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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a children’s fantasy novel by C.S. Lewis published in 1950. Set in Britain during World War II, the novel portrays the lives and adventures of four young siblings Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie as they discover the magical land of Narnia through the portal of an old wardrobe. Through Lewis’ thoughtful portrayal of the children and the childhood magic and fantasy of Narnia, the reader can see the importance that he placed on retaining the valued characteristics from childhood when entering adulthood.
Lewis’s portrayal of Lucy is a key example of characteristics from childhood he considered valued through adolescents and into adulthood. Lucy is the youngest of the Pevensie siblings and the first to discover the porthole through the wardrobe to the land of Narnia. Lucy’s innocence and goodness embody the idealized characteristics of a young girl in England at the time. This is evident early in the novel when entering the land of Narnia, she easily befriends Mr. Tumnus, the faun, and even after knowing he had intended to betray her to the evil Queen of Narnia, she forgave him and added “I do hope you won’t get into dreadful trouble on my account” (pg. 29). Her moral qualities are also seen later in the novel when she shows her concern for her brother Edmund even after he had betrayed them to the Queen when she pleads with Aslan “Can anything be done to save Edmund?” (pg. 140). In the allegory of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Aslan represents Christ. To protect their childhood innocence, Lewis makes Lucy and her sister Susan’s roles very clear in the novel, primarily not to fight in battle, to protect themselves, and to be caregivers to not only their family but to others as well. This is illustrated when Nania’s savior, the lion Aslan directs Lucy to leave caring solely for her brother Edmund after he has been injured in battle and to instead care for others (pg. 193). These examples throughout the novel show that Lewis strongly valued Lucy’s childhood innocence, goodness, and caring qualities which needed to be protected and retained as desirable qualities in becoming a woman.
Lewis’s portrayal of Peter is another example of possessing the characteristics from childhood that are valued into adulthood. Peter is the eldest of the siblings and the father figure. He showed leadership qualities from the start that grew through the novel. Other qualities such as his fairness and maturity are also evident throughout the novel including when he apologized to Lucy when he realizes Narnia is real: “Peter turned at once to Lucy. ‘I apologize for not believing you,’ he said, ‘I’m sorry. Will you shake hands with me?’” ( pg.63). The valued trait of bravery, which Aslan knighted him for is also evident when he is in Narnia as can be seen when he was attacked by a ferocious wolf: “Peter did not feel very brave, indeed, he felt he was going to be sick. But that made no difference to what he had to do.” (pg. 143). These examples demonstrate the valued qualities Lewis portrayed through Peter of fairness, maturity, and bravery which are desirable qualities to be retained when becoming a man.
Lewis represents the ideals of childhood that are valued into adulthood through the sibling’s experiences in the magical land of Narnia, where Narnia is an escape from the real world to a fantasy land full of wondrous creatures and adventures. Another childhood ideal Lewis represents in the novel is good over evil. Lewis portrays evil through the Queen of Narnia, or the “bad and cruel White Witch” as the faun Mr. Tumnus described her when he tells Lucy that she keeps it ‘always winter and never Christmas’ (pg.25). While the Witch reigns Narnia, the inhabitants live in a fearful and unnatural environment, but when the children arrive, heralding the return of Aslan, Lewis portrays them as the ideals of goodness which brings an end to the constant winter and return to warmth and spring. This is illustrated when the Witch’s dwarf proclaims to her “‘This is no thaw… This is Spring…Your winter has been destroyed’” (Pg. 133). Narnia becomes rejuvenated because of the children’s arrival and Lewis uses the childhood symbolism of Santa Claus to represent the shift from evil to good as Santa had been banished by the Witch for years is finally able to return, exclaiming “I’ve come at last” (pg. 117). These examples show the ideals of the childhood of imagination and fantasy and good triumphing over evil that Lewis considered desirable to be retained into adulthood.
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis take the reader on a journey from England during World War II to the magical world of Narnia with its wondrous creatures and where good triumphs over evil. Nothing sacred about childhood is lost in Narnia and through the Pevensie children, Lewis portrays the childhood qualities that he considers important to retain when children mature into adulthood.
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