The Silver Chair | Chapter 7: The Hill of the Strange Trenches

Chapter Summary:

Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum continue on their journey toward Harfang. What starts as a little bit of snow turns into a blinding snowstorm. They climb over about four ledges, each about four feet tall. At this point, they reach the top of a flat hill. Along the hill, which is a sort of plateau, are trenches. Jill accidentally slides into one, and finds herself concealed by the snow in a passageway of sorts. Eustace joins Jill to investigate the passageway, but it does not lead in the direction that they wish to go (north). 

Puddleglum pulls Eustace and Jill from the trench, and back into the blinding snowstorm. Puddleglum asks Jill to repeat Aslan's four signs, but Jill is in a sour mood, and repeats them in an incorrect order. Puddleglum tries (twice) to point out an interesting feature of the hill on which they stand, but Eustace and Jill can think of nothing but warm baths at Harfang. 

Upon finally reaching Harfang, Puddleglum knocks at the door and announces their presence. A (giant) porter opens the door, and sees them inside once Jill mentions that the Lady of the Green Kirtle has sent them for their Autumn Feast. Puddleglum, Eustace, and Jill go inside and warm themselves by a huge fire. The porter provides a glass of liquor for Puddleglum, who becomes immediately intoxicated. Meanwhile, a messenger returns and says that the King and Queen want to see them. Puddleglum is carried, while Eustace and Jill are escorted to the King and Queen.

Reflection:

It seems that Aslan is right again--Jill has forgotten (or rather, failed to remember) the signs taught to her by Aslan when she was on the mountain in Aslan's country. Like Aslan predicted, it is very easy for one's thoughts to get muddled in the valley--especially when traveling through a blinding snowstorm. Of course, as a reader we should see the parallel to real life. It is easy to remember Aslan's signs when all is right in the world, and all that is about you is a mountain and a stream. It's significantly more difficult to remember what Aslan had to say while traveling through a blinding snowstorm while struggling to just barely survive. That's some Allegory 101 for you, in case you missed it (which you didn't, because C.S. Lewis teaches Allegory 100 in this novel, which is basically Remedial Allegory--allegory for those who wouldn't know allegory if it punched them in the face). 

Anyway, Jill has clearly failed to remember the signs, and bets are on that she has already missed the second of four signs. That's 0-for-2 for Eustace and Jill, and that's not a good sign (pun intended) for the success of their journey. 

Neither, speaking of which, is the fact that it seems to be abundantly clear that the giants of Harfang intend to consume Eustace and Jill for their Autumn Feast. I'm so certain of this, I probably should have entered into this discussion with a spoiler alert memo. Oops--too late. Anyway, Eustace and Jill are of course oblivious to this fact, given that Harfang to them represents warmth, comfort, and food. Unfortunately, the blind are pretty darn blind in this situation. They are not only ignoring the signs, but they are very likely in great peril at the moment as well. This is probably not the vision that Aslan had when he sent Jill on this journey. 

This brings us back (way back) to a conversation we had in a much earlier chapter in the TCON series about predestination. Does Aslan allow a story to play out? How involved is he in the progress of this journey? Whereas Aslan seemed to always be the background player in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the trend in this story thus far seems to be that Aslan has provided Jill with instructions, and then allow the story to progress without much intervention on his part (yet)--with the massive exception of saving Eustace from certain death when he falls off the cliff, but really, that is before the story even began. So, I would argue that The Silver Chair, thus far, is presenting a different version of Christian theology than the other TCON novels have presented. Whether it's better or worse, more accurate or less accurate, is entirely up for debate. Nevertheless, I think it's an interesting change from the previous TCON stories--and we will see if the trend continues.