The Magician's Nephew | Chapter 6: The Beginning of Uncle Andrew's Troubles

Chapter Summary: 

Digory and Polly quickly realize that their attempt to escape Queen Jadis has brought her along with them to the wood between the worlds; Jadis was holding onto Polly's hair. Once again the children try to escape Jadis by returning to earth through the appropriate puddle, and again Jadis grabs Digory's ear and travels with them.

The three travelers arrive in Uncle Andrew's study, where Uncle Andrew greets Jadis. Jadis examines Uncle Andrew, and determines him to be a quasi-magician, the type of which was eliminated from her planet a thousand years ago. Uncle Andrew acts frightened and timid in front of Jadis. Jadis sends Uncle Andrew on a mission to find her transportation so that she can obtain clothes, jewelry, and slaves. Uncle Andrew is warned that he will, in essence, be tortured if he deviates from his task or attempts to thwart Jadis's plan.

Uncle Andrew goes to his bedroom and gets very fashionably dressed after downing two glasses of brandy. He thinks he can possibly charm Queen Jadis. Meanwhile, Digory and Polly are left in the upstairs study with Jadis, who is ignoring them. Polly says that she wishes to go home, and promises to return only after Digory apologizes for the chain of events that has occurred.

Downstairs, Uncle Andrew asks Miss Ketterly (Aunt Letty) for money to obtain a cab. Aunt Letty rejects his request, and then Queen Jadis enters the room.

Reflection:

Today's reflection is on the concept of mercy.

Let's review a bit. Here's a short passage from just after Queen Jadis, Digory, and Polly have traveled out of Charn and to the wood between the worlds. Jadis has moved with them by holding onto Polly's hair:

"They both turned and struggled with her. They were stronger than she and in a few second they had forced her to let go. She reeled back, panting, and there was a look of terror in her eyes. 

'Quick, Digory!' said Polly. 'Change rings and into the home pool.' 

'Help! Help! Mercy!' cried the Witch in a faint voice, staggering after them. 'Take me with you. You cannot mean to leave me in this horrible place. It is killing me.'

'It's a reason of state,' said Polly spitefully. 'Like when you killed all those people in your own world. Do be quick, Digory.' They had put on their green rings, but Digory said: 

'Oh bother! What are we going to do?' He couldn't help feeling a little sorry for the Queen. 

'Oh don't be such an ass,' said Polly. 'Ten to one she's only shamming. Do come on.' And then both children plunged into the home pool" (p. 32).

Then later when Polly is making Digory apologize for causing the chain of events at hand, this is Polly's explanation of the reasons that Digory needs to apologize:

"Only nearly screwed my wrist off in that room with all the waxworks, like a cowardly bully. Only struck the bell with the hammer, like a silly idiot. Only turned back in the wood so that she had time to catch hold of you before we jumped into our own pool. That's all" (p. 34). 

Digory does apologize for his actions, but in case you missed it, notice that Polly accuses Digory of allowing Queen/Witch Jadis to grab ahold of his ear just as they are disappearing into the earth-bound pool (and Digory doesn't deny this accusation; in fact, he never even addresses it). But what this tells me is that this is a subtle lesson in mercy (indeed, Queen Jadis says the word herself when pleading for her life in the woods). 

For fans of Tolkien, remember this interesting conversation between Frodo and Gandalf, speaking about Gollum:

Frodo: What a pity that Bilbo did not stab that vile creature when he had a chance!" 

Galdalf: "Pity? ... It was Pity that stayed his hand. Pity, and Mercy... My heart tells me that he has some part to play yet, for good for ill, before the end; and when that comes, the pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many - yours not least."

Indeed, it is important that Gollum remains alive, because Gollum was, in the end, the difference between Frodo emerging as the next Sauron and the destruction of the One Ring. Without Gollum's survival to the end, Frodo's quest would have failed.

Now truly, I cannot for the life of me remember the connection between Queen Jadis, the current events of The Magician's Nephew, and how they connect with the remainder of TCON. Perhaps there is no connection, and perhaps it doesn't matter in the slightest whether the Queen was not left to die in the wood between the worlds... But perhaps it does matter. And it is Digory's mercy in this situation that will make all the difference.