Out of all of C.S. Lewis’s books, The Magician’s Nephew was the one which I thought was most inspiring and interesting. The reading was compelling and kept me hooked and trying to unravel more and more mysteries and adventures in the upcoming pages. The most important reason why this book is so relatable and has such an impact for me has to do with the fact that like many other kids all over the planet, I am accustomed to the creation story in the Bible. The beauty of the origin story is that it is so similar, almost universal across religions. This is not only true for Abrahamic faiths such as Islam and Judaism, but also for Eastern faiths such as Hinduism and Buddhism. In fact, in Hinduism the world is actually believed to be created through …show more content…
Lewis was also careful enough to not neglect the basic source of all human corruption in the Bible - the fall of man because of the original sin. Aslan warns Digory during the quest to retrieve the Apple of Life through a sign saying “Come in by the gold gates or not at all, Take of my fruit for others or forbear, For those who steal or those who climb my wall… Shall find their heart's desire and find despair” (94). This implies that the apple will be the beginning of despair if used for the wrong purposes or by people whom Aslan (God) has not conveyed authority to. The witch Jadis, disregards this and indulges in sin. This moment represents not only the analogy of the fall of mankind, it also represents the starting point of evil in …show more content…
Not only does Andrew witness the creation of trees, stars, creatures and the rest of the Narnia universe before his very eyes, he also gets the chance to interact and breathe in the rejuvenating and heavenly energy provided by Aslan the lion himself. This issue of rejection of faith even during demonstration of clear evidence of the greatness of God is not only a theme often found in the Bible and other religious texts. In my opinion it is also a fundamental problem with humanity hindering the progress of society. Certain clear signs of creationism are evident in front of our very eyes — such as life and the complexity of living organisms itself, yet we still, as a society continue to reject this hypothesis because we crave artificial hypothesis which conform to our perception. Similarly, Andrew saw the creation of the world, but still was focused on simple things that in his mind were rational, while disregarding what was happening before his very eyes: “Soon did hear nothing but roaring in Aslan's song. Soon he couldn't have heard anything else even if he had wanted to” (75). C.S. Lewis uses this character to show us that we hear only what we want to
Aslan is the King of Narnia. Lewis tries to resist any recognition that Aslan is Jesus Christ. When readi...
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.
“Let us suppose that there were a land like Narnia and that the son of God, as he became a man in our world, became a lion in theirs, and then imagine what would happen” (letters to children qtd. Gazora 9). Throughout Clive Lewis life, he changed his religion so many times from not believing in God to believing again. Lewis was always known for his fantasy, and his most known book The Chronicles of Narnia. Lewis wrote The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, to show his Christian faith. In Lewis’s novel, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, he uses the archetype of the hero, and the villain, as well as the symbol of the stone table.
The Magician’s Nephew is the genesis of Narnia. It all starts with a curious but cowardly Professor and two kids who want to find out what the Professor is doing so secretly in his lab. When they get there, the Professor tells the kids that he has found a way to travel between worlds and tricks them into trying his invention. Catastrophes and wondrous adventures follow.
...ieve in something they could not see. However, Lewis states that, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
Imagine your inner soul trying to rip out of your body all tell people of all of your sins. Also, imagine your sin is floating around letting you see others sin. Finally, you are a product of sin, your life is full of evil, and torture. Until your sin is revealed by your unknown father. These events happened to the character in Nathaniel Hawthorns The Scarlett Letter. Their sin affects the way that these characters live. The Nature of sin can bring the worst and best out of people. Whether it is hidden or know, the sin can bring good and bad things to the people who have sinned. Dimmsdale’s sin was locked inside him, as he ended up breaking down and decoding sick, and then died after revealing his sin. Hester’s sin was know and she was able to be a normal part of society. Being a product of sin, Pearl was a demon or became like the devil, until Dimmsdale reveled his sin and she became normal. The nature of peoples sin dictates what your life is going to belike. When your sin is hidden it can really harm you.
Lewis did not intend for The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe to attempt to strike at moral standpoints. Lewis stated in an interview, “’I don’t like stories to have a moral: certainly not because I think children dislike a moral. Rather because I feel sure that the question: ‘What do modern children need?’ will not lead you to a good moral”’ (Sadler). However, his use of the innocence of children evokes the essence of purity and good. This purity conflicts with the cruelty and scorn displayed through the White Witches actions, resulting in her becoming an evil figure. The archetype of good vs. evil that writers use throughout literature has proven to be a successful means of striking intrigue in an audience. This combined with the magical setting employed by the mysterious Narnia allows Lewis’ work to be so interesting to readers through decades and generations.
In doing so, Digory learns how Jadis is the “Queen” of Carn and is trying to overthrow Narnia from Aslan’s reign. There are times in the book where Jadis attempts to sway Digory of his beliefs and what is good by manipulating him into thinking that she is a better ruler and being that Aslan. This represents the first sin because Digory is going against Aslan’s word of saying he is truly good and the leader of Narnia, similar to Adam and Eve’s experience in the Garden of Eden with the serpent and how they too were deceived into going against God’s word and acting on the self rather than acting on God. In this aspect, Jadis is very alike in the ways of Satan; they both try to deceive others into going against their own beliefs and morals. "Before the new, clean world I gave you is seven hours old, a force of evil has already entered it; waked and brought hither by this son of Adam," says Aslan (Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew, Digory and His Uncle are Both In Trouble, Chapter 11). This utilizes Augustine’s understanding of the fall because it demonstrates how Digory was acting according to himself and not according to Aslan, or
Through a magical doorway, past the golden thrones, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was created by C.S. Lewis, in 1950, in England. Over the course of the past 64 years, this book has become one of the most famous books in the world. Lewis was “one of the most commercially successful authors” (The Life & Faith of C.S. Lewis: The Magic Never Ends). The hidden archetypes and intricate themes in this book are what sets it apart from others.
Pearl receives Chillingworth’s “very considerable amount of property, both here and in England” (Hawthorne, 1994, p. 178). She is not Chillingworth’s daughter or heir, but she receives it anyway. In the same way, one is given salvation through Christ even when he does not deserve it. An example of the fruit of Pearl’s transformation is how she, “at a marriageable period in her life, might have mingled her wild blood with the lineage of the devoutest Puritan among them” (Hawthorne, 1994, p. 178). Though Pearl does not seem to have many opportunities as a child, in the end God’s grace is clearly seen through her transformation as a
Throughout the ages, the story of the original sin is used to explain the struggles of women and why they are inferior to man. Eve “took of [the forbidden tree’s] fruit and ate” (Genesis 3:6), and as punishment, God made it so “[her husband] shall rule over her” (3:16). As an important text during the lifetime of the characters who tell the collection of stories that compose the Canterbury Tales, most of the pilgrims were familiar with this scripture and believed that the Bible’s word was law. For that reason, the popular belief of the time was that women were inferior to their male counterparts. However, a couple of characters in the tales challenge this viewpoint and show that women were also capable of making their own choices. As the pilgrims struggle with the issue of where women belong, their view of Eve in the story of original sin is altered as well. From mild indifference to intimate involvement, each pilgrim has a different attachment to the story of the Eve, and their views on women in society are reflected in their connection to the story.
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.
Since the apple was first bitten in the beginning of time, sin has played an important role in shaping humanity. The reactions of the sinners often play a large role in the effects of the crime. Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter captures the nature of sin and the message that revealed sin is rewarded while concealed sin is punished, using young Pearl, the scaffold, and the scarlet A itself as three clear symbols to explore this dark aspect of humanity.
The symbolism between C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, the fourth book in The Chronicles of Narnia, and the New Testament in the Bible, particularly the account of Jesus’ death is not merely coincidental because The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is, in fact, an allegory. An allegory is a story with morals in which characters, plots and settings are used as symbols. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis is rich with Christian symbolism even though the allegorical nature of it is the subject of much controversy. Nonetheless, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is an allegory. In this tale, four ordinary children find a wardrobe that leads them into Narnia, an extraordinary land parallel to our universe with talking animal and fantasy creatures. An evil witch has cast a spell of eternal winter over the land and has lured one of the children into betraying the others for enchanted Turkish Delights. Meanwhile, a magical lion, the nemesis of the witch, has arrived after a 100-year absence because of the betrayal of Edmund and ancient prophecies. Soon the children find themselves as involved in the battle as the other creatures and the lion must free Narnia from the clutches of the evil witch and atones for Edmund’s betrayal. The symbolism in the characters, plots, setting, miscellaneous things and themes prove Narnia is, indeed, allegorical
The Chronicles of Narnia are veritably the most popular writings of C.S. Lewis. They are known as children’s fantasy literature, and have found favor in older students and adults alike, even many Christian theologians enjoy these stories from Lewis; for there are many spiritual truths that one can gleam from them, if familiar with the Bible. However, having said this, it is noteworthy to say that Lewis did not scribe these Chronicles for allegorical didactics of the Christian faith, but wrote them in such a well-knit fashion that young readers might understand Christian doctrine through captivating fantasy and thus gain an appreciation for it. With this in mind, and in the interest of this assignment, the purpose of this paper is an attempt to analyze one of the many doctrines of the Christian faith from The Lion, The Witch, And, The Wardrobe (LWW), namely, temptation and how Lewis illustrates it through an individual character, Edmund.