A critical review of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis - Essay Example

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: Theological Commentary for Children The character of Edmund in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe typifies the concept of temptation, of wayward behavior, and of forgiveness. As the story begins, Edmund is a character full of envy and bitterness. He has a jealous heart that does not easily bend with compassion. As the second eldest male, he seeks to As one examines the book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, it is undeniable that the allegorical referencing to the story of Christianity exists. From the beginning, the four main characters, Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter, are referred to as ‘daughters of Eve’ and ‘sons of Adam’. This is a direct reference to the story of Genesis which tells of the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. This referencing puts a tone of connection within the race of humanity. As Marcus Muhling put it in his book called A Theological Journey Into Narnia, “This is because in Christianity, humanity - by which is meant all people throughout history - is not just a race or a class, but an organism: all human beings are in relationship to one another.” (Muhling, p. 14) This way of classifying the four children designates them as apart from the other races of Narnia. This unifies their existence within the realm and elevates them, to a degree, to positions of exception. As Lewis wrote his book, he began to look for the emergent deeper meanings that could have influence on the children who read his work. Lewis began to see the Christian possibilities in the narratives that were beginning to take shape. He remembered how in his own childhood, he had lacked any real sense of love or God, feeling constrained by a sense of forced reverence. He wondered if, by recasting Christian doctrines “into an imaginary world, stripping them of their stained glass and Sunday school associations” he could “steal past those watchful dragons” of tedious sermons and obligatory worship. By enlisting the unfettered powers of imagination, Lewis hoped to recapture the original beauty and poignancy of the Gospel message. (Downing, p.64) In this way, Lewis was able to craft a story that could relate the principles of the Christian story in a way that could be easily digested by a young reader. While the biblical references could be difficult to comprehend, the fantastical one created by Lewis could be read by a child and understood, thus priming the intellectual process that could bring a deeper understanding to faith in Christ. Lucy, the heroine of the story, approaches her newfound world with innocence. She accepts what she sees and feels around her, without regard to the fantastical existence of Narnia. She exhibits faith as she walks through the wardrobe into a world that exists outside of her own world. This type of trust is indicative of the type of trust that is desired in faith for Christ. Faith is a goal should be reached without questioning the reality of the existence of God which is believed without proof through tangible evidence. Lucy is the an example of purity of faith. In Chapter 5, “Back On This Side of the Door”, the idea of faith is examined through the belief and disbelief of the existence of Narnia. As the chapter begins, Lucy and Edmund have both gone through the wardrobe to Narnia, but Peter and Susan have not been through to see for themselves just yet. Lucy, with her innocent acceptance, believes she has the support of Edmunds experience to back up her claims. In his corrupt state, Edmund denies the existence as a fantasy of Lucy’s creation. This examines the concept of evidentiary proof. the dialogue that occupies most of Chapter 5 is really raising what in Christian apologetics is known as the question of evidence. In the story itself, the uncertainty that needs to be resolved is whether or not Narnia is real, as reported by Lucy. However, for us as readers, this question takes on the added dimension of spiritual realities in our own world. In other words, is their proof that the Christian supernatural exists, and is it true as it has been reported by scripture and Christian theology.(Ryken, p. 51 As the reader is involved in Lucy’s need to be believed, the concept that faith is not a matter of having been proven, but a matter of believing it will be proven out, takes shape. This sets the stage for a series of Christian ethical concepts that are experienced and accepted by the characters of the book. Lucy’s first instance of experiencing the possibility of betrayal is through the character of Mr. Tumnus. When Mr. Tumnus meets Lucy he recognizes her for a ‘daughter of Eve’ and believes that he will give Lucy over to the White Witch as he has been instructed to do should he ever encounter a ‘daughter of Eve’. After he spends some time with her he recognizes her innocence and warns her that she must leave before he betrays her. She experiences true betrayal when Edmund denies their travel to Narnia, an instance that has led Edmund to betray Mr. Tumnus to the White Witch for having let Lucy go. Lucy is vindicated when his actions are revealed to Susan and Peter when they find themselves in Narnia. The character of Edmund in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe typifies the concept of temptation, of wayward behavior, and of forgiveness. As the story begins, Edmund is a character full of envy and bitterness. He has a jealous heart that does not easily bend with compassion. As the second eldest male, he seeks to compete with the authority of Peter. This manifests itself in selfish cruelties that he exhibits toward the other members of the family. His actions scream with the desire to be accepted, while running directly in conflict with that goal. He is ripe for corruption. When he meets the White Witch, he has no sense of the danger he has encountered because his selfish nature desires what can be given over what is right. As he interacts with the Witch, we see his need to be important fulfilled by her setting him to task. He is bribed by a treat, Turkish Delight. The use of this particular treat is relevant because of the name of the sweet. This invokes the memory of the crusades which was, in simplified mythological terms, a fight for Christianity against the evil of the Middle Eastern heathens. Obviously, the crusades were wars that were more complicated than just religious motivations would suggest. “The Crusades were a response to appeals for help from the Byzantine Empire, threatened by the advance of the Seljuk Turks. The year 1071 AD had seen both the capture of Jerusalem and the decisive defeat of the Byzantine army at Manzikert, creating fear of further Turkish victories.” (Turkish) However, as history becomes simplified, the literary memory can take on a invocation of dark and light terms. That Edmund is corrupted by a sweet called Turkish Delight suggests that his faith is corrupted. “Most Americans find Turkish Delight distasteful and regard Edmund’s overwhelming to it as just another evidence of his deepening corruption” (Ryken, p. 46) The simple use of a treat can take on a deeper meaning and affect the tone that is set for a character. When Edmund sees through the veil of his selfish behavior and is able to learn compassion and humility, he is ready to find redemption. In accepting that he needs forgiveness for his actions, he is able to be forgiven. It is the humility that follows his fall that creates this capability. Humility becomes the state that he must achieve in order to accept and be accepted by the emissaries of good. He must come to a place where he rejects his corruption, admits that he was corrupted, and seeks to be corrupt no more. This is a parallel to the ideas of redemption and salvation in Christianity. The White Witch is an archetype of evil. She represents the concept of dark temptations and the corruption of power. She has the traditional qualities of what is expected in a villain. “As Lewis puts it, we are “born knowing the Witch”. This shared familiarity speaks to the universal nature of an archetype.” (Ryken, p. 44) Her interactions with Edmund suggest her deep understanding of what will motivate others to do her bidding. She uses both positive and negative reinforcement to attain her will. With her sacrifice of Aslan, she displays a lack of understanding for her actions - that what she does not know is the root of her evil. Aslan says: that though the Witch knew the deep magic, there is a magic deeper still that she does not know. Her knowledge only goes back to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked a little farther back, into the stillness and into the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitors stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards.” (Lewis, p 183) This lack of a deeper understanding is representative of a lack of the knowledge of God. She is corrupt because she cannot reach the deeper understanding that the knowledge of God would bring to her. As well, Aslan’s sacrifice is reminiscent of the sacrifice of Christ. Aslan goes to his death in the place of Edmund who has been designated a traitor and therefore, is under the laws of the land, subject to being put to death. Aslan makes a deal with the Witch that he will take the place of Edmund, sacrificing himself for the sins of another. As in the crucifixion story, Aslan is resurrected after he has been punished for the sin of another. As Aslan says “ there is a magic deeper still that she does not know.”(Lewis, p 183) This is proof that the knowledge of God is more powerful than the assumptions of the corrupt. Lewis has used a vast array of tools in order to create a world that can be translated into a tale of Christian ideals. How he uses the names of his characters has an impact on how the story is revealed. The name of Aslan is one such example. The lion is a God of creation within the books of Narnia. His presence is one of hope and future for the residence of the land. He is kind, but firm, while still subject to the rules set forth by the old magic. The etymological origins of his name reveal the nature of the character that Lewis was creating. He found the name Aslan, which means ’lion’ in Turkish in Edward William Lane’s translation of The Thousand and One Nights. That name may also have appealed to him because the word root as- means ‘God’ or ‘gods’ in Old Norse - for example, in Asgard, the realm of the Scandinavian gods. (Downing, p.64) Using the Turkish translation for ‘lion’ and the added benefit for the prefix being a Norse root for ‘god’ gives Aslan a name that attaches him to the earlier use of ‘Turkish Delight’ and sets him as the god of the land. As God is a god for all people, this connective quality takes on a depth and meaning that is important for such a powerful character. As the book comes to its climax, war is waged between light and dark forces. Different races ally themselves with Aslan and the Witch. The battle itself is not written in drawn out detail. The message that is relayed is that, while the armies for light must fight for the destruction of evil, it is the prerogative of God to fell the dark. Aslan sets his site on the Witch and destroys her. Light will ultimately defeat darkness. The message is that God will protect those who have faith and follow him. The book is one of a list of books that fall into the series of The Chronicles of Narnia. In this first written novel - although it was ultimately not the first book of the set (the Magicians Nephew, written at a later date, was intended to be a prequel to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Lewis wished it to be read first) - was written as the introduction to the concepts of faith. “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe depicts the state of early childhood, when all a person knows of Christianity is the celebration of Christmas and Easter.” (Myers, p. 125) As the novel takes the reader through the basic ideas of Christian redemption and faith, the fantastical world can be related to the experiences of a child within the real world. The fantastical world becomes one of safety where these ideas that are starting to develop within the mind of a child can be explored with a sense of truth, without the dangers of reality. The child reader can bare the terrors of moral choices in which the death of goodness is at stake, in the knowledge that the children these also have a secure place back home in the ordinary world of family life and school, where adults are of human dimensions, and children’s responsibilities are limited. (Rustin, p. 40) The idea of redemption is introduced through the childish acts of Edmund, and his consequential forgiveness. The idea of salvation is introduced through the death of Aslan, a character through whom death and resurrection is played out. The book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is written for children but because of its deeper themes can be enjoyed by adults as well. After all, it is believed that we are children in the eyes of God. This message is available through the experiences of the children and the great responsibility that is thrust upon them. After the story of the end of the Witch is finished, Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter become the Kings and Queens of Narnia. In these roles they live into adulthood, forgetting much of their former life on earth. However, one day as they are hunting they rediscover the wardrobe and, upon exiting into the real world, discover that they are actually still children and that no time has truly past. This can be seen as a metaphor for life. As one lives into adulthood responsibilities are taken on that define terrestrial life. However, as that mantel is shed one might find themselves a child again in the eyes of God, depending on other entities with more knowledge to facilitate a deeper understanding. The Chronicles of Narnia is an epic story that spans many hundreds of generations as the world of Narnia grows and matures. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe tells a story of the early development of that world. In this way, it relays the story of early development of an understanding of the nature of God. With characters that display human frailties and strengths, the story is a journey of self discovery and defining moments. It is an allegory for the Christian experience that can find relative understanding for children. The work is significant because of its deeper conceptual ideas and it is relevant because of its touching displays of the human condition. Works Cited Downing, David C. Into the Wardrobe. San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons, 2005. Lewis, C. S. The Chronicles of Narnia. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1978. Myers, Doris T. C. S. Lewis in Context. Kent: The Kent State University Press, 1994. Muhling, Markus. Theological Journey Into Narnia. Germany: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2006. Rustin, Margaret and Rustin, Michael. Narratives of Love and Loss. London: H. Karnac Books Ltd., 2001. Ryken, Leland and Mead, Marjorie Lamp. A Reader’s Guide Through the Wardrobe. Downer’s Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2005. “Turkish Period Part 3: The Pre-Anatolian Turks”. 02 February 2000. Turkish Odyssey. 24 November 2008. 10 Read More