Your Thoughts On Narnia

[Rev Robert]

What does everyone think about Narnia, good or bad? Haven't seen the latest movie version, but have read all Lewis books both adult and children, and seen prior video versions of Narnia series, and Bio pic of Lewis. Many pro and cons about Lewis, and his works. What do you think?

Rev Robert

Edited December 17, 2005 by Rev Robert

[joinee_freya]

I think it odd that children were banned from the narnia adventures when they looked like they were growing up - I am guessing CS Lewis had a problem with the 'growing up' thing.

I still love the stories and have bought my 22 year old a childrens version of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe for Christmas - Annie doesnt read but she will appreciate the wonderful illustrations.

As to what I think the stories represent - I understood that Aslan represents Jesus, and God is represented by 'The Emperor over the sea' - the witch is Satan (I would say temptation as I dont believe in Satan) and I havent got a clue who the children are meant to be - but the books would be a bit short without them. In case anyone is interested, my favourite Narnia book has to be The Silver Chair as the antics of Puddleglum always cheer me up

[Izmir Stinger]

Peter is supposed to be the Pope.

There is not a 1:1 correlation between everything in the Chronicles of Narnia and Christian dogma. Some of it is just a story, and some of it is supposed to symbolise some aspect of Christianity. First time I read the books, I completely missed the symbolic aspects altogether.

[Bluecat]

Peter is sort of the apostle and Edmund is to some extent a Judas figure at first.

But basically they're characters in a story.

There has been a certain amount of controversy about the film over here, based on a dislike of Lewis's theology and the fact that he was a bit uncomfortable with the children (particularly female ones) growing up.

Still, he was quite open about wanting to write a children's (rather than adults') story because he didn't want to deal with sex.

I thought the film was great: wonderful special effects and the White Witch is fabulous.

I don't find the books particularly sexist, because IMO Lucy is the hero of the first book, and in the others you get strong females like Polly (Magician's Nephew) Aravis (The Horse and His Boy) and Jill Pole (The Silver Chair), while some of the boys, like Edmund and Eustace Scrubb, are weak and have a struggle to behave well. Also Lewis treats all his characters as moral beings who have to learn how to choose rightly.

It is, however, a bit racist: the Calormenes are your basic shifty darkskinned Eastern johnnies, don't you know? though even there Aravis and the chap in The Last Battle who finds out he was a worshipper of Aslan all along get saved. But the less Calormene they are and the more Narnian (Northern) the better...

I've also read criticism of Lewis from Evangelical standpoints which knock him for putting in pagan (ie classical) characters like Fauns, Nereids and Dryads. (They haven't noticed that dwarfs and giants come from the equally pagan mythology of the North).

Personally I think he just bunged in all the things he liked (Fauns and tinned sardines, marmalade roll, Father Christmas, and tree spirits) and it all goes with his theme of animate, thinking talking dancing nature.

His essays are sometimes fairly reactionary, but the one called "Good Works and Good Work" sums up pretty much what I think about consumerism.

He seems to be thought of as virtually a Roman Catholic these days, which is odd, as he was an Ulster Protestant given to referring to RCs as "sewer rats"... jokingly no doubt.

Incidentally, someone wrote a letter to the paper this week comparing the monkey who brings about the end of the world in "The Last Battle" by faking messages from Aslan, bemusing a Donkey into helping him, and interpreting all signs of Aslan's displeasure as signs of support for his rule - to a certain president of a certain large country west of the Atlantic.

Which proves that you can read absolutely anything into them if you're really determined to.

Edited December 19, 2005 by Bluecat

[chi]

I introduced my granddaughter to the chronicles of Narnia

a few years ago. Now that she's in 2nd grade and can read

them by herself she continues to read the stories. I had not

read any religious theme into the story, but now that its

pointed out I can see where its possible.

The chronicles do have more of an adult tone to them.

Fairy tales were originally written for adults.

[WarriorAngel]

I NEVER DID and still DON'T see the Christianity part of this!

I LOVED the animated "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wordrobe", it made me cry!

BUT, I just don't see what it has to do with GOD!?

I actually use to feel that it was "Pagan-ish", until I learned that it was "looked at" as Christian...now, I just don't "get it"...?

[Bluecat]

I NEVER DID and still DON'T see the Christianity part of this!

I LOVED the animated "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wordrobe", it made me cry!

BUT, I just don't see what it has to do with GOD!?

I actually use to feel that it was "Pagan-ish", until I learned that it was "looked at" as Christian...now, I just don't "get it"...?

In the Magician's Nephew a world is created beautiful and good and with all the beings in it having direct knowledge of their creator. This creation is set under the rule of a man and a woman, under the guidance of the creator, who walks and talks with them. But evil enters the world thanks to the wrongdoing of two humans, and causes damage which can only be repaired in time by the death of an innocent and willing victim - the creator himself.

In The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe, the world is suffering under the rule of the entity which introduced evil into the world, but there is struggle going on between those who obey her rule and those who are still loyal to the creator. An act of betrayal brings a sentence of death upon the sinner, but instead the lion freely offers himself as a sacrifice. He is delivered helpless into the hands of the evil, is mocked, beaten, humilated and finally killed. Two women weep over his body and prepare him hastily for burial. When they return the body is gone, and they believe that it has been taken away by his killers. Then they see him - himself again and alive, but transformed. He tells them that the power of death has been broken. He helps them do battle against evil, and leaves them after a short while.

In the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the travellers are greeted on the farthest shore by a lamb, who invites them to eat with them. Only when the meal is about to begin do they recognise that it is their friend the lion.

In the Last Battle, the world is corrupted by a ruler who fakes the words of the creator and interprets all signs and omens of his displeasure as agreement. In fact the ruler has handed the world over to the power of evil. A final battle ensues between good and evil, and then the creator winds up his creation, including a last trump, rolling up of the sky and the sea, and so on. The characters who have been loyal to the creator find themselves in a world of which the world they knew was just a faint and imperfect imitation, where they are reunited with their loved ones, and will live forever in the presence of the creator.

Throughout, bad characters throw doubt on the existence of the Lion, and especially on his resurrection.

This all sounds fairly Christian-influenced to me!

Similarly his Science Fiction novels are "what if?" narratives based on Christian beliefs, expecially those of the Creation, the Fall and the Atonement, which Lewis takes to be fairly essential parts of Christian doctrine.

For example, if it happened that there were creatures on other planets with souls, would they also have fallen with our Fall (and therefore been saved with Christ's Atonement) or would a seperate Fall and Atonement be necessary for different Creations? What would happen to unfallen creatures if they came into contact with (the certainly Fallen) people from Earth? That gives you the basic plot outlines of his Sci-Fi books.

Incidentally, in his academic career Lewis was best known for his work on medieval allegory (his book "The Allegory of Love" is still the definitive work).

He was writing allegories of Christianity in his fiction.

Edited December 20, 2005 by Bluecat

[WarriorAngel]

I NEVER DID and still DON'T see the Christianity part of this!

I LOVED the animated "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wordrobe", it made me cry!

BUT, I just don't see what it has to do with GOD!?

I actually use to feel that it was "Pagan-ish", until I learned that it was "looked at" as Christian...now, I just don't "get it"...?

In the Magician's Nephew a world is created beautiful and good and with all the beings in it having direct knowledge of their creator. This creation is set under the rule of a man and a woman, under the guidance of the creator, who walks and talks with them. But evil enters the world thanks to the wrongdoing of two humans, and causes damage which can only be repaired in time by the death of an innocent and willing victim - the creator himself.

In The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe, the world is suffering under the rule of the entity which introduced evil into the world, but there is struggle going on between those who obey her rule and those who are still loyal to the creator. An act of betrayal brings a sentence of death upon the sinner, but instead the lion freely offers himself as a sacrifice. He is delivered helpless into the hands of the evil, is mocked, beaten, humilated and finally killed. Two women weep over his body and prepare him hastily for burial. When they return the body is gone, and they believe that it has been taken away by his killers. Then they see him - himself again and alive, but transformed. He tells them that the power of death has been broken. He helps them do battle against evil, and leaves them after a short while.

In the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the travellers are greeted on the farthest shore by a lamb, who invites them to eat with them. Only when the meal is about to begin do they recognise that it is their friend the lion.

In the Last Battle, the world is corrupted by a ruler who fakes the words of the creator and interprets all signs and omens of his displeasure as agreement. In fact the ruler has handed the world over to the power of evil. A final battle ensues between good and evil, and then the creator winds up his creation, including a last trump, rolling up of the sky and the sea, and so on. The characters who have been loyal to the creator find themselves in a world of which the world they knew was just a faint and imperfect imitation, where they are reunited with their loved ones, and will live forever in the presence of the creator.

Throughout, bad characters throw doubt on the existence of the Lion, and especially on his resurrection.

This all sounds fairly Christian-influenced to me!

Similarly his Science Fiction novels are "what if?" narratives based on Christian beliefs, expecially those of the Creation, the Fall and the Atonement, which Lewis takes to be fairly essential parts of Christian doctrine.

For example, if it happened that there were creatures on other planets with souls, would they also have fallen with our Fall (and therefore been saved with Christ's Atonement) or would a seperate Fall and Atonement be necessary for different Creations? What would happen to unfallen creatures if they came into contact with (the certainly Fallen) people from Earth? That gives you the basic plot outlines of his Sci-Fi books.

Incidentally, in his academic career Lewis was best known for his work on medieval allegory (his book "The Allegory of Love" is still the definitive work).

He was writing allegories of Christianity in his fiction.

THANK YOU! That is THE best explaination I have EVER heard concerning these works!

Now, I get it!

[Bluecat]

Aww thank you. It's a pleasure. I hope I haven't stopped you enjoying the books BTW

[Izmir Stinger]

Aww thank you. It's a pleasure. I hope I haven't stopped you enjoying the books BTW

Aww crap, now I have to stop enjoying them. Thanks a lot, Bluecat!

[Dorian Gray]

Izzy..its just like CDC's you only need them for the test...ingore them otherwise....

[BpCorey]

What does everyone think about Narnia, good or bad? Haven't seen the latest movie version, but have read all Lewis books both adult and children, and seen prior video versions of Narnia series, and Bio pic of Lewis. Many pro and cons about Lewis, and his works. What do you think?

Rev Robert

Narnia?

hmm, I thought I saw my cat chasing one around the yard once...

Edited December 21, 2005 by FrCorey

[coffee_sloth]

I always liked the books as just a series of fantasy books. If others read symbolism into them, that's just dandy for them, but to me, they're just fantasy books, and really good ones at that. I need to go buy a set for myself and my kids. I must have read "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" a hundred times. You know, I want to see that one as a movie, I want to see dufflepuds on the screen!

[BpCorey]

I always liked the books as just a series of fantasy books. If others read symbolism into them, that's just dandy for them, but to me, they're just fantasy books, and really good ones at that. I need to go buy a set for myself and my kids. I must have read "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" a hundred times. You know, I want to see that one as a movie, I want to see dufflepuds on the screen!

I loved the Spellsinger stories, and the Myth series.

also, sentenced to prizm was ok, and Ox and Orn too.

the dancing killer mushrooms cracked me up...

[joinee_freya]

I NEVER DID and still DON'T see the Christianity part of this!

I LOVED the animated "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wordrobe", it made me cry!

BUT, I just don't see what it has to do with GOD!?

I actually use to feel that it was "Pagan-ish", until I learned that it was "looked at" as Christian...now, I just don't "get it"...?

I spent 10 years with Jehovahs witnesses and never really fitted in - mainly when it came to what I chose to read to my kids. I introduced my kids to Narnia and at 22 and 24 they still love the stories. The Chronicles of Narnia are on the banned books of JWs because of the Christian content (which I dont particularly see - given the amount of pagan content in it)

[Dr_Toxicophilous]

Lewis was completely open about the fact that the books represented his view of Christianity. But they're good stories whatever you believe.

Aslan said he created the world of Narnia to help the kids love him in their own world. I think the idea was that a fairytale world was good for them while they were young but when they got older they were supposed to put that aside and embrace Christianity.

And Susan goes to hell in the end. Don't forget that.

[Bluecat]

And Susan goes to hell in the end. Don't forget that.

It's been said, but I don't think she does.

She does not enter Narnia when the others do in the Last Battle, nor is she seen waving on the distant but connected land which turns out to be ours (or rather, the heaven of which our world can be a glimpse, as the Narnia after the Last Battle is the "real" Narnia of which the Narnia they had known till then was but the shadow) where the Pevensies' parents are, but that's because she doesn't die in the train crash which kills them all.

I don't have a copy of the Last Battle to check up on, but that's as I recall it.

Narnia would no longer be heaven to her anyway.

Apparently there is a letter from Lewis to a child fan saying that perhaps Susan would find her way to Narnia eventually.

Edited January 6, 2006 by Bluecat