Chapter Summary:
Tirian approaches the group of dwarfs, who are being led by two Calormene soldiers. Tirian pretends to be a Calormene again and discovers that the dwarfs are being taken to Calormen to work in the mines (they believe, on Aslan's orders). Tirian reveals Puzzle to show that they have all been deceived. The two Calormene soliders ask Tirian for a password, and Tirian draws his sword and Eustace follows suit. Tirian and Eustace kill the two Calormene soldiers.
Tirian expects a celebration from the dwarfs, but the dwarfs are unimpressed. The dwarfs collectively tell Tirian that they don't want anything to do with Aslan. The dwarfs do not want to be fooled again, and they think that Tirian has a scheme of his own in mind--some way to use the dwarfs to his own advantage. The dwarfs won't believe that Tirian is who he says he is, and they don't believe Eustace and Jill that they are from another world either. The dwarfs march away.
Tirian, Eustace, Jill, Jewel, and Puzzle walk away sadly back toward the tower where Tirian, Eustace, and Jill had spent the previous night. Suddenly, a dwarf named Poggin catches up with them--Poggin says that he believes Tirian. This brings a small bit of hope to the group.
The group of six returns to the tower, washes up, and sleeps. The next morning over breakfast, Poggin explains to everyone that the Cat, Ginger, has taken charge of the whole scheme, and is likely responsible for the response of the dwarfs. Poggin says that he overheard Ginger and the chief Calormene, Rishda, talking on Stable Hill the other night. Their plan was to overthrow the authority of Shift based on their mutual agreement that neither Aslan nor Tash exist.
The sky clouds over, and a very foul smell takes over. Jewel jumps up and tells everyone to look, and immediately everyone is dismayed.
Reflection:
Like I discussed in the last post, the problem is way worse than Tirian could have imagined. Groupthink is not only occurring, but Tirian is also seeing the impact of gossip, confusion, chaos, and the overall fragility of faith. In Tirian's own words:
"Tirian had never dreamed that one of the results of an Ape's setting up a false Aslan would be to stop people from believing in the real one" (p. 483).
Unfortunately, that is exactly what has occurred. It would be easy to blame Aslan's apparent extended absence, but what it comes down to more than that is that the dwarfs do not have the faith in Aslan that Narnians used to. And if this one isn't a parallel for you, I don't know what is: The dwarfs are less faithful to Aslan simply because the people who claim to be so faithful to Aslan are not really the type of people that the dwarfs would want to spend time with. Is this familiar yet? It should be.
That's right. It's a parallel to the present day notion that many non-Christians speak of--that if Christians are the type of people who worship Christ, then the last thing that they would want to do is spend any time with those sorts of people. Therefore if Christians represent themselves in a negative light, guess who else they are representing in a negative light? Christ himself. Exactly. We see it every. Single. Day. The extreme, of course, are the folks such as the Westboro "church" that proclaim to be believers but are so abominably opposed to so many Biblical beliefs that one could hardly call them Christians. But that's just the extreme. Any time a Christian has given anyone an unwelcoming glance in their church--that's part of the problem. Every time a Christian has been intolerant of differences or of people who aren't exactly like them--that's part of the problem.
If I don't watch myself, I'm going to start explaining why it's impossible to be a true Christian without being a social liberal, like Jesus clearly was in his own day, but I live in Waco, TX, and I don't want to be burned at the stake.
Well, this has taken a dark turn. Not that many people are reading this, but I hesitate anyway. So, to bring things back to the TCON world, it is abundantly clear to me why the dwarfs are not immediately on board with Tirian. They have been taught to distrust the name of Aslan, and distrust they will.
Chapter Summary:
Tirian, Eustace, and Jill go to sleep for the evening, but all awaken at 9:00 in the evening to begin a night-time journey. The plan is to go to Stable Hill to rescue Jewel the Unicorn and then meet up with Roonwit the Centaur, who should be leading an army from Cair Paravel.
They leave on their short journey, with Jill leading the way as a guide. As they come to Stable Hill, very quietly, they see one single Calormene guard watching over the stable. Tirian, who is disguised as a Calormene, exits the woods, greets the solider like a Calormene, and then quickly subdues him and holds a knife to his throat. The guard tells Tirian that Jewel is behind the stable, and Tirian is able to rescue Jewel. Tirian then ties the guard to the back of the stable.
Tirian and Jewel rejoin Eustace. Eustace and Tirian realize that Jill is missing, but Jill comes back a few moments later. Jill is laughing to herself, and says that she has been inside the stable, and that she has rescued Puzzle from his situation. Puzzle came willingly, saying that he did not really enjoy being kept in the stable, but only did so because Shift had told him that it was what Aslan wanted.
Tirian prepared to kill Puzzle for his treachery, but Jill begs for Puzzle's life. Jill explains that Puzzle did not know what he was doing, and that he should be allowed to live. Tirian relents and lets Puzzle live.
The group hears dwarfs marching on a nearby road, and they move in their direction. Tirian is convinced that now that everyone will be able to see Puzzle, they will see the scheme as it is, and Shift will be overthrown by morning.
Reflection:
Well, it definitely sounds like things are moving in the right direction, thanks to the hard work of Tirian, Eustace, and Jill. Unfortunately, Tirian is missing one key item here--and that's a little more knowledge about brainwashing. Once Groupthink has occurred, it is actually incredibly difficult to persuade the group that they could possibly be incorrect, even when the initial evidence validating the idea is completely and totally refuted.
In other words, I don't think it's going to matter one darn bit that the 'Aslan' inside of the stable was really just a donkey dressed as a lion. Once Groupthink has occurred, it only strengthens when contrary evidence appears, which is a defense mechanism that the group creates to prevent feeling, well, that they were wrong (even though an outside observer can clearly tell you that they are).
This is often seen with Doomsday cults. Once Doomsday passes, every cult leader and every member comes up with an excuse as to why the Doomsday event did not occur. And it always fits in with the original superstition. It is actually very, very rare for a member of one of those cults to simply walk away from the group disgusted with themselves and the cult after the Doomsday event fails to happen. Most times, they have spent considerable time, money, and resources into believing the message of the cult leader. Some have completely abandoned their families (or had their families abandon them). Others have given up their jobs or been fired. So, they must do everything they can to justify to themselves that their original theory was correct. Because the only other option is the horrific realization that they have made a life-alteringly horrible decision, and people don't like to believe that about themselves.
I think that's what's going to happen to the Narnians. They are going to be so (subconsciously) horrified at the idea that they have been listening to a false prophet that they will somehow justify everything that they have seen. Somehow, they will work it out to believe in Shift's lies anyway. Because that's what people do when they've been collectively brainwashed into an idea and have given up so many things to believe that it's true (such as a year's supply of nuts, in the case of the squirrels). I think the only thing that's going to end the madness is the appearance of the real Aslan.
Chapter Summary:
As soon as King Tirian awakens from his dream, two children appear in front of him (Eustace and Jill). Eustace and Jill apologize for taking so long to get to him--it has been a week on earth since King Tirian asked for help in his dream, but only ten seconds in Narnian time. Eustace and Jill untie King Tirian, and they escape the opposite direction of the stable, careful not to leave any track to follow.
During their journey, Eustace and Jill are shocked to discover that King Tirian is the seventh descendant from King Rilian, who has been dead over 200 years. Likewise, King Tirian is shocked to hear that not only are Eustace and Jill still alive, but that Peter, Edmund, and Lucy were three of the other individuals in his vision. Even more, Tirian is stunned that the other two people in his vision were Digory and Polly--the two humans who were present at the dawn of the Narnian world.
Eustace and Jill explain that after the vision, it was decided that the only way to get back to Narnia to help King Tirian was to use the magical rings that Digory and Polly had buried long ago. Peter and Edmund had successfully dug up the rings, and they all got on a train (presumably Peter and Edmund got on one, while DIgory, Polly, Lucy, Eustace, and Jill got on the other) to meet to exchange the rings. But suddenly there was a jolt, a noise, and Eustace and Jill found themselves in Narnia without having used the rings.
Eventually, King Tirian, Eustace, and Jill reach their destination--a gray, dingy tower/outpost that King Tirian had kept up in case of war or need of shelter. They arm themselves with swords and armor at the outpost, and also gather firewood and make a fire. They have a simple meal together.
Reflection:
Something does not add up here. If you're a fan of the TCON series, you already know what it is. In the vision/dream in the last chapter, we meet the seven friends of Narnia. In today's chapter, it becomes even more clear--no one is mentioning Susan. Susan was not on the train. Why Susan was not on the train is unknown to us, and probably always will be. Why she was not considered one of the seven friends of Narnia is also an unknown. But what is known is that this has significant implications for the final chapter of The Last Battle. I will not spoil it; we will come to that in a little over a week.
As for this chapter, which is a fascinating one, we get to experience the world through both King Tirian's eyes and through the eyes of the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve who have together seen the entire world of Narnia pass before their eyes. We get to watch in awe, like Tirian, as Tirian realizes who he is talking to--people out of his world's past--who are connected to the still-living human founders of Narnia itself. I cannot imagine it would be much different than two people popping up before your eyes, telling you that they are Mark Antony and Cleopatra, and that they live in a world where Adam and Eve are still alive. Similarly, Eustace and Jill in this chapter experience the (what must be) intense feeling of the passage of time. It has only been a year, but Prince Rilian has been dead for over 200 years.
And of course, there's one last thing to mention from this chapter. Remember back to the last chapter of The Silver Chair and recall what Aslan told Eustace and Jill--that the next time that they returned to Narnia, they would be in Narnia for good. Forgot about that so soon? Is it a spoiler? Not really; you would know this already if you have been even reading along with my blog posts, much less the book itself. So there it is--Eustace and Jill will not be returning home. As for why, we will discover that soon. Until then, we carry on with the story at hand, and hope that Eustace and Jill are the solution to the Nazi-esque crisis that has overcome Narnia.
Chapter Summary:
King Tirian is taken into the woods and tied to a tree; he remains just in sight of the hill that contains the stable, but cannot hear what Shift is saying. The day turns into night, and Tirian becomes hungry and thirsty. At some point during the night, a group of about six Talking Animals bring Tirian some food and drink, which revive him greatly. The animals are convinced that everything is occurring on Aslan's orders, because they have seen him with their own eyes, and everyone else is agreeing with the statements Shift is making. The animals do not untie Tirian with fear of upsetting Aslan.
After the Talking Animals depart, Tirian sees a bonfire grow on the hill with the stable. He sees Shift talking to the crowd of animals, and then he opens the stable door. From it emerges a stiff and wobbly figure that looks like a lion, and while Tirian has never seen Aslan or any other lion, he is sure that the figure is not Aslan. After a few moments, the figure goes back into the stable, and the bonfire quickly goes out.
Tirian thinks of his great-grandfather's great-grandfather King Rilian and his father King Caspian, who were saved by children from other worlds in times of trouble in Narnia. He thinks about the four children who saved Narnia from the 100-year winter and ruled at Cair Paravel thereafter.
Tirian calls aloud to Aslan twice, but with no result. Then, Tirian calls out to the children of the other world for help. Immediately, he slips into a dream, where he sees seven people sitting around a table looking at him. The people are frightened and startled. One of the persons introduces himself as Peter, the High King of Narnia, and orders Tirian to speak. But Tirian finds that he cannot speak. As he slowly awakens, the seven people in his dream see him fade away, with no message delivered.
Reflection:
There's a lot to be said about this chapter, but some of the obvious topics are ones that I have already spoken on already. Those include the power of prayer and the importance of remembering the past so that it is not repeated. So in lieu of those excellent topics, I think it's important to look at exactly how Shift is getting away with this absurd deception that is occurring in this novel. How exactly is he so persuasive?
Well, there's actually a few things going on here. First, there's the most obvious issue of all--obedience to authority. With Shift as the leader spreading the lies around, there is no one to really challenge him. After all, he is speaking in the name of Aslan, and no one would dare do that unless Aslan was actually involved, right? I mean, if Aslan disapproved, wouldn't he intervene anyway? Thus the animals see a clever and charismatic authority figure, and they obey.
Then there's the social cue of conformity. It's easy to go along with what a group already seems to believe, while it's significantly harder to go against the grain and disagree with a crowd (especially in front of an authority figure). I would venture to guess that a majority of the Talking Animals are not really convinced that Shift is acting in honesty, but what choice do they have? To say otherwise would mean a worse situation, and they know it.
And onward we go to Groupthink. Similar to conformity, Groupthink is the idea that when a group of people who get together hold a belief, that believe is only strengthened by their being together. So, all it takes is a few outspoken Talking Animals to agree vehemently with what Shift is saying, and thus Groupthink is occurring.
And the list goes on and on. Shift is clever, and he's pulling out all of the stops. He knows exactly what to say and what to do to cause the Talking Animals to obey him and justify his reasoning. The Talking Animals that King Tirian speaks to in the middle of the night are prime examples of the power of each of these motivational/manipulation techniques. In order for the spell to break, there just needs to be one or two voices of dissent. Who will they be--that is the question.
Chapter Summary:
King Tirian and the Unicorn Jewel free the horse from its reigns, and the Talking Horse says that everything occurring is by order of Aslan. Just then, Calormenes nearby notice what has occurred; King Tirian and Jewel flee the scene. After fleeing, Tirian and Jewel decide that what they have done is commit murder, and that they should give themselves up to their enemies in the name of justice.
Tirian and Jewel return to their enemies, who capture them and take them to the top of a nearby hill, where there is a clearing and an ape sitting in front of a stable. The ape is Shift, and he is being called the Mouthpiece of Aslan. Tirian and Jewel are brought before him, and Shift says that he will deal with them later.
Meanwhile, Shift addresses the Talking Animals that are gathered around him. First, he directs the squirrels to increase their supply of nuts for Aslan. Then, Shift tells them several things, some of which are prompted by questions by the Talking Animals, some of which are not. Shift tells them that he is speaking for Aslan (who is apparently hidden in the stable) because Aslan says he has been too easy on them before. Shift says that he himself is a man, not an ape. Shift explains that after the work at hand, the Talking Animals will be sent to Calormene to work as laborers (and their pay will go directly to Aslan).
Finally, Shift tells the animals that the Calormene god Tash is the same as Aslan, and that Aslan is the same as Tash. A talking Cat asks Shift and a nearby Calormen to affirm that "Aslan means no more than Tash?" (p. 468) and both Shift and the Calormen affirm the statement. At this point, King Tirian cries out at Shift, calling him a liar. Immediately, three Calormen attack King Tirian and beat him into silence. Shift orders that Tirian and Jewel be taken away from him.
Reflection:
This is one of the most sad chapters in the history of TCON. This chapter shows what results when a dictator takes charge and builds a powerful regime around fear, terror, power, and mystery. There is little question in my mind that C.S. Lewis had Adolf Hitler in mind when he was writing the character of Shift. The parallels are just too clear.
Unfortunately for us, the victims of Shift are the very characters that we have come to know and love--the Talking Animals of Narnia and even the King of Narnia himself. There is great sorrow in this chapter, as Shift is denying the animals of their right to food (the squirrels, to be exact) and the images of the Talking Animals eventually being sold into slavery is unprecedented and a bleak image of what the future could hold.
Luckily, there is always hope. One thing we can count on at the moment is that Aslan is certainly not present at the moment. Where he is, we don't exactly know. And even more interesting, we also have no idea when this is in Narnia. Are we 70 years after the previous novel--after the Reign of King Caspian the Eleventh (Prince Rilian) has ended? Or are we much, much, much further in the future? I think it's the latter, myself. Regardless, there is certainly hope that Aslan can still return and set everything right before it all goes terribly wrong.
There is also hope in the Talking Cat who speaks up in the end. This passage occurs just after Shift has said that Tash is the same as Aslan, and vice versa. Here is what happens:
"'Excuse me,' said the Cat very politely, 'but this interests me. Does your friend from Calormen say the same?'
'Assuredly,' said the Calormene. 'The enlightened Ape--Man, I mean--is in the right. Aslan means neither less nor more than Tash.'
'Especially, Aslan means no more than Tash?' suggested the Cat.
'No more at all,' said the Calormene, looking the Cat straight in the face.
'Is that good enough for you, Ginger?' said the Ape.
'Oh certainly,' said Ginger cooly, 'Thank you very much. I only wanted to be quite clear. I think I am beginning to understand'" (p. 468).
This is an interesting moment, and one that is not explained any further, in this chapter at least. I think the Talking Cat is very likely one of the few Talking Animals who really has a grasp of what is occurring. Clearly, the Cat is careful to make sure that they mean that Aslan is "no more" than Tash. I think the Cat understands that Aslan himself would never say such a thing, and therefore it is abundantly clear that Shift is a liar. But time will tell what comes of this. For now, we sit back and hope that there is a solution to the terror that has begun in Narnia. Unfortunately, history (earth history) tells us what happened if the terror is not stopped in time. We know the result too well.
Chapter Summary:
Three weeks after the previous chapter, the last King of Narnia, King Tirian, is relaxing with his friend and unicorn, Jewel. They discuss the news that they are hearing from around Narnia--that Aslan has been spotted several times by several different animals.
As they are talking, a centaur named Roonwit comes running to them, having traveled a long way to deliver news. Roonwit tells King Tirian that the centaurs have been studying the stars and are seeing terrible evil in them. Roonwit warns King Tirian also that the news of Aslan's return is also very likely a lie, because the stars always foretell Aslan's return, and they are not in the right formation at all.
As they are talking, a dryad (a tree-woman) comes running from the nearby forest, in hysterics that men are cutting down Talking Trees in Lantern Waste. As soon as the dryad delivers the message, she falls down dead--her tree has been cut down.
Despite Rootwit's warning of rashness, King Tirian and Jewel begin an immediate march toward Lantern Waste. Meanwhile, Tirian tells Roonwit to return to Cair Paravel and call together an army. On the way to Lantern Waste, Tirian and Jewel see a Talking Rat riding on a raft made of recently-felled trees floating down a river. The rat tells them that he is taking them to Calormene to sell, on Aslan's orders. Tirian and Jewel do not know what to make of this, but they realize that some horror is occurring.
Upon reaching Lantern Waste, Tirian and Jewel find a huge swath of trees already missing. They also see dozens and dozens of Calormenes cutting down trees. When Tirian and Jewel see that the Calormenes are using Talking Beasts as slave labor, they both snap. Tirian and Jewel kill the two Calormenes nearest them who are using a Talking Horse as a slave.
Reflection:
In some ways I'm reminded of the opening lines of the last of the eight Harry Potter films--"These are dark times, there is no denying. Our world has faced no greater threat than it does today."
I think this is what King Tirian and Jewel the Unicorn are feeling as they march to Lantern Waste to discover who is cutting down the Talking Trees. Here is what happens after they see the rat riding logs down the river toward Calormene, supposedly on Aslan's orders:
"Suddenly the King leaned hard on his friend's neck and bowed his head.
'Jewel,' he said, 'what lies before us? Horrible thoughts arise in my heart. If we had died before today we should have been happy.'
'Yes,' said Jewel. 'We have lived too long. The worst thing in the world has come upon us.' They stood like that for a minute or two and then went on" (p. 463).
What a very solemn moment between the King and his friend Jewel. Between everything that has already happened in this chapter alone, we shouldn't be too surprised. By this time, I suspect that they are beginning to listen to the words of Roonwit--warning them that dark, evil times are coming.
But of course the most significant moment of the chapter, and the moment for which the chapter is named, comes in the very last paragraph. The moment, which our narrator tells us causes a significant amount of evil in Narnia, is the one where King Tirian and Jewel kill the two Calormene men who are using a Talking Horse as a slave. It is a rash moment for the King.
But what's most concerning for the reader of this chapter should be this: If you were the King of Narnia, would you have done any differently? Your people are being abused and murdered, and you know that the individuals in front of you are responsible. Who would blame King Tirian and Jewel the Unicorn? I don't know how much blame should be placed on them. The action is rash, but the action is also not at all unprovoked or without reason. Now, let's see what comes of it.
Going to get caught up today. Here's post 1 of 2 coming today.
Chapter Summary:
In the final days of Narnia, there lives two friends--a talking ape named Shift and a talking donkey named Puzzle. Though Shift and Puzzle are friends, Puzzle acts much more like Shift's slave, and Shift rules over Puzzle like his master. They live in the wilderness of western Narnia. One day, they are walking by Caldron Pool, and Shift sees something yellow in the water. Shift manipulates Puzzle into going into the water to retrieve the yellow thing.
Puzzle jumps in and retrieves the yellow thing from the very cold water. It is a lion skin. Shift tells the exhausted Puzzle to go to the market and get some oranges and bananas. While Puzzle does so, Shift goes home and sews together the lion skin so that it can fit like a coat onto Puzzle.
When Puzzle returns from the market, Shift manipulates Puzzle into trying on the lion skin against his will. Puzzle is concerned that he is being disrespectful to lions, and therefore to Aslan. Shift then speculates out loud that Puzzle can, with the lion skin on, pretend to be Aslan, while Shift tells Puzzle what to say.
At that moment, there is a large clap of thunder and the ground shakes as with an earthquake. This terrifies Puzzle, but Shift says that he was just about to say that if Aslan approved of this plan, he would send them a thunderclap and an earthquake.
Reflection:
This is such a peculiar way to begin a TCON novel. Now that we have come to our seventh and last beginning chapter, there are some highly notable differences between this first chapter and the others that we have seen before. Right off the bat, there's the bombshell--the first six words: "In the last days of Narnia" (p. 456). Before anything else, we know what this novel is about, and it's probably not going to be pretty. Immediately thoughts of the book of Revelation should be coming to your mind, and many of the guesses that you immediately assume are probably going to be correct. This novel is not just about the last battle, it is about the end of Narnia.
Beyond that, there's another very peculiar thing about this chapter. It is, I believe, the first chapter we have come across in which human characters are not at the forefront of the conversation. There is no Digory or Polly, no Peter, Susan, Edmund or Ludy, no Shasta or Aravis, no Caspain, no Eustace, and no Jill. The beginning of this story is about two talking animals and what happens to them on what appears to be a normal, uneventful afternoon in Narnia. What this tells us is that this story was never about the humans at all, even if the story brought humans into picture to accomplish certain tasks within Narnia. The Chronicles of Narnia is about the Talking Beasts--not the humans that come along every once in awhile to interact with them. Sure, they may be the Kings and Queens of Narnia, but the natives of the land are the Talking Animals themselves, and they are the ones who ultimately rule it, through the highest king, Aslan.
And finally, the story that the chapter opens with is not a pleasant one at all. It is one that kind of makes us wonder what is going awry in Narnia. We have a manipulative ape named Shift who goes out of his way to ensure that his friend (servant, more like) Puzzle does absolutely everything he asks. We know that Shift is bad news, and we know that Puzzle is a pushover. And we also have a pretty good idea that Aslan himself is not going to approve of what's happening in this chapter. Because indeed, we have another new feature within this chapter--for the first time, Aslan will be impersonated by an impostor. You should be thinking of Mark 13:6--"Many will come in my name, claiming 'I am he,' and will deceive many" (NIV). I think that's exactly what we are starting to see here, but time will tell.
One day behind, oops... Will get back on track this weekend again. :)
Chapter Summary:
Jill wakes up the next morning. Glimfeather the owl greets her and then leaves. A Faun comes in and says that Eustace and Puddleglum should get up too--Centaurs will be letting Jill and Eustace ride on their back (a huge honor) to Cair Paravel. They learn also that Prince Rilian has gone ahead of them to meet King Caspian there. They all eat breakfast. Eustace and Jill say a heartfelt goodbye to Puddleglum.
Centaurs take Eustace and Jill to Cair Paravel. They arrive to see the ship bearing King Caspian just arriving. A celebration is beginning when a Lord comes off of the ship and whispers to Prince Rilian and the dwarf Trumpkin. Then, King Caspian, clearly on his deathbed, is bourne down from the ship. King Caspian greets and blesses Prince Rilian, and lays his head down and dies.
The crowd slowly realizes what has occurred. Eustace and Jill wish they were back home. Just then, Aslan comes up behind them and tells them that he is there to bring them home.
The scene dissolves before them, and suddenly Aslan, Eustace, and Jill are standing in Aslan's Country, on the mountain where their journey began. In the stream is the dead King Caspian. Aslan, Eustace, and Jill cry. Aslan tells Eustace to go grab a thorn and then drive the thorne into his paw. Eustace does so, and the blood from Aslan's paw drips onto the stream over King Caspian's body. King Caspian slowly starts to look younger, and eventually he stands up and greets Eustace.
Eustace is afraid at first, knowing that Caspian has died. Aslan reassures Eustace. Then, Caspian asks if he can have a glimpse of the world from which Eustace and Jill came from. Aslan says that he can.
Aslan, Caspian, Eustace, and Jill go back to the door where Eustace and Jill came into Narnia. Caspian, Eustace, and Jill, dressed in their Narnian armor, run down the hill through the bushes at the bullies that had been bothering Jill. The bullies see Aslan's backside and the three warriors charging at them, and they flee. Aslan and Caspian return to their own world, and Aslan closes the door to Narnia. Eustace and Jill change clothes and do on with their lives as friends. Meanwhile in Narnia, Prince Rilian mourns his father and then becomes a great King of Narnia, and the land was at peace during his reign.
Reflection:
As with most final chapters in the Narnia series, there is a great deal of options for discussion. I think what's most significant and impactful in this chapter is how C.S. Lewis deals with Prince Caspian's death. There have been a few times that C.S. Lewis has addressed death in the Narnia novels, but it's usually only touched on lightly, and in the form of great battles. Many more people are saved than those who die, as a whole. But King Caspian was old, and it was his time.
And here's where the allegory kicks into high gear. Clearly, Aslan's Country is Narnia's version of heaven. There's a lot that happens here. There's the moment where Eustace pierces Aslan's paw and his blood transforms Caspian into his younger self again. Sort of some Eucharist imagery going on in that moment, of course. But my favorite moment is this one, in which Eustace is hesitating to greet Caspian, because he very clearly has died. When Eustace hesitates, here's what Aslan says:
"Yes ... He has died. Most people have, you know. Even I have. There are very few who haven't" (p. 451).
These words are so simple, and yet so comforting I think. I think. At least, it is comforting to Eustace, and I think it might be comforting to a child reading this novel. But then again, I am not sure. It is one thing for a novel to address death casually as a moment in battle, in which the death is only a vague sort of plot device. What this chapter does is much, much more. Here, we deal intimately with death and even touch on what comes afterwards. We know it's a good place where Aslan has brought them; after all, Eustace and Jill want to stay much more than they want to return to their own world. Aslan feels what they are thinking and tells them that they won't be staying, but that the next time they come there, they will be coming to stay. Not too subtle on that one, Aslan. But Eustace and Jill don't seem to notice.
But most important of all about this chapter and how it deals with death is that it is only a preparation for what is coming. If this chapter deals with death in an intimate way, it is completely dwarfed by the content of The Last Battle. And so we move on to the last of the Narnian stories, where we will learn what comes of our protagonists and Narnia itself. The answer, I am afraid, is not altogether sunshine and roses. Onward.
Chapter Summary:
Puddleglum hoists Jill onto his shoulders so that Jill can see over the wall in front of her. Jill asks to be lifted a little higher and Puddleglum does so. Suddenly, Jill is pulled off of Puddleglum's shoulders by an unknown source, and she disappears over the wall. Eustace, Puddleglum, and Rilian are distraught, thinking that enemies now have taken Jill.
What had really happened to Jill was that when she stared over the wall, she saw that the dim light was really the night sky, and that she was looking down upon many beasts of Narnia, who were in the process of playing a winter-time game in the snow. As part of the game, a rogue snowball had hit Jill in the face. Jill realized that she could call for help, did so, and got pulled from the hole that was located in the side of a hill.
While Jill is given food and warm clothes, Jill tells the beasts and animals of Narnia that Eustace, Puddleglum, and Prince Rilian are still in the hole and need help. The beasts and animals immediately set to digging, and eventually Eustace, Puddleglum, and finally Rilian with his two horses emerge from the hole. A great celebration begins when the Narnians realize that it is really Prince Rilian who has finally returned to Narnia.
While Eustace and Jill sleep, Puddleglum catches up on the latest news from Narnia. Rilian consults many of the Beasts and Dwarfs of Narnia and everyone finally learns the whole tale of his absence.
Reflection:
You already know how I'm going to start this post--this is a good old fashioned plot-moving chapter. Not much allegory to speak of, really. Instead, let's focus on something altogether uncommon from the other 90-some posts in this blog series--the absolute joy of the great outdoors. When Eustace, Jill, Puddleglum, and Rilian come to a wall in the tunnel and see a strange sort of light above it, they don't realize that it's actually the night sky that they are seeing. In fact, it's close to midnight. (How would they have any concept of time underground?)
When Jill looks around, what she sees is that they have found themselves right in the heart of Narnia during a winter-time Narnian tradition. It couldn't be more perfect. She also sees the night sky for the first time in what seems like forever (way, way, way, way, way longer for Prince Rilian, by the way), and also sees that the ground is covered in snow.
What an awesome picture. Imagery is the thing in this chapter, and it's the imagery of nature that is the most significant. Even you can probably imagine how great the outdoors would look if you spent even an hour lost in a giant cave. Now imagine that instead of being lost for an hour, you were lost for days--or years. Certainly the outdoors would look incredible. We all get a feeling of this when we leave an artificially air conditioned (or heated) building, only to find that the weather outside is ridiculously beautiful. What a joy it is.
Working in a basement, I get this feeling often when I step outdoors. Which is why this past weekend I so very much enjoyed the opportunity to go to Enchanted Rock with my wife, sister-in-law, and our family friend. The weather was absolutely perfect, and we were able to enjoy about 45 minutes of solitude on top of Enchanted Rock before anyone else joined us. This was such an incredible opportunity, and it really brought out the nature lover in me.
So, there are days, I admit, when I sit in my office in the basement and secretly wish I had become a park ranger--or some equivalent job that would allow me to work outside 24/7. But then I remember that working outside in Central Texas is actually pretty uncomfortable 85% of days of the year (50% are too hot, 25% are too cold, 10% are too rainy, and only about 15% are just right). I guess I'm glad I work in an air conditioned building, but I sure do love nature. But probably not as much as Prince Rilian.
Chapter Summary:
The captured gnome introduces himself as Golg. Golg tells Eustace, Jill, Puddleglum, and Prince Rilian that about an hour ago (when the Witch died), an enchantment broke. The gnomes immediately stopped the work that they were doing for the Witch, and at the same time, they could see a huge red glow. The gnomes realized that the huge, red glow was a hole in the earth leading back to their country--to Bism, which was much further beneath the Underworld.
When Puddleglum points out that it appears that the gnomes are preparing for battle, Golg says that this was because they did not know that the Witch was dead, and they were expecting resistance. Now that they will not have any resistance, there was no need for battle. Prince Rilian also asked about the path toward the tunnel that would lead to the Overworld, and Golg directs them appropriately.
The party of five then travel toward the chasm in the earth, and Golg announces to everyone that the battle is won, and the Witch is dead. At the chasm, they all peer into the gap and see the gnomes clambering down into their own country again. Golg offers them a chance to visit. Rilian and Eustace are tempted by the adventure, but Puddleglum and Jill will not go. Suddenly, the chasm begins to close. There is a rush to enter the chasm in time, and Golg and all of the other gnomes climb into the hole as it slowly closes. Eventually, the hole closes, and Eustace, Jill, Puddleglum, and Rilian are left alone with their horses.
The party of four then travels along a path lit by lanterns that rises steadily upward. Behind them, the flood continues to rise and eventually engulfs most of the Underworld. Still they travel onward, hopeful that they will find an exit at the end of the tunnel, lest they drown in the ever-approaching flood. As the path becomes a low tunnel, the lanterns suddenly go out. There is a light visible up ahead, and the group runs into a dead end where the light is emanating from.
Reflection:
This is really a unique chapter to the TCON series, and I think it's rather genius what C.S. Lewis has done with this chapter. And it's nothing complicated really, I just think it's awfully clever. Look at the title of the chapter: The Bottom of the World. In this chapter, we (and of course, our characters) get a glimpse into Bism, the location from which the Earthmen/gnomes originate--their homeland. Similar to the Narnian characters that are our protagonists, the Earthmen were taking from their homes and made to go elsewhere. The irony of course is that the Earthmen want nothing more than to go deeper into the earth, whereas our characters would prefer the exact opposite.
But let's get back on track. The name of this chapter is The Bottom of the World. Well, you'll see a parallel here to the chapter from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. In that novel, the name of the last chapter is The Very End of the World. But unlike the characters in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the characters in this chapter do not actually go to the bottom of the world. They gaze into it, but when Glog invites them on a journey to their country, our four protagonists eventually decline the invitation, despite Prince Rilian's intense cravings to do the exact opposite. As Rilian himself says, "My father went to the world's end ... It would be a marvelous thing if his son went to the bottom of the world" (p. 441).
But Rilian doesn't go. Instead, the entire chapter is rather an anti-climax, primarily because of the title of the chapter itself. As soon as that chasm opens, our expectation is that our protagonists are headed that way. Why? Because adventure. But that is not to be. So here's what's clever about the whole thing. In the same way that Prince Rilian experiences an anti-climax by being offered a journey to the bottom of the world and then having to pass up the opportunity, the reader also experiences an anti-climax of sorts, expecting a continued adventure to the bottom of the world (as heavily implied by the chapter title), but instead, we are left feeling a little empty as well. Touche, C.S. Lewis! Very clever.
