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Critical analysis of the lion the witch and the wardrobe
The lion, the witch and the wardrobe Biblical symbolism
The lion, the witch and the wardrobe Biblical symbolism
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There was a light ahead of her not a few inches away where the back of the wardrobe ought to have been, but a long way away. Something cold and soft was falling on her. A moment later she found that she was standing in the middle of a wood at night time with snow under her feet and snowflakes falling through the air.” So begins an adventure that throws four children into a magical country unlike any our world has ever seen. It is an adventure that will fling them into the very palm of evil itself and ultimately deliver them into the heart of good.
Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are caught in a battle between the White Witch and Aslan. They are forced to choose where their allegiances lie. While Lucy quickly leads Peter and Susan in following Aslan, Edmund quietly slips away to join the White Witch. Lucy represents the believer who chooses to follow Jesus while Edmund is an example of the unbeliever who sides with Satan. Through this essay I want to show you Lucy and Edmund’s similarities and differences as well as Aslan and the White Witch’s so that you will see the spiritual allegory portrayed through these characters.
Edmund’s differences from his sister become crystal clear as their story unfolds. The young boy seeks his own interest, crushing others in an effort to fulfill his desires. In pages 38 and 39, seated on the sleigh of the White Witch he betrays his whole family for a few pounds of Turkish Delight. Edmund can also be very cruel. He mocks Lucy when she describes Narnia on page 28. Edmund runs away from the goodness of Aslan, choosing the White Witch instead. He is lured by the prospect of the wealth and power he hopes the White Witch will provide. Instead of hope and freedom Edmund runs to cruelty and fear....
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...ong influence in the four children’s lives (145, 35-39). Finally, when either one of them comes on the scene a change takes place, (128-133, 154-157).
But for me the most powerful moment in the story, second only to Aslan’s resurrection, is when the White Witch comes to bargain for Edmund’s life. You can imagine the fear that gripped him, yet despite the words the White Witch flings at him he says nothing. C.S. Lewis writes, “But Edmund had got past thinking about himself…He just went right on looking at Aslan. It didn’t seem to matter what the Witch said.” The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe reveals the power of forgiveness that Christ shows to us. It reminds us that no matter how long we’ve clung to the other side Jesus will always accept us. We can be forgiven, if we keep looking at Jesus.
Works Cited
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.
The Hobbit This hobbit was a hobbit, and his name was Baggins. Baggins had lived in the neighborhood of ”The Hill” some time, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most or them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected. You could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbors’ respect, but he gained- well, you will see what he gained in the end.
In the small, desolate town of Starkfield, Massachusetts, Ethan Frome lives a life of poverty. Not only does he live hopelessly, but “he was a prisoner for life” to the economy (Ammons 2). A young engineer from outside of town narrates the beginning of the story. He develops a curiosity towards Ethan Frome and the smash-up that he hears about in bits and pieces. Later, due to a terrible winter storm that caused the snow itself to seem like “a part of the thickening darkness, to be the winter night itself descending on us layer by layer” (Wharton 20), the narrator is forced to stay the night at Frome’s. As he enters the unfamiliar house, the story flashes back twenty-four years to Ethan Frome’s young life. Living out his life with Zenobia Frome, his hypochondriac of a wife whom he does not love, Ethan has nowhere to turn for a glance at happiness. But when Zenobia’s, or Zeena’s, young cousin, Mattie Silver, comes to care for her, Ethan falls in love with the young aid. Mattie is Ethan’s sole light in life and “she is in contrast to everything in Starkfield; her feelings bubble near the surface” (Bernard 2). All through the novella, the two young lovers hide their feelings towards each other. When they finally let out their true emotions to each other in the end, the consequence is an unforeseen one. Throughout Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton portrays a twisted fairy tale similar to the story of Snow White with the traditional characters, but without a happy ending to show that in a bleak and stark reality, the beautiful and enchanting maiden could become the witch.
C.S Lewis is the author of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Warrdrobe. Lewis was born on November 29, 1898, in Belfast, Ireland. He was born Clive Staples Lewis to Flora August Hamilton Lewis and Albert J. Lewis. Lewis’s mother passed away when he was on ten years old. After his mother died he went on to get his pre-college education at boarding schools and he also received help from a tutor. Lewis served in World War I with the English Army, but unfortunately was sent home when he was wounded. Lewis was a graduate of Oxford University with a focus on classic philosophy and literature. As a child, he was disappointed with the Christian faith, but when he became older he found himself embracing Christianity. During World War II, he gave popular radio broadcasts on Christianity and they won many converts. Lewis’ speeches were collected in Mere Christianity. In the year of 1954, C.S. Lewis joined the staff of Cambridge University as a literature professor. He met an English teacher by the name of Joy Gresham and in 1956 they married each other and became a happily married family. The two were joyful during their marriage; unfortunately in 1960, the wife became ill with cancer died. Lewis began publishing his works in the mid- 1920s. Lewis started to publish The Chronicles of Narnia during the 1950s. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was the first in the seven book series to be released. This was the story of four siblings who discovered a wardrobe with a magical land in the back of it (“Clives…”). In The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Lewis describes Aslan, Edmund, and Lucy.
The Chronicles of Narnia are enticing books, which offer a wonderful fictional plot line, but also a deeper philosophical importance if one analyzes the series. Many religious allusions can be found between characters in Narnia and biblical people. Deeper understanding can be found throughout the stories even in many overlooked aspects of everyday life. “The Chronicles of Narnia” is a piece of literature filled with religious symbols and allusions, such as the actions of Aslan and the personality of Peter, that enhance one’s perception and understanding of the books.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader By: C.S. Lewis There are three main characters in the story, Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace. Lucy and Edmund are brothers and sisters and Eustace is their cousin. Edmund is a young teenager, very smart and very kind.
Throughout the novel Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie explicitly illuminates gender stereotypes and paternal and maternal qualities of the Victorian era. In the early 20th century, patriarchal society strictly defined men and women’s roles in the community. Traditionally, men were expected to attain manhood in the eyes of other men in society, find a spouse, achieve success and respect, provide for their wife and family, work through hardships, live adventurously, and financially succeed. A woman’s main role in life was her responsibilities to her family- primarily seen as wives, mothers, and caretakers, with her place being in a domestic setting. Through Peter Pan, Mr. and Mrs. Darling, Wendy, and Peter Pan each adhere to the classic gender stereotypes and paternal and maternal characteristics of the early 20th century in their own unique way.
This creates sinister predators within her short stories through the use of empowering and dangerous women. in ‘The Snow Child’, the use of subversion turns the traditional fable of Snow White’s existence from maternal desire into a child who is the product of paternal desire and sexual fantasy. The original tale of Snow White explores a queen who is driven by her desire for beauty and youth, this is similar within ‘The Snow Child’ as the Countess becomes jealous of the child as the Count begins to favour her. The countess and the child are portrayed as binary opposites throughout the story; as one is clothed, the other is naked. This could reflect the importance of appearance within society, and explain the Countess’ antagonistic response to the child and acts of neglect due to her jealousy of the child’s beauty. Carter’s description of the Countess’ clothing leaves the reader with an idea of her dangerous nature; she wears “pelts of black foxes”, an association suggesting a predatory and cunning nature. She also wears “scarlet heels, and spurs” and it may be that the colour of the heels comes from the actions of the spurs, which adds to this idea of violence. We see this nature when she is threatened by the child regarding the Count’s affections, “wife” becoming “the Countess” in a shift emphasised by finally having her own thoughts and feelings in the
The Dark Tower – Stephen King The Dark Tower is a series of stories that follow the main character, Roland "The Last Gunslinger", as he travels across a harsh desert on a mission to find the "man in black". His mission is to make it safely to the Tower in order to save himself and the very existence of the universe. The entire series revolves around the tower and how essential it is. The tower is a central point where different planes of existence merge and if Roland doesn't make it there before it gets destroyed then everything else will be destroyed along with it.
... getting punished for what she has done. Effectively, after the battle, good prevails. At the end of the story, Aslan fight and defeat the White Witch. Consequently, this is really a classic children book that covers good against evil.
The film begins with the children’s mother sending her four children to live on the country side with a professor. Lucy who is the youngest finds a room with a wardrobe and enters it, when send finds Narnia at the end behind the jackets. She meets a Faun named Mr. Tumnus and we can see forgiveness in one of the first scenes when Mr. Tumnus says to Lucy, “Be off home as quickly, can you forgive me for what I meant to do?" Lucy responds saying, "Why of course I can, shaking his hand, and I hope you will not get into trouble on my account." Lucy is re...
Through the use of Christian symbolism, conflicts, and imagery, C. S. Lewis implements his religious background into his literary works.
Few people can grow up within today's society without knowing the tale of Snow White. From the Grimm Brothers to Disney, it has been told and retold to children throughout the ages. However, what is often overlooked are the true meanings within the story. Fairytales typically have underlying messages that can be found written between the lines, generally in terms of the key themes. Snow White discusses the themes of envy and beauty, and shows how humans' obsessions can lead to their own downfall as well as the harm of others. When focusing on the relationship between Snow White and her step-mother the Queen, it is evident that the combination of these two themes results in a power struggle in which beauty is seen as a commodity and is the basis for the step-mother?s envy towards Snow White.
Neil Gaiman’s “Snow, Glass, Apples” is far from the modern day fairy tale. It is a dark and twisted version of the classic tale, Snow White. His retelling is intriguing and unexpected, coming from the point of view of the stepmother rather than Snow White. By doing this, Gaiman changes the entire meaning of the story by switching perspectives and motivations of the characters. This sinister tale has more purpose than to frighten its readers, but to convey a deeper, hidden message. His message in “Snow, Glass, Apples” is that villains may not always be villains, but rather victims.
Edmund lusted for all of his father’s power, lying to his gullible brother and father aided him in his plan for total authority along with destroying their lives. As bastard son of Gloucester, Edmund wanted to receive all of the power destined for his brother, Edgar, who was Gloucester’s legitimate son. Edmund stated his disapproval of his brother, “Wherefore should I/ Stand in the plague of custom, and permit/ The curiosity of nations to deprive me/ For that I am some twelve or fourteen moonshines/ Lag of a brother? Why bastard?”(1.2.2-6). Edmund wanted the respect and love that Edgar received even though he was Gloucester’s bastard son. He claimed that he was not much younger or “moonshines lag of a brother” therefore he should be considered just as smart and able-minded as any legitimate son. He built up hatred toward Edgar and in order to get rid of him he convinced his father that Edgar had betrayed him through a letter. The letter that Edmund made read, “If our father would sleep till I waked him, you/ should enjoy half his revenue for ever, and live/ the beloved of your brother, Edgar”(1.2.55-57). Edmund portrayed Edgar as the son that would kill Gloucester only to inherit his money and share his inheritance with Edmund. Gloucester believed Edmund, sending out guards to kill Edgar for his betrayal...
Lewis, was a book which changed children’s fantasy metaphorically and literally. In the book, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie stumble upon Narnia, a frozen land under control of the White Witch, through a wardrobe inside the house. Levy and Mendelsohn describe how the fantastic is contained in the sense that “the true fantastic is found at the heart of the home” (41). This book follows that same idea that there is a separation between the real world and the alternative world Narnia. When Lucy finds Narnia and rushes back to tell the others about it, they do not believe her at first because it sounds made up. It is not until the others stumble upon the alternative world themselves that they are blown away by the fantastic elements and characters. In Narnia, there are many fantastic characters including the faun Mr. Tumnus, the White Witch, talking beavers, dwarves, centaurs, minotaurs, and Aslan the talking lion who represents a godly figure. These four siblings have to learn who to trust and who they cannot trust. Levy and Mendelsohn point out that “Lewis changed the mood and direction in ways that have endured, although other forms were to emerge in the 1970’s … understanding that much children’s fantasy would be otherworldly, either physically or spiritually” (106). In James E. Higgins, A Letter from C. S. Lewis, Lewis describes how "[t]he Narnian books are not as much allegory as