Benjamin Thomaz
The Lion the Witch
and the Wardrobe
Book Report/Analysis
By Benjamin I. Thomaz
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Benjamin Thomaz
The Chronicles of Narnia are undoubtedly the most popular works of C.S
Lewis. Although recognized as children’s books they are the favorites of
people of all ages. Christian theologians have praised the books for
representing the life of Jesus through the lion Aslan. There are a great
number of things in the books that can be tied to Christianity. Especially
the first book, “The lion the witch and the wardrobe.”. Loved by many and
myself the books will forever be “Classics”. Especially the Lion the Witch
and the Wardrobe.
Clive Staples Lewis was born 29 November 1898 in Belfast, he died 22
November 1963. He was a renowned British writer. He became a fellow
and tutor of Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1925. He held the position from
1925 to 1954. From 1954 to 1963 he was a professor of medieval and
Renaissance English at the University of Cambridge. At the same time, he
was a writer. However, he wasn’t always a Christian. He was an atheist
throughout his teens and early adulthood. In 1931 he became a Christian
partially due to his close friend and devoted roman catholic J.R.R. Tolkien.
He was a Lay Theologian and incorporated his beliefs and values in his
writing.
The lion the witch and the wardrobe was the first book to be written in
the book series but is not the first in chronological order. The prequel he
wrote in 1955 titled The Magicians Nephew presents the origin of Narnia,
how Aslan created the world, and how evil came to be.
The book starts by introducing 4 siblings who must evacuate because of
World War II. In the house, they receive refuge in they discover a
wardrobe that leads to a magical world called Narnia. There they are
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threatened by the unrightful ruler of Narnia, the White Witch. There was
an endless winter in Narnia due to her magic. The second youngest,
Edmund betrays his siblings and assists the Witch. She had fooled him
with visions of grandeur when in reality she was using him to get to the
rest of the children. The other siblings receive help from Arslan the great
lion. He sacrifices himself for Edmund’s freedom. A few moments after
dying Arslan rises from the dead and helps the siblings defeat the Witch.
The children become the kings and queens of Narnia and live there until
adulthood forgetting about their previous lives. One day they rediscover
the portal and go through it, only to realize that only a few hours had
passed in their world.
The book is Fantasy fiction and is often thought to be a Christian allegory,
however, C.S Lewis rejects the idea. He states that Aslan isn’t a
representation of Jesus, he wrote “Aslan is an invention giving an answer
to the question” “What might Christ become like if there really were a
world like Narnia, and he chose to be incarnate and die and rise again in
that world as He actually has done in ours?” This is not Allegory. Aslan
doesn’t represent Jesus, he is Jesus´s equivalent in Narnia.
The “red string” through the book is nearly identical to Jesus`s death in
the bible and the story around it. Aslan was sacrificed on a stone table
only to rise again a few moments later. He also frees those who have
been turned to stone by the witch. This represents the Christian concept
that anyone can be saved by God, even though they have been affected
by evil. He frees them and goes to battle the Witch. When he defeats the
witch, it is a lot like in the bible where it says, “And which now has been
manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who
abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the
gospel.” 2 Timothy 1:10. This verse is nearly identical to what Aslan did in
the book.
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The Chronicles of Narnia are often used to teach Christianity to children,
and people of all ages have converted to Christianity due to these books.
The talking animals, magic, castles, battles, and thrill make the stories
interesting for children. The style of writing in the books is “Straight
Forward” and simple so it is easy to read but is still just as captivating for
an older audience. The books have a special way of immersing the reader
in the world of Narnia and the many Adventures.
The setting of the book is two places, England during World War II and
Narnia. Most of the book’s happenings are in Narnia, Afterall the book is a
fantasy fiction novel. It is written in the third person (Omniscient) so the
narrator has a bird’s eye view of everything going on and can peer into
the minds of the characters at any time. The narrator (C.S himself)
breaks the fourth wall at times, speaking directly to the reader. One
example is: “I hope no one who reads this book has been quite as
miserable as Susan and Lucy were that night; but if you have been – if
you have been up all night and cried until till you have no more tears left
in you – you will know that there comes, in the end, a sort of quietness.
You feel as if nothing is ever going to happen again.” Page.171
This is C.S himself speaking to the reader. It seems as if he has gone
through similar pain before, which is why he explains it in such vivid
detail.
The climax of the story is the death and resurrection of Arslan. It is the
turning point in the story. When he rises, the tables turn and they defeat
the Witch. From then on, the book is all positive and peaceful. His
resurrection was the end of all conflict.
The characters go through a fair bit of character development throughout
the story; however, Edmund extinguishes himself from the others.
Edmund starts as a “beastly boy” who only cares for himself” Edmund
who was becoming a nastier person by the minute.” P.52. He turned on
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his siblings and conspired with the witch, however even if he hadn`t met
with the witch Edmund acted beastly towards Lucy and showed no respect
for peter and Susan. “I’ll pay you all out for this, you pack of self-satisfied
prigs.”P.65. These were his thoughts after getting an “earful” from peter.
Halfway through his ride with the witch, he feels sorry for the animals
who were enjoying their feast before getting turned to stone by the angry
Witch. That was the first time in the story he felt sorry for someone
besides himself. Once he meets Arslan and had a conversation with him
he reformed. He apologized to his siblings, and he becomes a valuable
part of Arslan’s army. Towards the end of the book, he is crowned King
Edmund the just, he becomes a man of great council and judgment.
In biblical context, Edmund can be compared to Judas who betrayed
Jesus and his followers. However, one discrepancy in this theory is that
Judas never redeemed himself. He returned the silver then hanged
himself. Other than that, their stories are similar.
Peter is the leader of the siblings and is self-righteous, brave, and has
quite high standards, that is why earlier in the book he often clashes with
his brother Edmund. In the book, it is obvious that he is an upright and
virtuous person from the start. That is why he doesn’t go through much
character development. He becomes a great warrior and a pillar for The
Narnian kingdom to lean on. Peter`s development is not as in-depth as
Lucy and Edmund`s. He is crowned King peter the magnificent, which
suits his accomplishments and personality perfectly.
Susan takes on the motherly role, taking care of her siblings. She seems
to be in a hurry to grow up, so she forgets that she is still a child. Her
character development is nearly nonexistent, she is crowned Queen
Susan the gentle which matches her personality throughout the book. She
has little presence in the story and is portrayed as the quiet and pretty
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sister. She does have her virtuous but not to the same extent as her
siblings. She is cowardly and passive, she is a “stereotypical woman”. «A
tall and gracious woman with black hair that fell almost to her feet and
the Kings of the countries beyond the sea began to send ambassadors
asking for her hand in marriage». P.198. Her role throughout the entire
book is to be the glue between the siblings and the mother of the pack.
Lucy is the first of the siblings to enter Narnia, she is courageous, kind,
and earnest. Her personality and values do not change much, she is
crowned Queen Lucy the valiant. This is on spot for Lucy, she is valiant
from start to finish in the book. However, she and her sister take on clear
gender roles, but Lucy transcends those roles in contrast to her sister.
She always shows bravery and honesty to be some of her greatest
virtues.
The great lion Arslan is Jesus if he was in the world of Narnia, his father
the emperor beyond the sea is God. The emperor beyond the sea (God)
created the deep magic that forced Arslan to sacrifice himself. Deep
magic is essentially the laws that were created as Narnia was created.
Even Arslan must follow these laws.
Arslan is the embodiment of all that is Good and Just. Arslan was so
powerful that even his name affected people that did not know him. He
was the salvation of Narnia, sent by his father to save the people from the
White Witch. There is no development in his character because he never
strays from his values.
The White Witch (Jadis) is the main antagonist in the story. She took
Narnia and claimed to be the queen. With her magic, she created an
endless winter and forbid Christmas. The witch claims to be human but in
reality, she is a half-giant half-genie. She is pure evil and treats all the
people of Narnia like trash. She has been in Narnia since its creation and
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has certain rights because of the deep magic. For example, her right to
Edmund because of his betrayal. Her insatiable lust for power is what
drives her. She sees all others as inferior beings and seems to have a god
complex.
Overall, it is a great book for people of all ages. C.S´s style of writing is
fit for all people; the book pulls you in and sticks with you for life. There
are many things one can learn from the book. I have learned a great deal.
Everything from the Talking animals to the Morals of the book is
exquisite. The characters have depth and development, and the plot is
exciting and emotional. This book is a great way to introduce Christianity
to children and adults alike. Personally, I loved the book, it was easy to
read and entertaining. I recommend this book to all my friends. It is a
masterpiece and a classic.
Sources:
https://narnia.fandom.com/wiki/The_Deep_Magic
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis
https://interestingliterature.com/2021/04/lewis-lion-witch-wardrobe-summary-analysis/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/C-S-Lewis
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