Christian Themes in Narnia |
 Feb 1 2009, 06:26 PM
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#31
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Knight MacMod The Great Protecting The Memory Of Sense  Posts: 2,430 Joined: 7:17pm February 17, 2006 Location: 3rd door on the left, Hogsmeade    |
QUOTE(Frommfilm @ Feb 1 2009, 02:06 PM)  As a side-note, there's a line from The Silver Chair that's always amused me; where Lewis says that Bibles "were not encouraged" at Jill and Eustace's school (I don't have the book to hand for a more exact quote). I get the feeling that to him this is a truly cardinal sin, and he's being a little sarky about it; I think he takes great pleasure in painting this place, with its disdain for his religion, as being a truly soulless place. What a delightful characterization of shallow-minded, self-absorbed pretentiousness Lewis has given us, along with its inevitable product: Eustace. I suspect Lewis would look at our current climate of pretentious political correctness and point out that we are breeding Eustaces by the tens of thousands--a bit of sowing of Dragon's Teeth. Then there's Eustace's parents. Re-reading Dawn Treader recently, I was thoroughly amused by Lewis's portrait of them: teetotallers, vegetarians, very rational people; once again I get the impression that he's personifying everything he despises, and contrasting them with the Pevensies, who represent what he holds dear. Aslan help us! --------------------  click the Q "And, if there is need to speak in brief summary of this power, we shall find that none of the things which are done with intelligence take place without the help of speech, but that in all our actions as well as in all our thoughts speech is our guide, . . ." Isocrates, Antidosis |
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Feb 3 2009, 02:49 AM
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#32
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Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 3 Joined: 12:57am January 31, 2009 |
The capstone for my BA in history was a seminar about C.S. Lewis. We read Voyage of the Dawn Treader and that was the only Narnia book I have ever read. Most people enjoyed it because the Narnia books were a favorite from childhood. Because I hadn't read the book when I was younger, I really couldn't get into it. To me, the plot wasn't compelling enough, the characters weren't interesting enough, and there was no subtlety to the Christian metaphors. I consider it to be Christian apologetics for kids. However, as they were meant to be children's books, I take no issue with that. If I had children of my own, I would encourage them to read them.
If you are interested in reading one of Lewis's works of fiction with Christian themes that is aimed toward a more "grown up" reader, I would suggest The Great Divorce. It is his response to the book The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (I forgot now who the author is). It is a thought-provoking piece with beautiful imagery. "a side-note, there's a line from The Silver Chair that's always amused me; where Lewis says that Bibles "were not encouraged" at Jill and Eustace's school (I don't have the book to hand for a more exact quote). I get the feeling that to him this is a truly cardinal sin, and he's being a little sarky about it; I think he takes great pleasure in painting this place, with its disdain for his religion, as being a truly soulless place. Then there's Eustace's parents. Re-reading Dawn Treader recently, I was thoroughly amused by Lewis's portrait of them: teetotallers, vegetarians, very rational people; once again I get the impression that he's personifying everything he despises, and contrasting them with the Pevensies, who represent what he holds dear." Lewis had a great aversion to modernity. He was not a fan of Freud, he never learned to drive, he preferred buttons to zippers, he referred to himself as a "dinosaur" - the list goes on. Eusatce's parents are one of many examples from Lewis's works of fiction that reflects his disdain for the modern world. (Out of the Silent Planet, anyone?) While the fact that Eustace's family were not Christians should be considered, I believe that their secular characteristics are what define them mostly as the antithesis to the Pevensie children. This post has been edited by SnapesSister: Feb 3 2009, 09:26 AM
Reason for edit: Edited by Moderator to merge consecutive posts
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Feb 3 2009, 09:03 AM
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#33
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Knight MacMod The Great Protecting The Memory Of Sense Posts: 2,430 Joined: 7:17pm February 17, 2006 Location: 3rd door on the left, Hogsmeade |
QUOTE(Lady of the Lake @ Feb 3 2009, 12:42 AM) [...] Well, there are also things like total self-absorbtion, complete lack of self-discipline, absence of compassion, and inability to use imagination in the face of new situations.
While the fact that Eustace's family were not Christians should be considered, I believe that their secular characteristics are what define them mostly as the antithesis to the Pevensie children. -------------------- click the Q "And, if there is need to speak in brief summary of this power, we shall find that none of the things which are done with intelligence take place without the help of speech, but that in all our actions as well as in all our thoughts speech is our guide, . . ." Isocrates, Antidosis |
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Feb 3 2009, 10:57 AM
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#34
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Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 3 Joined: 12:57am January 31, 2009 |
Oh, I agree. I was merely trying to point out that I didn't think Lewis took a special delight in depicting Eusatce's parents as non-Christians, as frommfilm suggested. I think those sorts of characteristics you mentioned rather saddened Lewis.
This post has been edited by Lady of the Lake: Feb 3 2009, 11:06 AM |
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Feb 4 2009, 09:31 AM
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#35
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Knight MacMod The Great Protecting The Memory Of Sense Posts: 2,430 Joined: 7:17pm February 17, 2006 Location: 3rd door on the left, Hogsmeade |
QUOTE(Lady of the Lake @ Feb 3 2009, 07:57 AM) Oh, I agree. I was merely trying to point out that I didn't think Lewis took a special delight in depicting Eusatce's parents as non-Christians, as frommfilm suggested. I think those sorts of characteristics you mentioned rather saddened Lewis. Yes, I suspect he saw some cause-effect relationship.
-------------------- click the Q "And, if there is need to speak in brief summary of this power, we shall find that none of the things which are done with intelligence take place without the help of speech, but that in all our actions as well as in all our thoughts speech is our guide, . . ." Isocrates, Antidosis |
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Feb 13 2009, 04:45 PM
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#36
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Exclusive distributor of The Dungbomb Protection Kit Posts: 2,632 Joined: 10:52pm March 5, 2007  |
I am interested in the role that prophecy and prophets play in the series. I don't know if Lewis believed in prophecy, but Reepicheep was driven by prophecy
QUOTE Where sky and water meet, Where the waves grow sweet, Doubt not, Reepicheep, To find all you seek, There is the utter East. Perhaps by having Reepicheep follow this prophecy, Lewis is continuing the portrayal of a deity that knows the beginning from the end on a very personal basis. I can't think of any other forms of direct prophecy in the series, but I can't help but cast the good Puddleglum in the role of a prophet...not as a foreteller, but as one who tries to keep his 'people' on the right path, following the signs. |
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Feb 13 2009, 10:31 PM
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#37
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Madame Pince's House Elf Posts: 4,607 Joined: 5:46pm January 28, 2005 Location: In HP Book Club 4, awaiting the HBP film's release |
QUOTE(Pyxis @ Feb 14 2009, 08:45 AM) I am interested in the role that prophecy and prophets play in the series. I don't know if Lewis believed in prophecy, but Reepicheep was driven by prophecy Perhaps by having Reepicheep follow this prophecy, Lewis is continuing the portrayal of a deity that knows the beginning from the end on a very personal basis. I can't think of any other forms of direct prophecy in the series, but I can't help but cast the good Puddleglum in the role of a prophet...not as a foreteller, but as one who tries to keep his 'people' on the right path, following the signs. There are several prophesies in the Narnia series. In LWW the children at the Beaver's Dam meal get to hear three, the first about Aslan which goes like this: Wrong will be right when Aslan comes in sight, At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more, When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death, And when he shakes his mane, we will have spring again. But the second and third prophesies are the ones that the White Witch tries to derail by luring Edmund into betraying his siblings. The second prophecy says: When Adam's flesh and Adam's bone Sits at Cair Paravel in throne, The evil time will be over and done. A third prophecy on the next page, specifies that when two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve sit in the four thrones of Cair Paravel that it will not only be the end of the White Witch's rule but also of her life. In the end, for Aslan to ensure the prophecies do come to pass, he lays down his own life, to preserve Edmund's from being the Witch's just prey. In HHB, Shasta fulfils another prophecy when he warns King Lune about the approaching Rabadash and his army. It was predicted at his and Corin's births that he, Cor, would save Archenland from its most dire peril, and someone in the pay of the Calormenes, who didn't want that prophesy to come true, stole away the baby who was subsequently reared by Arsheesh the Calormene fisherman. And prophecy also plays a role in The Last Battle when Roonwit warns of impending disaster. So I think you are right about both Reepicheep and Puddleglum. This post has been edited by WaggaWaggaWerewolf: Feb 13 2009, 10:35 PM --------------------  Check out the Beedle the Bard Book Club |
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