Additional Commentary
Two aspects of the novel that might raise concerns for some readers—religion and violence—are thoughtfully addressed by Lewis. Although God and Christ are not directly mentioned, many will notice the similarities between Aslan and Christ, as well as between the Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea and God. The story also includes references to Adam and Eve and Christmas, which suggest religious themes. While the novel is rich with Christian allegory, Lewis strives to make his narrative universally relevant to human experiences. He employs Christianity not as a form of propaganda but as a foundation for his ideas. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe features characters and imagery from Greek and Roman mythology, Arab folktales, and European medieval romances. The magic is captivating, rather than miraculous in a religious sense. Young readers are unlikely to view the allegory as anything more than a story of noble self-sacrifice. Older readers, regardless of their beliefs, are likely to find Lewis's insights into Christianity and the human condition engaging and thought-provoking.
The tension in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe largely revolves around the White Witch and her followers, who pose a significant threat to Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. In the climactic battle, several characters on both sides lose their lives, and Edmund, in a courageous act of disarming the White Witch, is "terribly wounded." Despite the presence of violence, it is neither graphic nor gratuitous. Lewis defends these story elements, claiming that children want to be "a little frightened" and are not put off by the violence found in fairy tales. In a time marked by world wars and atomic bombs, Lewis argues that shielding children from the realities of fear, as well as "violence, wounds, adventure, heroism and cowardice, good and evil," is an unwise approach.
Overview
In Of Other Worlds, Lewis explains that "All my seven Narnian books, and my three science fiction books, began with seeing pictures in my head. At first they were not a story, just pictures. The Lion all began with a picture of a Faun carrying an umbrella and parcels in a snowy wood." This initial image of Narnia, which Lucy encounters after stepping through the wardrobe, hints at the rich imagery that characterizes the entire book. These images are vital not only for their vividness and their role in advancing the plot and character development, but also for expressing deeper themes.
In this novel, Lewis explores themes of human responsibility, freedom, choice, duty, truth, and love. By crafting a Narnia trapped in an endless winter without the joy of Christmas, he subtly reveals the horrors of a totalitarian world—a world devoid of happiness and laughter.
As the four children interact with Narnia and its inhabitants, they encounter clear instances of loyalty and betrayal, courage and selfishness. These events strip away all excuses, making the moral consequences of their actions unmistakably clear.
By the conclusion of the novel, it becomes evident that the central theme is inherently Christian: The story's climax retells the Passion narrative from the New Testament.
The Triumph of Good over Evil
Lewis's view on good and evil is deeply influenced by the biblical narrative of the Fall, which describes the degradation of humanity's ideal state due to Adam and Eve's disobedience to God. The sole solution to this Fall is God's redemption through Jesus Christ. In Genesis, Satan infiltrates God's pristine creation as a serpent and tempts Adam and Eve by suggesting that eating from the forbidden tree would make them like God, granting them complete knowledge. When Adam and Eve succumbed to this temptation, sin and evil were introduced to the world. Lewis depicts the nature...
(This entire section contains 539 words.)
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of sin and evil through the character of the White Witch inThe Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Similarly, in The Magician's Nephew, evil enters the untouched and vibrant world of Narnia through characters who, like Adam and Eve, are unable to resist temptation. Goodness is embodied by the character of Aslan, whose virtues are mirrored in the actions of various characters in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
In the chapter "The Invasion" from Mere Christianity, Lewis explains that he does not consider good and evil as opposites; rather, he sees evil as a corruption of good. For example, money, sex, and power are fundamentally good unless pursued for improper reasons. One virtue that remains untainted is love, because, as John states in his gospel, God is love, and God cannot be corrupted. Therefore, love is the ultimate good. When someone seeks wealth and power for selfish purposes, they are not acting out of love, rendering their actions evil. This is demonstrated by the White Witch, who does everything possible to maintain her control over Narnia, including resorting to harm and murder. In contrast, Aslan performs selfless acts for the benefit of others, sacrificing his life to save Edmund and breathing life into stone statues to revive them. Characters like the Beavers and the Pevensie children act out of love by offering hospitality: the Beavers provide a nourishing meal to the children, and the children later host a feast for their coronation guests.
Lewis argues that evil, being a distortion of good, is fundamentally secondary. In his essay "Evil and God," included in God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics, Lewis likens evil to a parasite that feeds off a tree. He elaborates that good "exists on its own," whereas evil depends on good for its parasitic existence. This idea, that evil is subordinate to good, is in line with Christian theology. According to this belief, Christ conquered Satan and death through his crucifixion and resurrection and will eventually return to eliminate evil entirely. Although Christians have different eschatological views (beliefs about the end times), many agree that the conclusion will involve the annihilation of evil and the triumph of good. This doctrine is central to the climax and resolution of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. As Leland Ryken and Marjorie Lamp Mead point out in A Reader's Guide through the Wardrobe: "The turning of the statues back into people, a gigantic and decisive last battle, coronations at a great hall, living 'in great joy' and remembering 'life in this world … only as one remembers a dream'—all of these have an eschatological feel to them."
Awakening to New Life
The theme of awakening to a new life emerges both physically and spiritually. On a physical level, the children's journey through the wardrobe into Narnia represents an awakening to a new existence; they uncover a world they were previously unaware of. Their adventures, which culminate in the defeat of the White Witch, signify merely the start of their new lives. They rise to become kings and queens of Narnia, ruling happily for many years, and the narrator notes, "if ever they remembered their life in this world it was only as one remembers a dream." In Narnia, the arrival of spring, brought by Aslan's return, marks nature's revival to new life after a century-long winter. After the White Witch kills Aslan, he is resurrected by the Deeper Magic and then hurries to the witch's castle to restore the stone statues by breathing on them. The ultimate defeat of the White Witch and the coronation of the Pevensie children as rulers signal Narnia's awakening to a new era free from oppression.
The Giving of Great Gifts
Unlike honors or awards, which are earned, gifts are given out of love. Aslan, symbolizing love, is the ultimate gift-giver in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The gifts he provides are essential in overcoming the malevolent forces in Narnia. Through the character of Father Christmas, Aslan equips Peter, Susan, and Lucy with tools for combat; he offers the Beavers gifts that enhance their daily lives; and he provides them all with a pot of hot tea, complete with cups and saucers, for their enjoyment. To Edmund and the stone statues, Aslan grants the precious gift of life.
Each gift, starting with those from Father Christmas, plays a vital role in defeating evil in Narnia. Susan's horn summons Aslan's allies when Maugrim and his wolves attack. Peter uses his sword to slay Maugrim, a significant figure in the White Witch's ranks. This sword, alongside Susan's bow and arrows, is crucial in the final battle against the witch's army. Susan uses her vial of magical cordial to heal Edmund's life-threatening wound, allowing the prophecy to come true that evil will be vanquished when four children take the thrones of Cair Paravel. She also uses her cordial to heal many others, easing the physical pain inflicted by evil. The tea set provides the children and the Beavers with much-needed rest and refreshment, supporting them on their journey that ultimately leads to the witch's downfall. Mrs. Beaver's new sewing machine and Mr. Beaver's repaired dam simplify their lives and inspire them to endure during difficult times. They can only overcome evil by pressing on without losing hope.
Moreover, Aslan bestows the gift of life itself. He sacrifices himself for Edmund, allowing Edmund to live. This act of sacrifice fulfills the earlier prophecy and directly contributes to the defeat of evil, as it is Edmund who, during battle, devises the plan to shatter the witch's wand with his sword. With her wand destroyed, the witch is unable to petrify her foes, giving Edmund's army additional time until Aslan's reinforcements arrive. Without Aslan's self-sacrifice, Edmund would not have been present to thwart the witch. Furthermore, Aslan's gift of life to the stone statues enables him to assemble the reinforcement army that aids in defeating the evil forces in Narnia.
Hospitality
This theme delves into the ideas of good versus evil and the practice of giving gifts. At its heart, hospitality is a form of gift-giving. When people demonstrate hospitality, they offer their food and the shelter of their home, essentially providing their guests with the best they have. Hospitality means creating a space for a stranger at one's own hearth, fostering connections by warmly inviting outsiders into one's home. Memorable examples of hospitality in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe include Mr. and Mrs. Beaver welcoming the Pevensie children and serving them a meal; Aslan preparing a banquet for Peter, Susan, and Lucy when they arrive at the Stone Table; and the newly crowned kings and queens hosting their guests at Cair Paravel: "And that night there was a great feast in Cair Paravel, and revelry and dancing, and gold flashed and wine flowed."
However, the narrative also shows how positive things can be corrupted for harmful purposes. Mr. Tumnus uses hospitality as a means to deceive Lucy: he pretends to befriend her, leads her to his cave, offers her tea, and tries to lull her to sleep with his flute, planning to capture her and hand her over to the White Witch. Yet, because Mr. Tumnus is fundamentally a good Faun, he cannot carry out such a wicked act; he admits everything to Lucy and helps her escape. Similarly, the White Witch feigns hospitality toward Edmund: she invites him into her sleigh, wraps him in her warm cloak, and serves him a hot drink and the most exquisite Turkish Delight he has ever tasted. She aims for him to eventually return with his siblings, allowing her to kill them and secure her control over Narnia.
