed. The White Witch represents a great many types of oppressors and undermining influences in life including temptation as she tempts Edmund toward betrayal. The multiple meanings of her existence provides a depth of appeal that once again engages children and adults alike. In reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, one is transported to a place that expands the imagination, engages the intellect, and provides a rich resource for discussion. While the story may have elements that appear to be directed to children, the context of the events provides a rich resource for exploration of themes such as growth, spirituality, history and human emotion. The narrative provides content that can engage a child, but provide a complexity that can be further understood from an adult perspective. While the story provides some allegorical moments in exploring themes from the Bible, the story is does not follow the Bible in such a way to be an allegory. However, with high levels of symbolism and allusion, the novel succeeds in providing a resource from which to explore spiritual themes from an alternative perspective. C. S. Lewis manages to provide a rich literary achievement that engages both children and adults. Works Cited Bramlett, Perry. C. S. Lewis: Life at the Center. Smyth and Helwys, 1970. Print. Edwards, Bruce L. Further Up & Further in: Understanding C.s. Lewis's the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Nashville, Tenn: Broadman & Holman, 2005. Print. Hinten, Marvin D. The Keys to the Chronicles: Unlocking the Symbols of C.S. Lewis's Narnia. Nashville, Tenn: Broadman & Holman, 2005. Print. Kubash, Katie, Nikki McNiel, Kimm Bellotto and C. S. Lewis. The Chronicles of Narnia. Coloma, MI: In the Hands of a Child, 2007. Print. Lewis, C S, and Christian Birmingham. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. New York: Harper Trophy, 2000. Print. Lindskoog, Kathryn A. Journey into Narnia. Pasadena, Calif: Hope Pub. House, 1998. Print. Read More