Prince Caspian | Chapter 8: How They Left the Island

Chapter Summary:

This chapter returns to Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, who have just been told the story of the previous four chapters by none other than Trumpkin. Trumpkin can see that the blowing of the horn has brought these four children to Narnia, but it is obvious that he does not think that they--children as they are--will be any help to the war. 

Peter decides that they should all go to the armory in the Cair Paravel ruins to get the equipment and armor needed for battle. After they all obtain armor and weapons, Edmund challenges Thumpkin to a friendly sword dual--and Edmund easily disarms Thumpkin. Then, Susan challenges him to a bow-and-arrow match, and Susan easily outshoots Thumpkin. Finally, when Thumpkin mentions that his arm has a severe wound, Lucy heals him with one drop of her cordial. After this, Thumpkin is convinced that Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are the Kings and Queens of Narnia, and that they will indeed be help in battle. 

The group then discusses the best way to get back to Caspian / Aslan's How in the fastest and safest way possible. It is eventually decided that they should go by boat as far as possible, and after gathering provisions, they set off.

Reflection:

This chapter provides the reader with a classic example of the importance of never judging a book by its cover. (Or, stated in the non-cliched format, never judge a person by what they appear to be on the outside.) In this case, Thumpkin--in a very gracious way--expresses his doubts and concerns about the impact that Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy might have on the war. Then, in as nice a way as possible, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy all demonstrate to Thumpkin that they are worthy. Interestingly, Peter does nothing at all to impress Thumpkin--at least nothing we are told of.

This lesson, obviously, is an important one for young readers to learn, but it is definitely a complex one. And it's complex because despite the our being told never to judge a person on how they appear, we humans do this constantly. That doesn't mean it's good, and that doesn't mean it's right, but we genuinely do this all the time. We judge people instantly all the time. Think about job interviews and the importance of the first 15 seconds. There are articles out there that will tell you that most employers know whether or not a person is hireable within the first 1-2 minutes of an interview. As someone who has sat on both sides of the interview table dozens and dozens of times, I can guarantee that this is true. 

Indeed, the very phrases "first impressions matter" and "don't judge a book by its cover" are antithetical to one another. You cannot agree with one without disagreeing with the other. 

There is, of course, a darker side to judging individuals by their appearance that goes well beyond just job interviews. Because we judge people by their appearance, we hear stories about black men being followed throughout stores, or fat people being shamed for their appearance by total strangers. The fact that people judge others based on appearances is the basis for racism, prejudice, and stereotyping. 

But we can't not do it. Truly, we can't not. I'm not saying that humans must be racist--but I am certainly saying that humans must be prejudice. If you ask a room of 100 people to stand if they have prejudices, and only 50 people stand, there are 50 liars in the room. Everyone has prejudices because in part, it is an evolutionary part of survival. For instance, it would be wise to have a prejudice against a person wearing a mask and carrying a knife. This would be beneficial to your survival. The problem is that television and media and racism have, for centuries, drawn correlations between people that we should have prejudices against (i.e. violent people) and people that we shouldn't have prejudices against (i.e. black people). And that's where we get our isms from.

Anyway, if you don't think you judge a book by its cover, just rewatch this video, and remember the world's reaction to it. Or, if you're watching it for the first time (which you aren't, because you don't live under a rock), see if you can make some snap judgments about her as she comes on stage. And see if those judgments are correct.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OcQ9A-5noM

Prince Caspian | Chapter 7: Old Narnia in Danger

Chapter Summary:

This chapter begins at the council at the Dancing Lawn, where there is much disagreement about when/how the council should be held. Eventually, it is decided that a council of war is to be held immediately.

Just as the council is beginning, a talking hare alerts everyone that there is a man nearby. The Talking Beasts all go silent, and Doctor Cornelius is discovered nearby. Caspian rejoices in seeing his old ally. Unfortunately, Doctor Cornelius alerts them that Caspian's horse Destrier had unintentionally betrayed Caspian to King Miraz, and that King Miraz and his army were on their way.

Doctor Cornelius suggests that they make their way immediately to Aslan's How--a site near the sea where a great hill, filled with tunnels, has been built up over the Stone Table. The whole party heads to Aslan's How by sunrise the next morning.

King Miraz's army arrives, and the two sides have several battles. After one of the worst battles for Caspian's side, a meeting is held with Caspian, Cornelius, Trumpkin, Nikabrik, and Trufflehunter. They decide that it is time for Caspian to blow Queen Susan's horn. Doctor Cornelius feels certain that doing so will bring back either Aslan or the High King Peter. Doctor Cornelius says that if High King Peter is brought back, he will likely arrive at one of three locations--(1) Here, at Aslan's How, (2) At Lantern Waste, where Peter first came to Narnia, or (3) at Cair Paravel by the sea. 

It is decided that Pettertwig the squirrel would go to Lantern Waste and Trumpkin the dwarf would go to Cair Paravel to meet Peter if he arrives at one of those locations. Caspian is to blow Queen Susan's horn at sunrise.

Reflection:

It seems that we have finally caught up with Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. What an interesting structure to this story! More than the contents of the chapter itself, what is fascinating me about this novel is how it has been written. We start with a few chapters (1-3) with Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy--they have been called back into Narnia, but don't know why. Then, starting with chapter 4, we flash back to the dwarf's story about Prince Caspian--a dwarf we can now vaguely assume is Thumpkin. 

And glancing at Chapter 8, I can see that we are rejoining Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. This means that the time scheme of the novel--the order in which the events actually occur--is as follows, by chapter: 4, 5, 6, 7, 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, etc... This is an interesting decision that C.S. Lewis decides to make, though certainly not a unique one. Rather, it is a very simple devise to help build mystery, suspense, or help the reader begin to compile questions that will then be answered later (aka earlier). Kind of like the "flash forwards" in the last season of Lost, which culminate in the final two episodes with the big reveal, the device of showing the future first makes us significantly more intrigued about what has happened in the past/present. And likewise, when we do see the past/present, we are then further interested in what the culminating events will be in the future beyond the original future, which, thankfully, we are on the cusp of discovering in Prince Caspian. 

In other news, I just discovered this, and it needs to be publicized. What follows are exclamations by our wonderful dwarf, Trumpkin. (And this is how I already know that Trumpkin is our dwarf from chapter 3...)

"Beards are bedsteads!" (p. 226). --Chapter 3
"Bulbs and bolsters, Nikabrik!" (p. 236). --Chapter 5
"Whistles and whirligigs, Trufflehunter!" (p. 236). --Chapter 5
"Soup and celery!" (p. 244). --Chapter 7
"Thimbles and Thunderstorms!" (p. 246). --Chapter 7

I'm sure there have been more along the way, and I'm sure that there are more to come, but I thought that this was a pretty comical way of alerting the reader to Trumpkin's presence. His exclamations, always in pairs and usually alliterative, are definitely a character trait meant to give us a connection between his (unnamed) presence in the early chapters, and who he is in the middle chapters. Thus, the reader knows that we are dealing with only one dwarf--Thumpkin. Neat device, and rather sneaky.

Prince Caspian | Chapter 6: The People That Lived in Hiding

Chapter Summary:

This chapter centers around Trumpkin, Nikabrik, and Trufflehunter introducing Prince Caspian to all of the other Talking Beasts--the refugees of Old Narnia. The party of four visits the Three Bulgy Bears, Pattertwig (a squirrel), the Seven Brothers of the Shuddering Wood (dwarfs)--who give Caspian a new sword, and then the Centaurs. The Centaurs suggest that it is time to go to war against King Miraz, and suddenly the prospect of war is virtually inevitable. They leave the Centaurs and then go to meet Reepicheep, who is a mouse and the leader of about ten other mice. All of these creatures were told that there would be a feast and council held at the Dancing Lawn three nights from then at midnight.

That night, Trumpkin, Nikabrik, Trufflehunter, and Caspian are awoken by music playing. Suddenly, a large group of Fauns come into the clearing, dancing and playing music. Trumpkin, Trufflehunter, and Caspian join them in their dance, while Nikabrik sits off to the side.

Reflection:

You can't tell, but it has been about a week since I've written a blog post. The summer lull at work has ended, and I've been slowing down in my reading quite a bit. I hope to continue this one-post-per-day schedule until I finish TCON, but it might not happen. We'll have to see. For now, I will carry on as usual.

Speaking of lull, this chapter. (How was that for a smooth transition?) In this chapter, we get to meet all of the lovable creatures of Old Narnia, who we now realize are refugees in their own land, basically. There is not a whole lot of substance to this chapter, aside from the descriptive detail of the living situations of the creatures that we meet, and the characteristics of the creatures themselves. In a way, it feels very similar to chapters of previous TCON books, in which we are preparing for the onset of war. 

What I think is rather interesting is the willingness of the creatures of Old Narnia to accept Prince Caspian as one of their own, despite the fact that he is a Telmarine--the very race of peoples that drove the Old Narnians into hiding. They are abiding by the old idea that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" (Caspian is the enemy of King Miraz, and is therefore my friend). The only individual who seems to disagree with this general guideline is Nikabrik, an untrusting drawf who is really the holdout in accepting Prince Caspian. Nikabrik is shown as somewhat of a villain even among the 'good guys'--but after a little thought, his distrust is actually completely understandable. Here comes Prince Caspian on his galloping horse in the middle of the night, when he is found by Trumpkin, Nikabrik, and Trufflehunter. Prince Caspian tells his story, but what's to say he's being honest? Who's to say he isn't a spy? 

So, it is most interesting that Old Narnians seem to go on a gut instinct--minus Nikabrik. All of the signs point to Caspian being a potential spy or traitor, but there is an immediate trust of him that seems to be contagious throughout Old Narnians. Perhaps it is because the time is simply right for a human to be King over Narnia again, which is what the Centaurs seem to imply. Or perhaps the Old Narnians just know a king when they see one by now. Whatever the reason, the Talking Beasts of Narnia are a trusting group, and one that seems to have the instincts for loyalty and honesty. Perhaps this was a gift given to them by Aslan, when the world was young.

Prince Caspian | Chapter 5: Caspian's Adventure in the Mountains

Chapter Summary:

Prince Caspian and Doctor Cornelius have many more conversations in the tower about Old Narnia. One night, Doctor Cornelius wakes up Caspian in the middle of the night. Doctor Cornelius tells Caspian that King Miraz is a usurper--that Prince Caspian himself is the son of Caspian the Ninth, and that he is King Caspian the Tenth. Apparently, King Miraz killed Caspian the Ninth and slowly usurped the throne.

Prince Caspian learns that he is being told this because Queen Prunaprismia has just birthed a son during that night. Doctor Cornelius tells Caspian that King Miraz did not mind the thought of Caspian being his heir, but now that King Miraz has a son of his own, he will likely try to kill Prince Caspian--and as a result, Caspian must leave immediately.

Doctor Cornelius gives Prince Caspian a golden purse (filled with food for his journey) and Queen Susan's magical horn, which he has gone through great lengths to acquire. Doctor Cornelius explains that the horn will call aid to the one who blows it--and could even call former Kings and Queens of Narnia, or Aslan himself.

Fitted with his sword, purse, and horn, Caspian flees on his horse Destrier. Caspian travels all night and the next day, always moving south toward Archenland to find King Nain (per Doctor Cornelius's instruction). The second night, Caspian is traveling through a forest at the foot of a mountain when a storm moves in. Destrier becomes agitated, and runs uncontrollably. Something hits Caspian, and he blacks out.

Caspian awakes to the sound of three voices arguing about his fate. Caspian learns quickly that the voices are of true Old Narnians--a beaver named Trufflehunter, a Drawf named Nikabrik, and another Drawf named Trumpkin. They had found Caspian after he blacked out.

While the three are torn about Caspian's fate, Caspian tells them his story, only further complicating the decision. Caspian says that he has been searching for Old Narnians all his life. Trufflehunter, Nikabrik, and Trumpkin then argue about the legitimacy of the stories about King Peter and Aslan.

Reflection:

Another Prince runs to Archenland! This story should be pretty familiar--in The Horse and His Boy, we followed Shasta as he fled north toward Archenland, and now in Prince Caspian we are following Caspian as he flees south toward Archenland. A chance encounter with the peoples of the forest? That too should be familiar, from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. 

This chapter also answers a few questions that were probably troubling us--particularly, the answer to what happened to Susan's horn. We can have a pretty clear guess now about what this horn will do--given that Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy have seemingly miraculously returned to Narnia without trying to get there at all. I suspect that Caspian finally blew the horn.

My primary thoughts about this chapter reflect around the plot that occurs--after all, it is a very plot-filled chapter (I can always tell by the length of my summary). It is, much like The Horse and His Boy, a coming of age story. Indeed, it follows much of the characteristics of the prototypical bildungsroman--a German word that essentially means "a coming of age story." We have (1) a young boy who (2) is more important than he initially realizes (3) sent on a journey (4) by a mentor (5) to seek the help of another. We have (6) an antagonist (7) who wants to do him harm/kill him, and (8) characters seen as bad who will eventually help him--think of the Ents in LOTR or Snape in Harry Potter. 

There are more characteristics, but those will suffice. Essentially, C.S. Lewis is following a very, very old script here that continues to show up today. And it shows up because, despite the typically very predictable outcome, it is still a compelling story. But, spoiler alert, we can almost be guaranteed that Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, and Aslan will eventually come into the picture to restore Narnia to its former glory and thereby bring Prince Caspian to the Narnian throne, where he will rule with peace, justice, and tranquility, forever and ever (until the next calamity), amen.

So this gets me thinking--is a story as predictable as this still compelling, exciting, readable, and enjoyable? I think the answer is yes. And the answer is yes because the story is not about the destination, but about the journey along the way. It is about the characters who have suffered under the wrath of King Miraz finding freedom and the end of injustice in Narnia. It is about a boy, who knows what is right and wants to do right, finally achieving the ability to do so and have a far-reaching impact on others. It is not just a story about what happens, but why it happens, who it impacts, and what the ramifications are. We might know the ending (or perhaps I just think I do), but it is the journey that we are meant to enjoy. 

It is rather similar to hiking a mountain. It is not reaching the top that is the only joy, but it is the journey along the way that is meant to be enjoyed--or else, what ever is the point of making it to the peak?

Prince Caspian | Chapter 4: The Dwarf Tells of Prince Caspian

Chapter Summary:

This chapter tells of Prince Caspian, a prince of Narnia who lives with his Uncle and Aunt (King Miraz and Queen Prunaprismia). One day during a walk with his Uncle, Prince Caspian mentions that his Nurse has told him all about the Old Days of Narnia--of when there were talking trees, animals, and drawfs--and of the White Witch, the Kings & Queens at Cair Paravel, and Aslan.

King Miraz becomes very upset and tells Caspian that these were just children's stories--that there is no Aslan or talking animals, and there never was. The next day, Caspian learns that his beloved Nurse has been sent away, and replaced by a Tutor--Doctor Cornelius.

Doctor Cornelius tells Prince Caspian that he is not a native Narnian, but a Telmarine--and this is why Caspian the First is called Caspian the Conqueror. Doctor Cornelius then evades the Prince's many questions about Narnia and its history.

A few days later, Doctor Cornelius tells Caspian that they are going to view a astronomical phenomenon that night, and that Caspian needed to be prepared for a middle of the night lesson. When the time comes, Doctor Cornelius awakens Caspian, and the two sneak up to a high tower. Doctor Cornelius shows Caspian the astronomy he spoke of, but this turns out to be a pretense for telling Caspian the true story of Narnia. 

Doctor Cornelius tells Caspian that everything he has heard about Narnia is true--including the talking trees and animals, Cair Paravel, the Kings and Queens, the White Witch and Aslan. Doctor Cornelius also reveals that he himself is half-Dwarf. He tells Caspian that the woods by the sea are not haunted--this is just a rumor that the Kings and Queens over time have made up, because they do not want their citizens looking over the sea toward Aslan's country. 

Doctor Cornelius and Prince Caspian leave the tower, and Caspian agrees never to speak of this conversation again outside of the tower.

Reflection:

Laura and I saw The Giver this past weekend (I'm writing this on Monday, August 18) in theaters. It was a pretty good rendition of the 1993 book by Lois Lowry, despite a few major changes. The story focuses on a young boy in a utopian/distopian society, where things like color, weather patterns, and various concepts like love and hate have been eliminated from society.

Interestingly, reading the fourth chapter of Prince Caspian is not completely different from the situation that is presented in The Giver. The Telmarines have obviously invaded Narnia, around 10 generations ago, and in the time since, the story of this conquering has been warped and changed. The leadership of Narnia is now even lying to its citizens--implying that there are ghosts in the woods by the coast, when really they want to keep their citizens away from the sea, where Aslan comes from.

What's more, King Miraz obviously has an awareness of Narnia's history--so it is a bit of a governmental conspiracy to keep Narnia's citizens unaware of Narnia's history. In the same way that the United States generally ignores Native American culture (at least we don't pretend that it doesn't exist), the Telmarines have been taught to ignore--or rather, forget--that true Narnians ever existed in the first place. To say that they still exist would be even more dangerous indeed, because this could imply the possibility of a resurgence or a rebellion.

And indeed like The Giver, there is apparently a system for getting rid of those who still speak about the presence of original Narnians--the Nurse is sent away after Prince Caspian reveals that she has been telling him the stories. Where "sent away" is remains ambiguous, but we just can't imagine that it's somewhere nice that the Nurse has gone.

Thus, we see many themes from The Giver emerging in this chapter. Clearly Narnia has moved out of its Golden Age and into a more distopian-esque society. What remains to be seen is why Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy have returned to Narnia--but I would be willing to bet that the plot of this story tells of the end of this distopian society, and the return of the true owners of the land--the original or Old Narnians. The question is--how?

I'm left feeling that this wasn't a very insightful reflection, but some days I'm better than others, and some chapters are easier to think insightfully about than others. This one, I think, gives us a pretty obvious direction for the plot, if I know anything about the TCON series. Time will tell. Perhaps I will be more interesting tomorrow. Perhaps not.

Prince Caspian | Chapter 3: The Dwarf

Chapter Summary:

The chapter begins with Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy waking up the next morning in the ruins of Cair Paravel. Edmund reasons out that while they were gone for one year in England, Narnia actually aged several hundred years at least. 

Suddenly, a boat comes into view on the water, and the children hide along the tree line. In the boat are two men and a dwarf, who is bound in ropes. The two men begin arguing about how to best drown the dwarf, and Susan reacts by shooting an arrow at one of the men. Both of the men immediately flee, leaving the boat and the dwarf.

The children go untie the dwarf, who says that they don't look like the ghosts rumored to be near the coast. The dwarf finds some fish for dinner, which they cook and then eat at the ruins of Cair Paravel.

Peter requests to hear the dwarf's story. The dwarf says that he is a messenger of Prince Caspian the Tenth, King of Old Narnians, and that Prince Caspian is a Telmarine (a New Narnian). When the children appear confused, the dwarf says that he will tell them the whole story of Prince Caspian, but that it is a long story.

The narrator concludes the chapter by telling us that the next chapter is the summarized story of Prince Caspian, as the children heard it.

Reflection:

Time travel strikes again! We all remember that when Lucy has her great adventure in the beginning of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe that she only seemed to be gone for a few moments. Thus, it makes perfect sense that after having spent an entire year in England, the children would return to Narnia hundreds (or is it even thousands?) of years after they last departed.

But the foreshadowing in this chapter is both excellent and daunting. All is not well in Narnia--that much is clear. If Narnia's golden age involved the four children on their thrones at Cair Paravel, it speaks volumes that Cair Paravel is not only completely in ruins, but also completely abandoned--overgrown in a forest. We get even more nervous when we hear the drawf refer to Old Narnians and New Narnians. The dwarf says that the Old Narnians are a rebellion of sorts--and I would suspect that Old Narnia might have something to do with the very utopia-esque Narnia that the four children were a part of during their time in Narnia. And if that is the case, something has gone very much awry in Narnia.

Now, I have just a little memory of this story to help me along, but I also think that the foreshadowing here is just outstanding. To the adult reader, much of it is fairly obvious, but I think it is perfect for a young reader, trying to figure out the mystery surrounding the beginning of this novel. And many questions remain, including:

- Who is the dwarf?
- What is his story?
- Why does he call himself a dangerous criminal?
- How were the children brought back to Narnia?
- Why were the children brought back to Narnia?
- Who exactly are the Old and New Narnians?
- How much time exactly has passed? (And what has occurred in Narnia since then?)
- How long will the children remain silent about their Narnian identity around the dwarf?

There are more questions, but of course the joy to a story is getting the answers to those questions, or at least most of them. Some remain unanswered, but I'm sure we will know the answers to some of them very shortly... I don't have anything else to say about this chapter, clearly.

Prince Caspian | Chapter 2: The Ancient Treasure House

Chapter Summary:

This chapter opens with Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy realizing that they are not in fact in a garden courtyard, but in the ruins of an old castle. They decide to make a fire so that they can safely spend the night in the ruins. After doing so, Susan goes to a nearby well that they had found to get some water. She returns with a chess piece, exactly like one they had used at Cair Paravel as Kings and Queens of Narnia.

At this point, Peter provides evidence that they are, in fact, sitting in the ruins of Cair Paravel. His evidence includes the layout of the ruins, the apple orchard (which they had planted as Kings and Queens of Narnia), and the chess piece. The four children realize that if this is indeed Cair Paravel, they are sitting just beside a door that leads to a stairway. Indeed, they clear away the ivy, find a door, go through it, and go down a stairway.

At the bottom of the stairway, the children find an old treasure room. They recognize many of the treasures, and are then certain that this is Cair Paravel. At the back of the room, they retrieve the treasures that Father Christmas had given them--Peter's sword and shield, Susan's bow and arrows (her horn was lost when they were hunting the White Stag and returned to England), and Lucy's healing cordial. 

They then climbed back up the stairs and gathered around their fire to fall asleep for the night.

Reflection:

This chapter here is a full lesson in nostalgia. As soon as it begins to settle into their minds that they are actually in the ruins of their former castle, where they were Kings and Queens, a strangely adult-like form of nostalgia begins to take place within the children as they see things that remind them of days past. I think this topic is interestingly relevant today, which (as of the day I'm writing this) marks the 45th anniversary of the beginning of Woodstock--the quintessential "Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll" moment of the 1960s, and despite (or perhaps, in light of) the assassinations and historical movements, this remains the nostalgic moment of the 1960s. So, this is relevant to our current world, and relevant to anyone who has ever left something or someone they are fond of, only to think about it later.

Of course, there is also a fine line between nostalgia and living in the past. The past is the past for a reason, and no matter what we do, we cannot repeat the past, (though Mr. Jay Gatsby would disagree). I do wonder what C.S. Lewis will do with this novel--I have read it before, but I don't remember much of it... Will the former Kings and Queens of Narnia pick up where they left off? The destruction of Cair Paravel suggests that the answer is no, but their immediate reclaiming of the gifts of Father Christmas suggest that this might actually be possible. Thus, I don't really have an answer yet.

But, there is no harm in some nostalgia for Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. There is something perfectly wonderful about nostalgic moments, such that they create themselves positive memories, creating an almost never-ending path of nostalgic moments. Take for instance the fact that I am sitting here in my office trying to think of moments I have most enjoyed, and one that comes to mind is singing Mickey Mouse Christmas carols with my younger brother every year around Christmas time. We do this because, coincidentally, one of the Christmas albums we listened to most as children was this Mickey Mouse Christmas CD, and it happens to still be at our parents house. We sing along until we are laughing too hard to go on. This moment, of course, harkens back to the fact that we listened to the CD as young children, taking the music very seriously--Minnie is one hell of a soprano, in case you're wondering. Thus, nostalgia builds upon nostalgia, and we smile longingly at times past, even though we move forward. This, I suspect, is exactly what Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy will encounter as they move through this story. 

I leave you with a few words from this chapter, which should evoke some nostalgia for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe:

"With one swift motion [Peter] drew it and held it up, shining in the torchlight.  

'It is my sword, Rhindon,' he said; 'with it I killed the Wolf.' There was a new tone in his voice, and the others all felt that he was really Peter the High King again. Then, after a little pause, everyone remembered that they must save the battery" (p. 224).

Prince Caspian | Chapter 1: The Island

Chapter Summary:

One day, about a year after returning from Narnia, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are on a train going off to school. Suddenly, they all feel a strange tugging sensation. They grasp hands, and the world around them becomes a forest with a sandy beach nearby. They immediately wonder if they are back in Narnia, but no one knows the answer for certain.

After exploring and discovering that they are on an island, the four children go to search for water, and after much walking find a stream. Here, they stop and eat sandwiches (that they luckily had with them) as well. They also realize that they are on an island. They follow the stream inland into the woods, and eventually come to an apple orchard and a very tall wall. The children find a archway in the wall, and go through it to find themselves in a wide open space with no trees--just an empty field. 

Reflection:

Hooray! We have arrived back at a story that, it seems, brings us back into the lives of Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. It's not that I didn't enjoy my time with Shasta, Aravis, and the horses, but it's nice to get back to see what the (former) Kings and Queens of Narnia have been up to back in the real world. Turns out, not much--they are headed back to school just like anyone else, ready to take on another year. (This should resonate with many of you, given that the posted date for this entry should be August 24. I'm writing about 11 days advance of schedule at this point; go me!) 

But it is kind of odd to see Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy back in their natural environment. The most striking oddity is the change of language from their last day in Narnia, which was the high and formal language of Kings and Queens, to today, in which they speak, well, like kids again. It is really possible for their twenty or thirty-some years of language advancement to be virtually extinguished by the transition back from Narnia to the earth? It seems so. Anyway, perhaps I'm just being picky.

Nonetheless, the children have been magically pulled away from their train ride and into a different world. Narnia is what we expect, but we don't know for certain. And then of course the children encounter the apple orchard, which should bring to mind the apple tree planted by Digory/Aslan near the conclusion of The Magician's Nephew. But if this is the same apple orchard, what of the giant wall surrounding the area? I have some guesses, but I will leave them until the novel answers those questions itself.

This chapter reminded me of The Magician's Nephew in another way. Recall that when Asland sends Digory/Polly on their journey to find the apple needed to plant the protective apple tree, Digory realizes too late that he doesn't have a meal for himself or for Polly, and they had to rely on some leftover toffee for a meal. Similarly, we see the four children in this chapter have to struggle to find water to drink, and then split the sandwiches that they have luckily happened to carry with them in their coat pockets. This realistic focus on the necessities of survival is both appreciated and adds to the realism within the story. I've discussed this at another point in this blog, I think, but often times I feel that these little things are left out due to space or convenience within a novel (how often are they eating in Harry Potter except during grand banquets?). C.S. Lewis certainly brings home the consequences of their situation, and reminds us that being transported to a deserted island would certainly not be all fun, games, and mystery--survival must take place as well.

The Horse and His Boy | Chapter 15: Rabadash the Ridiculous

Chapter Summary:

The last chapter of The Horse and His Boy begins with Shasta, Aravis, Bree, and Hwin being greeted by King Lune at Anvard. Aravis tells King Lune about Shasta saving her from the pouncing lion, and King Lune spreads the story. Queen Lucy joins them, having just set up Shasta and Aravis's apartments.

After lunch the same day, there is a discussion about what is to be done about Prince Rabadash. The decision is made to be merciful to him, and he is brought out in chains. Before being given the conditions of his release, Prince Rabadash curses the King and refuses the conditions. 

Suddenly, Aslan appears and warns Prince Rabadash that he must forget his pride and anger and accept the mercy of the King--or face consequences. Rabadash continues to curse, until finally he slowly turns into a (non-talking) donkey. Aslan then tells Rabadash that his punishment is not permanent--he will be turn into a man again in the temple of Tash during the Autumn Feast in Tashbaan. But, Aslan says, if he ever goes more than 10 miles from Tashbaan for the rest of his life thereafter, he will become a donkey permanently. Aslan then disappears.

(We are told that later, Prince Rabadash becomes a Tisroc, and the most peaceful one ever known--he could never go to war, because that would take him at least 10 miles away.)

Finally, King Lune tells Cor that he is his heir--Cor and Corin are twins, but Cor was born first.

Cor eventually becomes the King of Archenland, and Aravis becomes the Queen. Bree and Hwin live long lives in Narnia.

Reflection:

Well, here we are at the end of The Horse and His Boy. This chapter is a rather thought-provoking chapter, particularly as it relates to Prince Rabadash's situation. It is clear from the moment that Prince Rabadash opens his mouth that he won't be cooperating with King Lune and his merciful decision. Aslan's arrival definitely doesn't help much. Prince Rabadash, I would expect, is in many ways similar to Uncle Andrew in The Magician's Nephew, who only heard Aslan's voice as a lion's roar. It doesn't matter how many warnings Aslan gives him, Prince Rabadash seems pretty much destined for his doom. But what an interesting doom it is! Prince Rabadash's punishment is two-fold: He is turned into a donkey, and once he becomes a human again, he must remain in or near Tashbaan in order to avoid becoming a donkey again permanently. Clever, just, and meriful, all at the same time, which is just what Aslan wanted.

Another thought I've had throughout this chapter--Prince Rabadash swears by Tash, the god of Calormen. Indeed, he appeals to Tash many times while Aslan is present. As a result, here is what Aslan says:

"'You have appealed to Tash,' said Aslan. 'And in the temple of Tash you shall be healed. You must stand before the altar of Tash in Tashbaan at the great Autumn Feast this year and there, in the sight of all Tashbaan, your ass's shape will fall from you and all men will know you for Prince Rabadash'" (p. 208). 

Hold the phone. Here we are, at the end of the third TCON book, and Aslan is acknowledging for the first time that there is (at least) one other god in this world that we are reading about? It seems, of course, that in the situation described above that Aslan is really in charge of the entire scenario--in other words, we can safely assume that it is the work of Aslan, even within Tash's temple, that will allow Prince Rabadash to once again assume human form. But still, this should be rather surprising, I would think, to most readers at this point. It would be like Jesus saying, "Oh, you appealed to the Baals, so you will be healed in that temple." What? No. 

It is times like these that I just need to remind myself of something that I wrote in one of my first entries--that C.S. Lewis was not writing a strict allegory when he wrote TCON. Yes, Aslan may act like Jesus, but he is not always portrayed exactly like Jesus. This is not a one-to-one comparison. Yes, they have a ton of similarities, but they are not the same. Similarly, the world in which Narnia inhabits is not the same as ours, and they are not compared in a one-to-one way.

So once again, we are at the end of one of TCON books, and everyone lives happily ever after. Shasta and Aravis become King and Queen of Archenland, and have a son named Ram that because the most famousest (intentional non-word) King of Archenland. Even good comes to Rabadash. All's well that ends well, for the time being. Let us see how long this continues.

Tomorrow we journey onward to Prince Caspian--I hope you will join me.

The Horse and His Boy | Chapter 14: How Bree Became a Wiser Horse

Chapter Summary:

The beginning of this chapter returns us to the Hermit, Aravis, Bree, and Hwin. The narrator tells us that they know that Shasta has survived. The next morning, Aravis, Bree, and Hwin discuss the plan, and whether they should leave the Hermit. During this conversation, Aravis asks Bree why he always swears 'by the lion,' and Bree tells her about Aslan. However, Bree says that Aslan is not really a lion--only that he is as strong as, or similar to, a lion.

During Bree's speech, Aslan silently jumps into the garden and stands behind Bree. Aravis, Bree, and Hwin scatter in fright, but then one by one return to Aslan's side to meet him. Aslan tells Aravis that he has been the only lion throughout their journey, and that the scratches he gave her mirrored the lashes given to her stepmother's slave, who Aravis drugged into sleep prior to her escape from her home.

Aslan leaves, and Prince Cor arrives. Prince Cor is none other than Shasta. Aravis apologizes for her earlier rudeness. Shasta tells Aravis that King Lune is his rather--and Prince Corin is his brother. Cor (Shasta) then tells Aravis how he was born as a twin and kidnapped as a baby when a centaur predicted that he would one day save Archenland. Cor was kept alive by a knight when the kidnapper was killed, and then floated down a river, guided by Aslan, until he floated right to Arsheesh.

Cor then tells Aravis that King Lune wants her to come to Anvard to live with them as well, and Aravis agrees to do so. Then, Cor, Aravis, Bree, and Hwin leave the Hermit and head to Anvard. Bree is worried about being different from the other Talking Horses, and rolls on the ground one last time, in case this behavior is frowned upon in Narnia.

Reflection:

Let's definitely start with the obvious passage here--this is Aslan speaking with Aravis:

"'It was I who wounded you,' said Aslan. 'I am the only lion you met in all your journeyings. Do you know why I tore you?'

'No, sir.'

'The scratches on your back, tear for tear, throb for throb, blood for blood, were equal to the stripes laid on the back of your stepmother's slave because of the drugged sleep you cast upon her. You needed to know what it felt like.' 

'Yes, sir. Please--' 

'Ask on, my dear,' said Aslan. 

'Will any more harm come to her by what I did?' 

'Child,' said the Lion, 'I am telling you your story, not hers. No one is told any story but their own'" (p. 202-203).

Well, we now have finally had the big question answered--and it's an answer we look back to the earliest chapters of the novel to understand completely. If you recall, Aravis had drugged her stepmother's slave. She did this because this slave was supposed to accompany her on a supposed three-day spiritual journey that had been granted by her father. But, truth be told, the spiritual journey was never to occur--Aravis simply wanted a three-day head start before her father began to search for her. So, she drugged her stepmother's slave. Later, when Aravis is telling this to Shasta, she says that she doesn't really care what the consequences were for the slave. 

So, interestingly, we have a very eye-for-an-eye Aslan on our hands here, which was not necessarily the case in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. But we most certainly do have an Aslan who tells the stories of each individual as they are meant to be told--to the individuals themselves, and no others. This makes me think that it is rather likely that Edmund does know--eventually--what Aslan did for him, to save him from the prophesy that said that the Witch would have dominion over any traitor in Narnia. Aslan is both fair and just--telling each person their story to give a better understanding of life and why it occurs--but never sparing anyone their just deserve. 

Of course, we have the repetition here as well--when Shasta asks Aslan why he attacked Aravis, Aslan tells Shasta that this is not part of his story, but hers. Likewise, Aslan will not tell Aravis whether her stepmother's slave will experience any further hardship--because this is not her story either. 

Aslan bids them farewell before Cor (Shasta) arrives, but says that he will see them again soon. On we go to the final chapter of The Horse and His Boy, where I suspect that Aslan will be making another appearance. 

Also, Cor and Corin? Who does that to their poor children?! Just had to get that one out there.

The Horse and His Boy | Chapter 13: The Fight at Anvard

Chapter Summary:

This chapter begins with the march of the Narnian army from Narnia into Archenland, with Shasta and Prince Corin in the back, conversing  about their adventures. We learn from Corin that Queen Susan does not fight in battles, and has remained at Cair Paravel. Anvard comes into view, and the Calormen army can be seen using a battering ram at Anvard's gates.

The Narnian army begins to race toward the Calormen army, which turns to do likewise. As the two lines collide, Shasta gets thrown from his horse. 

As this occurs, the narrator redirects us to the Hermit, who is staring into his magical pool in his garden and narrating the events of the battle to Aravis, Bree, and Hwin. The Hermit describes the battle in detail as he sees it in the pool--including Shasta's fall (but he cannot tell whether Shasta is alive or not). The Hermit describes how the giants and the great cats (leopards, lions, etc.) had a great impact on the battle. Eventually, most of the Calormen army are captured or killed. 

The perspective shifts back to Shasta and the narrator. Shasta can tell that the Narnians and Archenlanders have won. He looks around to see Prince Rabadash hanging from his chain mail coat against the Anvard castle wall, apparently stuck there when he jumped from an upper wall. Edmund is going to kill him, but King Lune has Rabadash brought into the castle instead.

King Lune then embraces Shasta and brings Shasta and Corin together to be viewed by all present, and asks, "Now, gentlemen, look on them both. Has any man any doubts?" (p. 201).

Reflection:

It is again another battle that, I think, is rather glamorized. Sure, we have the fearful moment of Shasta being knocked from his horse onto the ground--and we aren't even sure of his survival (it is even less certain due to the change from Shasta's perspective to the Hermit's perspective, but we'll talk more about that later). But when the battle ends, everyone gets a good laugh at Prince Rabadash, who is dangling in a most unlikely manner from the castle wall--a bit too farcical for the situation, in my opinion. I'm imagining a battlefield covered in wounded and murdered soldiers--of both sides--while King Lune and others applaud Corin and Shasta... The whole scene seems a little absurd; perhaps some of these things could have been reserved for a banquet at a later date. Alas, we are still on the battlefield when it all occurs. Let us hope that everyone has remembered to wipe their swords, as Aslan instructs Peter in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Anyway, now that I've gotten that bit out of the way, this is really an interesting chapter. For perhaps the first time that I can recall in TCON series, there is a change of narrator perspective in this chapter. The perspective remains third-person omniscient, but we move from a narrator who primarily floats over the head of Shasta, to a narrator that gives us the perspective of the Hermit--and then toward the end we move back to Shasta. Let's take a look at the unusual initial transition:

"But it is no use trying to describe the battle from Shasta's point of view; he understood too little of the fight in general and even of his own part in it. The best way I can tell you what really happened is to take you some miles away to where the Hermit of the Southern March sat gazing into the smooth pool beneath the spreading tree, with Bree and Hwin and Aravis beside him" (p. 198). 

This transition occurs immediately after Shasta is pushed from his horse on the battlefield, so the transition makes rather a lot of sense. It is beyond clever that C.S. Lewis realized that from Shasta's point of view, it would be nonsense to describe the battle in progress. Instead of telling us the story himself, the narrator defers instead to the Hermit. As a result, the reader is told the story of the battle not by Shasta or the narrator, but we hear the battle in the same way that Aravis, Bree, and Hwin hear about the battle--in a disjointed, rather confusing manner. Indeed, we don't even know whether Shasta is alive until we read that Shasta picks himself up off the battlefield afterward. But by this time, the narrator has rejoined Shasta--which begs the question, are Aravis, Bree, and Hwin aware that Shasta has survived? We don't really know.

This change in point of view is an interesting and necessary one. It carries us back to the characters that we have left behind with the Hermit, and provides an update on that end of the tale. It also allows the narrator to paint a realistic view of the battle, rather than just describing what Shasta saw--which, I imagine, was probably just the underside of a lot of different creatures. A clever device by a clever author!

The Horse and His Boy | Chapter 12: Shasta in Narnia

Chapter Summary:

This chapter begins with Shasta stopping to drink some water after his conversation with the lion. He looks around him, and realizes that he has made it through the pass and into Narnia. As he goes downhill into Narnia, Shasta meets a hedgehog, and tells him that a Calormen army is currently besieging Anvard. The hedgehog spreads the word, without much actual action being taken, until a dwarf (Duffle) and a stag hear the news. The stag runs off into the woods to go to Cair Paravel to warn the Kings and Queens of Narnia.

Duffle, meanwhile, learns that Shasta hasn't eaten in over a day, and takes Shasta to his home, where two other dwarfs help prepare breakfast. They eat, and then Shasta sleeps until dinner, and then he sleeps some more.

The next morning, the sound of trumpets is heard, announcing the arrival of King Edmund and Queen Lucy, along with all types of Narnian creatures--they are off to fight at Anvard. Prince Corin is with them. King Edmund forgives Shasta for pretending to be Prince Corin.

A dwarf tells Prince Corin that he is not supposed to fight in the war, and that he has orders from King Edmund to ensure this. But Prince Corin plans to disguise himself so that he can fight in the war, and he convinces Shasta to do so as well, despite Shasta's reservations.

Reflection:

I have a few thoughts about this chapter. The first harkens back to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. If you recall, a large part of Edmund's issue in that novel is his disdain for forgiveness--he is neither good at asking for forgiveness or at forgiving others. Take a look at that change that has occurred within Edmund, and see how he responds when he realizes that Shasta had deceived him when they were in Tashbaan:

"'please, your Majesty,' said Shasta to King Edmund, 'I was no traitor, really I wasn't. And I couldn't help hearing your plans. But I'd never have dreamed of telling them to your enemies.' 

'I know now that you were no traitor, boy,' said King Edmund, laying his hand on Shasta's head. 'But if you would not be taken for one, another time try not to hear what's meant for other ears. But all's well'" (p. 195). 

What an incredible change from the Edmund we knew in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. This Edmund has learned his lesson, and he forgives, because forgiveness is due. (Perhaps Edmund realizes, like the reader does, that if not for Shasta's deception, they would have no warning regarding the Calormen attack at Anvard.)

A second observation I have about this chapter is also connected in many ways with the preceding novel(s). In many ways, Shasta's entrance into Narnia parallels that of Lucy's entrance into Narnia years earlier. Upon entering Narnia, both Shasta and Lucy meet Narnia's mythological creatures (Duffle the Dwarf and Mr. Tumnus the Faun) and Talking Beasts (hedgehog; beavers), and then are hastily taken away to a meal (at the Dwarf house and at Mr. Tumnus's house), where a war is discussed. In a lot of ways, the parallels don't line up, but Shasta really does have a similar introduction to Narnia--a Narnia at war. More than ever, the reader should see that Narnia is by no means a utopia or a peaceful land. It is one that experiences war and hardship, even during its Golden Age.

Other than that, this is a fairly B- chapter, especially following the previous one. It primarily serves as a plot point to set up the following chapter, similar in a way to the releasing of the frozen statues in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. This chapter is the gathering of the army for the great battle, located (as a cliched construct) approximately 5/6ths of the way into the story. Now, on to war.

The Horse and His Boy | Chapter 11: The Unwelcome Fellow Traveler

Chapter Summary:

This chapter begins with Shasta running through the increasingly wooded grassland away from the Hermit and toward King Lune. Shasta finds King Lune and his men in a glade, and Shasta warns him that Prince Rabadash is coming to attack his city. (Even King Lune mistakes Shasta as his son.) King Lune and his men believe Shasta--Shasta is provided with a horse, and they head quickly toward Anvard.

Shasta is on a slow horse, however, and quickly finds himself falling behind. As they approach the mountains, Shasta eventually loses the other men as the fog and night enclose around him. 

Shasta comes to a fork in the road, and hearing voices behind him, chooses the right-hand path. Shasta hears Prince Rabadash and his men at the fork, and the Prince instructs them to murder all men at Anvard, but to attack no Narnians if possible. The Prince and his 200 men then take the left-hand path.

Shasta continues down the right-hand path into a dark, misty forest. He soon realizes that there is something moving along with him off the path to his right. Shasta asks who/what it is, but it gives him only a vague reply, and asks Shasta to tell him his sorrows.

When Shasta gets to his woes about the lions during his adventure, the Large Voice (as the narrator describes it) says that there was only one lion the whole time. The mist clears as the sun begins to rise. Shasta sees before him a lion, emitting a strong light. Shasta falls from his saddle, and falls at the feet of the lion in reverence. The lion disappears before his eyes into the mist.

Reflection:

Another excellent chapter. The part of the chapter that stands out as the strongest and most important is, without a doubt, the lion's speech after he tells Shasta that there was only ever one lion:

"'I was the lion ... I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the Horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you.' 

'Then it was you who wounded Aravis?' 

'It was I.' 

'But what for?' 

'Child,' said the voice, 'I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story but his own' (p. 191).

Wow! As adult readers, we should probably not be surprised (especially having read The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) that the lion who has appeared multiple times throughout the novel is really only one lion, THE lion. In the quotations above, a lot of our questions are answered, but in an amusing twist, Shasta asks the very question that pops into everyone's mind--but why did this lion wound Aravis? What was the purpose? I suspect that we will find out, but I doubt that Shasta will.

The entire scene is an outstanding out--and brings out some of the strongest images since Aslan's death on the Stone Table in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Here, we can almost imagine a young, lost boy, traveling on a horse through the misty mountainous forest, followed cautiously but carefully by a lion. It is not hard to imagine how their conversation would have looked, and how truly terrifying it must have been to Shasta. 

Perhaps this is the reason for the name of the chapter--The Unwelcome Fellow Traveler. This is, of course, a rather interesting chapter title because if the lion is Aslan, which is pretty obvious by now, then this would not at all be an unwelcome traveler. In fact, I couldn't think of a traveler in Narnia that would should be more welcome than Aslan. Perhaps the traveler is only unwelcome because Shasta does not quite yet know who Aslan is, or why he is indeed a welcome traveler:

"Shasta had lived all his life too far south in Calormen to have heard the tales that were whispered in Tashbaan about a dreadful Narnian demon that appeared in the form of a lion. And of course he knew none of the true stories about Aslan, the great Lion, the son of the Emperor-over-the-Sea, the King above all High Kings in Narnia" (p. 191).

From this passage, we can deduce that if Shasta had had any knowledge of Aslan prior to his adventure, due to his upbringing, this knowledge would have likely been both negative and false. Though it has not much entered my chapter summaries (due to it being largely irrelevant to this point), the inhabitants of Tashbaan and those further south worship the god Tash--and thus have probably misconstrued the name of Aslan. Perhaps this adds some sense to the title of the chapter, which is otherwise confusing to readers who know and love Aslan as a character.

The Horse and His Boy | Chapter 10: The Hermit of the Southern March

Chapter Summary:

The chapter begins with Shasta, Aravis, Bree, and Hwin crossing a large river into Archenland. Looking back, they suddenly see the army of Rabadash moving toward them. The horses begin to gallop, in a race to beat the army to King Lune and Anvard.

Then, Shasta hears the snarling of a lion behind them. Bree and Shasta are running ahead of Hwin and Aravis, but as the lion has nearly caught up with Hwin/Aravis, Shasta jumps off of Bree's back and runs to help Hwin/Aravis. Just as Shasta reaches them, the lion rips his claws across Aravis's back, wounding her. Turning on the defenseless Shasta, the lion suddenly checks itself and runs away.

Looking around them after the lion has fled, Bree, Shasta, Hwin, and Aravis find that they are not at all far from a large wall of green shrubbery. In a doorwall in the wall is a man. The man greets them and says that he is the Hermit of the Southern March. He tells Shasta to run in a certain direction, where he will find King Lune in time to warn him of Rabadash's army. Shasta, already exhausted, runs off in that direction.

Meanwhile, the Hermit cares for Bree, Hwin, and the wounded Aravis. Aravis awakens to find her wound dressed. The Hermit says that it is strange that the lion only clawed her and didn't bite--and he says that this is not merely luck (but he doesn't know what it means).

Aravis is healed enough to get up the next day. She visits Hwin and Bree. Bree is in very, very poor spirits, and says that he will go back to Calormen as a slave. He is completely ashamed that he fled from the lion while Shasta went back to help Aravis and Hwin. The Hermit joins them and tells Bree that the only thing he has lost is his own self-conceit. He says that while he was a smarter, more clever horse in Calormen, he should not expect to be so in Narnia.

Reflection:

This was definitely my favorite chapter of The Horse and His Boy thus far--and one of my favorites in the entire TCON series thus far. The reason is simple: This chapter rather parallels Frodo and Sam's visit to Tom Bombadil in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. It is one of the most interesting and question-provoking chapters in The Lord of the Rings, and it is most definitely the same in this novel. 

The questions that arise from this chapter are rather numerous indeed. Here's a few of them: (1) Who is this lion, and why is it terrorizing Shasta, Bree, Aravis, and Hwin? (1.5) If the lion is Aslan, which I think we can somewhat assume, then why did it wound Aravis? (2) Who is the Hermit? (3) Why does the Hermit have complete and total awareness of who/what Shasta, Aravis, Bree, and Hwin are, and what they are doing? (4) How does the Hermit have such vast knowledge of present events? (5) Is this garden perhaps the same garden that Digory took the apple from in The Magician's Nephew? The beautiful tree in the middle seems to imply so. (6) Does Shasta make it to King Lune in time? 

There are others, but those are a good start. The Hermit is definitely one of the most interesting characters in TCON series, and perhaps the wisest as well. This sets up some very impressive quotations to take a look at. The first one, however, comes from our narrator. This is immediately after the Hermit tells Shasta that in order to reach King Lune in time, he must begin running immediately and without stopping:

"Shasta's heart fainted at these words for he felt he had no strength left. And he writhed inside at what seemed the cruelty and unfairness of the demand. He had not yet learned that if you do one good deed your reward usually is to be set to do another and harder and better one" (p. 185).

Like the last chapter, we see another quotation about the ability to keep going on. If you recall, yesterday the narrator told us that (I'm paraphrasing) we often underestimate our own capacity to do unless given some sort of incentive to continue doing. And today, we have an example of this. Shasta is exhausted, and his adrenaline is probably through the roof--he has just come face-to-face with a lion--and now he is being told that he must keep going. And not just keep going--he must run, and he must do it alone. (Most runners will tell you that running alone is much more difficult than running with others.) Nevertheless, Shasta does not hesitate. He asks for directions, heads for the gate, and runs. In doing this, Shasta has demonstrated incredible bravery and relentless persistence all in the span of a few moments. Even Aravis, who has been hostile toward Shasta, realizes the depth of what he has done. Shasta is certainly coming into his own in a pretty awesome way.

And now, I think one of the most important quotations in the entire novel comes from the Hermit in his speech to Bree at the very end of the chapter:

"'My good Horse, you've lost nothing but your self-conceit. No, no, cousin. Don't put back your ears and shake your mane at me. If you are really so humbled as you sounded a minute ago, you must learn to listen to sense. You're not quite the great Horse you had come to think, from living among poor dumb horses. Of course you were braver and cleverer than them. You could hardly help being that. It doesn't follow that you'll be anyone very special in Narnia. But as long as you know you're nobody special, you'll be a very decent sort of Horse, on the whole" (p. 187). 

Fascinating! College freshmen beginning their college careers could most certainly benefit from the wisdom embedded in this statement. In it is a very important message: It does not matter in the slightest whether you are better (smarter, faster, stronger) than others--what matters significantly more is your humility.

This chapter comes with so many powerful lessons, it would be hard to discuss them all, but I think I have covered the basics. I am impressed (and honestly, grateful) for the substance of this chapter--I believe it will set us up nicely for a strong conclusion to this story, and perhaps some answers to the questions that have risen from this chapter as well. To Narnia and the North!

The Horse and His Boy | Chapter 9: Across the Desert

Chapter Summary:

The chapter begins with Aravis and Lasaraleen in the room alone after the Tisroc has left. Lasaraleen is shaken from the experience, but Aravis insists that she take her to the river immediately. Lasaraleen does so, and the two part ways. Aravis heads toward the Tombs, where she finds a servant of Lasaraleen watching over Bree and Hwin. As soon as she tells the servant to leave her with the horses, Shasta appears; the four are finally reunited.

Aravis tells Shasta about Prince Rabadash's plan to invade Archenland, so they begin a march across the desert immediately. They walk all night and all of the next day through the vast and flat desert. Finally, after sunset on the second day they see a slope ahead and make toward it. A path emerges between cliffs on either side. They see a river, stop for water, and accidentally sleep for many hours. Shasta is concerned about keeping ahead of Prince Rabadash, but the horses don't seem to be in much of a hurry, and insist on eating before carrying on with their march.

Reflection:

I believe this is my shortest chapter summary to date in TCON series. This is largely because a majority of the chapter is spent marching across the desert, with a great deal of sensory descriptions and imagery along the way (the heat, the flatness, the rising and setting of the sun, the monotony, and so forth). Indeed, C.S. Lewis ironically makes the reader really feel how boring and monotonous the march is--because the text accompanying it is rather the same. This is not criticism at all; I think it was the best thing that C.S. Lewis could do to build empathy with the characters who were actually making that march across the desert. Those might be a boring and tiresome two pages, but certainly less so than a 36-hour walk across a desert.

But I don't think I'm going to be discussing the scenery and whatnot during today's discussion. Instead, I'm going to focus on a particular passage toward the end of this chapter. Here's the context: Shasta, Aravis, Bree, and Hwin have just awoken from their unintentional slumber. Aravis is upset with herself for not realizing that they were in danger of falling asleep, and Shasta is anxious to move on. Bree and Hwin are both tired, and feel like they need to eat before moving on. Here is the conversation (and narration) that occurs:

"'I feel just like Free that I can't go on. But when Horses have humans ... on their backs, aren't they often made to go on when they're feeling like this? And then they find they can... oughtn't we to be able to do even more, now that we're free? It's all for Narnia.' 

'I think, Ma'am,' said Bree very crushingly, 'that I know a little more about campaigns and forced marches and what a horse can stand than you do.' 

To this, Hwin made no answer ... In reality she was quite right, and if Bree had had a Tarkaan on his back at that very moment to make him go on, he would have found that he was good for several hours' hard going. But one of the worst results of being a slave and being forced to do things is that when there is no one to force you any more you find you have almost lost the power of forcing yourself" (p. 182).

It's that last paragraph and especially the last sentence that really stood out to me as the point for reflection/discussion of this chapter. So, here we have two assertions from C.S. Lewis, or our narrator, and they are as follows: (I'm obviously paraphrasing here)

1) Motivation--knowing that you have no choice--is motivation enough to keep you going.
2) Freed slaves have no motivation because they have had external motivation for so long that they no longer can create internal motivation within themselves.

Interesting notions; let's take them one at a time.

First--our narrator says that the motivation of knowing that you have no choice is enough to keep you going more than no motivation at all. I think in some ways this is true. Give me an 8-hour work day with 1 small task to accomplish, and I will limp through that task like it's the greatest struggle of my life. Give me a list of 25 manageable tasks to accomplish in that same time period, and I will be working on them constantly, all day, until they are done. And damn if I don't feel accomplished when they are done. But I think that the narrator is correct here only until a certain extent. While Hwin is correct--that they probably could have gone further if they were required to--this is not always healthy or sustainable. Think about working day after day all year with no weekends or vacation--not very realistic or enjoyable. Your quality of life would be positively poor. But on the other hand, a job in which you have absolutely nothing to do can be just as grueling--just as taxing. There must be a middle ground.

Second--and in a much more controversial statement--our narrator says that freed slaves cannot develop internal motivation after having received only external motivation for so long. Frankly, I think this quotation is dangerously close to an "ism" and certainly reflects the time in which it was written. Today, in the United States, most people would raise high eyebrows at you if you said that ex-slaves would not be able to make much of themselves. This would basically alienate about 20% of the U.S. population, though very few U.S. citizens alive today were actually slaves at one point (not in the 1860s-style sense of slavery, anyway--let's not talk about the horrible modern forms of slavery at the moment). There are plentiful examples throughout history of former slaves making far-reaching impacts, and motivating themselves to do great things. I don't think this is a fair statement for the narrator to make at all, and it's definitely controversial at best.

But perhaps this is what C.S. Lewis wanted us to do--think critically about what we are reading. I suspect that C.S. Lewis would not mind someone disagreeing with him, provided they have an argument as to why.

The Horse and His Boy | Chapter 8: In the House of the Tisroc

Chapter Summary:

The entirety of this chapter takes place in the room in the Tisroc's house. Aravis and Lasaraleen are hiding behind the couch. The others in the room are the Tisroc, Ahoshta Tarkaan (the Grand Vizier), and Prince Rabadash.

As the chapter opens, we learn from Prince Rabadash that the Narnian ship carrying Queen Susan has disappeared from its port. Prince Rabadash is distraught, and insists that he must have Queen Susan in marriage. Prince Rabadash insists that the Tisroc should invade Narnia, kill King Peter, and allow him to have Queen Susan as his wife.

We learn from the Tisroc that he has hesitated to invade and conquer Narnia because of the Enchantress (the White Witch) who has held dominion over the land. Even now, knowing that her reign is over, the Tisroc fears that great magic must be present in the land.

Prince Rabadash then proposes the following plan: He and 200 men will go to Cair Paravel to meet Queen Susan as she gets off the ship and take her as his wife. On the way, he will conquer Anvard--a city in Archenland. He will do all of this supposedly without the Tisroc's knowledge, so if the plan goes afoul, the Tisroc can claim that Prince Rabadash was acting without his authority. But if all goes as planned, the Tisroc can then build an army at Anvard until he is ready to invade Narnia. Prince Rabadash believes also that King Peter would not seek Queen Susan's rescue because of the political advantages of being aligned to the Tisroc's throne.

Prince Rabadash leaves the room to begin this plan; the Tisroc and Ahoshta remain in the room. The Tisroc says that he is pleased by the plan, and that if Prince Rabadash dies, he has many more sons to succeed him. He says that he is glad that Rabadash is distracted abroad, as many sons of the Tisroc have murdered the Tisroc in order to gain the throne. The Tisroc says that he and Ahoshta will claim to have no knowledge of the conversation that just occurred, and that anyone else who knows the information just discussed will be killed. Ahoshta leaves the room, and later, the Tisroc does as well.

Reflection:

Despite being a chapter pivotal to the plot of the remainder of the novel, this chapter just might rank as the most dry chapter of TCON thus far--it is filled completely with (unnecessarily) lofty language and political discourse, and is really just not all that thrilling to read. And in addition, it contains all of the political corruption that you would probably find in a vast majority of political environments. In the span of this chapter, there is discussion of kidnapping, murder, and deception--all discussed as just another day in the political realm of Tashbaan. It is clearly corrupt, and encompasses all that Tashbaan is as a city. 

It is most interesting to think about what sorts of messages C.S. Lewis is trying to send here. The Horse and His Boy was published in 1954, with WWII a recent memory in Great Britain. Political corruption is likely viewed as dangerous and hostile. It is also abundantly clear, through the description of the clothing, jewelry, customs, and traditions that Calormen is a nation similar to one in the Middle East or Indian subcontinent region. 

There is, by the way, an absolute undertone of racism within this novel--the Narnians are the lighter-skinned peoples of the North, and though a small nation, they are wealthy (not necessarily in money, but in peace, prosperity, love, and kindness). Meanwhile, the Calormen southerners are described as rougher people with darker skin, and in which there is a definite and omnipresent caste system (just look at what happens when important people are carried through the streets--the commoners must squish themselves out of the way or risk physical abuse). There are no slaves in Narnia--even the animals are freed, talking animals. The Tisroc himself even refers to Narnia as a free nation. There are most definitely slaves in Calormen. In fact, there were two slaves in the meeting with the Tisroc, Prince Rabadash, and Ahoshta--but we are told that they are deaf and dumb, in order to maintain the secrecy of the conversation being had.

So we begin to see that the world inhabited by Narnia is one not unlike our own--with nations were many peoples are free, and nations ruled harshly by dictators with none-too-kind agendas and political systems. There are thoughts of dividing and conquering, there are caste systems, racial tensions, and political corruption. The land of Narnia is a utopia, of sorts, in this world--and no utopia can remain a utopia without intervention from the outside. Chances are, this is exactly what is about to happen to Narnia.