“A myth is a way of making sense in a senseless world. Myths are narrative patterns that give significance to our existence.” ― Rollo May
Fiction has always been used as a way to relay different types of messages throughout time. In many cases authors use fiction to make political commentary, use stories to bring out the major flaws that society has, as well as a way to spread different types of beliefs or ideals. C.S. Lewis’s used his work, “The Chronicles of Narnia”, to reiterate the messages of the Bible to those who might have gotten lost during their lifetime. Though his whole series was full of connections the book that have the most prevalent connections are The Magician’s Nephew and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In both there are places that are very similar to and very different books in the Bible. Taking into context when Lewis wrote this series is extremely important to see what some of his motivations might have been. These stories were started soon after World War II had ended. These stories were a way to teach the next generation some of the morals that the Bible was teaching. By creating these fantastical stories Lewis was able to make connections to help bridge the learning gap between the two generations. Also by using children as a target audience Lewis was able to remind adults as well, instead of being ignored because of the recent war. Lewis was able to address these lessons and morals in a way that both taught the children the way of the Bible, as well as to put a new spin on old tales so that adults were able to come back to religion, after losing some faith during the brutal war.
Starting off, the series first book was The Magician’s Nephew, and it was a creation story. Much like how the Bible...
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...re imaginative and child friendly. These stories had many of the same dilemmas and faced many of the same challenges. They both had to do with innocence, betrayal, and temptation. C.S. Lewis’s work was defiantly reflective of the Bible, but it fit better with the times, and the people. This trend of using fiction as a device to spread messages, like religion, has been used, is being used, and will continue to be used in the future. In the end the stories are different, but the messages are all the same.
Works Cited
"Genisis, Matthew, and John." Holy Bible: NIrV, New International Reader's Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1998. N. pag. Web.
Lewis, C. S., and Pauline Baynes. "The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe." The Chronicles of Narnia. New York: HarperCollinsPublishers, 2001. N. pag. Print.
Myths relate to events, conditions, and deeds of gods or superhuman beings that are outside ordinary human life and yet basics to it” ("Myth," 2012). Mythology is said to have two particular meanings, “the corpus of myths, and the study of the myths, of a particular area: Amerindian mythology, Egyptian mythology, and so on as well as the study of myth itself” ("Mythology," 1993). In contrast, while the term myth can be used in a variety of academic settings, its main purpose is to analyze different cultures and their ways of thinking. Within the academic setting, a myth is known as a fact and over time has been changed through the many different views within a society as an effort to answer the questions of human existence. The word myth in an academic context is used as “ancient narratives that attempt to answer the enduring and fundamental human questions: How did the universe and the world come to be? How did we come to be here? Who are we? What are our proper, necessary, or inescapable roles as we relate to one another and to the world at large? What should our values be? How should we behave? How should we not behave? What are the consequences of behaving and not behaving in such ways” (Leonard, 2004 p.1)? My definition of a myth is a collection of false ideas put together to create
Lewis, C. S. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. New York: HarperCollins, 1994. Print.
MacDonald's novel teaches children that with faith any obstacle can be overcome, and Lewis proposes that the world is a much better place as a christian world, yet what makes their novels so special, and so enduring, are the stories each writer uses to convey their message. Both MacDonald and Lewis understood that entertainment came first and their successful adherance to this rule made what could've been become preachy lectures into first rate classics of children's literature. They may both be religious allegories but they're also stunning reads and that's what really counts.
Over the recent centuries, the definition of myth has decayed into a word synonymous with falsehoods and lies. This idea of myths being completely false and therefore useless is a fairly modern one. To combat the rise of empirical science in the 1900s, theologians brought the idea of wholly literal, fundamental religion into being to combat ideas that did not perfectly align with the tenants of the religion (May 24). This was the final death blow to the idea of the metaphysical myth that was already wounded from thousands of years of being denounced as pagan or barbaric. The rise of empirical science also lent to the decay of the meaning of myth. Science was able to explain the natural world far better than a myth ever could; however, it lacked the metaphysical aspect. Due to these rising ideologies, myths hav...
C.S. Lewis was the 20th century’s most popular proponent of faith based on reason. As a child, he created an imaginary world where personified animals came to life, and later, he wrote the book, Chronicles of Narnia. How did he transform from a boy fascinated with anthropomorphic animals into a man of immense faith? His transformation to the Christian religion happened as his fame began to flourish. People wrote him, asking him about his claims about the truth of Christianity (Belmonte, Kevin). As I attended the drama of Freud’s Last Session, I was engrossed into the plot of the play and was constantly thinking about how it pertained to the objectives of the World Literature class. I not only connected the content of the play to its context, but I also reached out to apply the context to a discussion on a broader scale. I then discovered why the context of literature is imperative for true understanding of the w...
In this supposal Lewis talks about betrayal, forgiveness, and pride. He seems to have a moral agenda hidden behind his characters. Although he wants you to take and interpret this story the way it is, there are several moral issues discussed throughout this chronicle. He uses Christian themes in his writing but transplants them in a setting that takes place in another place at another time. His writing causes the reader to think deeper into the story concluding their own opinions. The reader can simply see the story as a magical children's book or as a book with biblical representations. The viewpoint of the story depends on how the reader chooses to interpret it. That is what makes Lewis' writing "magical."
Shmoop Editorial Team. "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Quotes." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web.03 May 2011.
Lewis, C.S. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. New York: Scholastic, 1950. 78-79. Print.
C.S. Lewis has focused on religious writing and uses his fairy tales to teach his lessons. C.S. Lewis created a story of a fictional world called Narnia that was inside of a wardrobe. There were four siblings, Edmund, Peter, Susan, and Lucy. Lucy was the one who discovered this magical place, but once she told the rest nobody believed her, Edmund even made fun of her for having such a ridiculous thought. While exploring their new house they found this world that was in the wardrobe unlike anything they have ever seen before. They saw numerous creatures that did not exist in the real world like centaurs, but yet it all seemed so real. There were a few different creatures that symbolized
The Chronicles of Narnia The Lion Witch and Wardrobe, a powerful and moving story a novel full of relations from the bible. A group of children, Peter, Susan, Lucy, and Edmund travel to a magical place. Where a war is taking place against light and dark, good vs evil. In the real world there is also a war going on as well. The kids must save the world of Narnia by conjuring the white witch. With allusions to Jesus and the devil the book draws close relations to the bible and the Christian faith. A man of faith, C.S. Lewis shows readers a new way to take a deeper look into the Christian faith and the war against good and evil by using The Chronicles of Narnia.
There are many movies that deal with mystical adventures and religious adventures, but none compare to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In this particular movie Andrew Adamson depicts how children living during the 1940’s couldn’t escape the reality of the world they live in, even with their religious beliefs. This movie takes place during a time of depression. It was the 1940’s, World War II was in full force and the Nazis were steam-rolling through countries. This particular movie deals with four kids and how they were sent away from Great Britain because of the Nazi invasion, also known as the Great Battle of Britain. During this time most kids were transported out of there because of the danger that was presented. Over 800,000 children were evacuated because parents would rather save them so they could live a happy full life then have them living in subways underground listening to artillery go off all day. The four children in this movie are sent off far away to live with a professor in a mysterious house. Most adults evacuated their homes and spent night after night in underground stations hearing Nazi bombers shell the city all night long. “But the Germans were unable to break the spirit of the British people: civilian morale remained high…” (Milne). One thing the Germans were able to break was their spirituality. During this time religion was very important and most of the members of society had a firm religious belief. After this incident, religion was seen as not necessary. Many people thought it failed them, their religion was supposed to keep them safe. How does God let that happen to them? One of the main purposes of the book was to convince people not to give up their faith. Just becaus...
In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis employs symbolism, development and morality. He uses symbolism as a driving force throughout the novel. Without the use of characters similar to Christian figures, Lewis’ series would lack a sense of meaning. His use of these figures evokes a sense of wonder in the reader and encourages them to continue reading. Lewis uses development throughout The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as a means to create vivid and more impressionable world. He uses morality as a means for rallying the reader behind a character, inspiring them to continue to support them though the story. These three elements work harmoniously to establish a novel that contains literary depth and meaning.
Most modern fairytales are expected to have happy endings and be appropriate for children, nonetheless, in past centuries most were gruesome. Consequently, fairytales have been modified throughout time. The stories “Beauty and the Beast” by Jeanne-Marie LePrince de Beaumont and “The Summer and Winter Garden” by Jacob and Wilherm Grimm share similarities and differences. The two stories are distinct because of the peculiar year they have been written in. LePrince de Beaumont’s story is written in London of 1783 and Grimm’s in Germany of 1812. At the time, wealthy people in London, were educated and had nannies who would read to their children; whereas, in Germany, the Grimm brothers created their own interpretation into a short story. Because many high class parents in 18th century London would not be able to spend time with their children, nannies would read “Beauty and the Beast” to them since they were intended for children and considered appropriate. In “The Summer and Winter Garden,” the Grimm’s’ story was mostly based to entertain misbehaved children and teach them the valuable lesson that everyone should be treated with kindness. The Grimm brothers’ goal in rewriting this short story is to better children’s behavior which worked quite well. Since these stories have been re-written for children, it would be safe to say the reason why parents expose the two stories to their children is because they both portray the same moral: good things happen to good people. The two interpretations of “Beauty and the Beast,” although written in separate countries, share important similarities and differences even though the authors have different interpretations and came from different cultures.
The Narnia Chronicles have already established themselves as timeless works of literature. They appeal to both the atheists and the God-fearing, to both the uneducated and to scholars; to children and adults. An understanding of the Biblical allegory in these books is not essential to their appreciation. A critical analysis of these works, however, does allow the reader to more fully appreciate Lewis' unique gift to simplify complex narratives and craft beautiful children's fantasies. This, in turn, allows the reader to gain both a deeper understanding of Lewis as a skilled creative writer, and a deeper satisfaction of his art. To be able to appreciate C.S. Lewis as such an artisan can only add to one's enjoyment of his works.
Lewis, C. S. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. New York: HarperCollins, 1994. Print.