Chapter Summary:
Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum continue on their journey toward Harfang. What starts as a little bit of snow turns into a blinding snowstorm. They climb over about four ledges, each about four feet tall. At this point, they reach the top of a flat hill. Along the hill, which is a sort of plateau, are trenches. Jill accidentally slides into one, and finds herself concealed by the snow in a passageway of sorts. Eustace joins Jill to investigate the passageway, but it does not lead in the direction that they wish to go (north).
Puddleglum pulls Eustace and Jill from the trench, and back into the blinding snowstorm. Puddleglum asks Jill to repeat Aslan's four signs, but Jill is in a sour mood, and repeats them in an incorrect order. Puddleglum tries (twice) to point out an interesting feature of the hill on which they stand, but Eustace and Jill can think of nothing but warm baths at Harfang.
Upon finally reaching Harfang, Puddleglum knocks at the door and announces their presence. A (giant) porter opens the door, and sees them inside once Jill mentions that the Lady of the Green Kirtle has sent them for their Autumn Feast. Puddleglum, Eustace, and Jill go inside and warm themselves by a huge fire. The porter provides a glass of liquor for Puddleglum, who becomes immediately intoxicated. Meanwhile, a messenger returns and says that the King and Queen want to see them. Puddleglum is carried, while Eustace and Jill are escorted to the King and Queen.
Reflection:
It seems that Aslan is right again--Jill has forgotten (or rather, failed to remember) the signs taught to her by Aslan when she was on the mountain in Aslan's country. Like Aslan predicted, it is very easy for one's thoughts to get muddled in the valley--especially when traveling through a blinding snowstorm. Of course, as a reader we should see the parallel to real life. It is easy to remember Aslan's signs when all is right in the world, and all that is about you is a mountain and a stream. It's significantly more difficult to remember what Aslan had to say while traveling through a blinding snowstorm while struggling to just barely survive. That's some Allegory 101 for you, in case you missed it (which you didn't, because C.S. Lewis teaches Allegory 100 in this novel, which is basically Remedial Allegory--allegory for those who wouldn't know allegory if it punched them in the face).
Anyway, Jill has clearly failed to remember the signs, and bets are on that she has already missed the second of four signs. That's 0-for-2 for Eustace and Jill, and that's not a good sign (pun intended) for the success of their journey.
Neither, speaking of which, is the fact that it seems to be abundantly clear that the giants of Harfang intend to consume Eustace and Jill for their Autumn Feast. I'm so certain of this, I probably should have entered into this discussion with a spoiler alert memo. Oops--too late. Anyway, Eustace and Jill are of course oblivious to this fact, given that Harfang to them represents warmth, comfort, and food. Unfortunately, the blind are pretty darn blind in this situation. They are not only ignoring the signs, but they are very likely in great peril at the moment as well. This is probably not the vision that Aslan had when he sent Jill on this journey.
This brings us back (way back) to a conversation we had in a much earlier chapter in the TCON series about predestination. Does Aslan allow a story to play out? How involved is he in the progress of this journey? Whereas Aslan seemed to always be the background player in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the trend in this story thus far seems to be that Aslan has provided Jill with instructions, and then allow the story to progress without much intervention on his part (yet)--with the massive exception of saving Eustace from certain death when he falls off the cliff, but really, that is before the story even began. So, I would argue that The Silver Chair, thus far, is presenting a different version of Christian theology than the other TCON novels have presented. Whether it's better or worse, more accurate or less accurate, is entirely up for debate. Nevertheless, I think it's an interesting change from the previous TCON stories--and we will see if the trend continues.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Monday, September 29, 2014
The Silver Chair | Chapter 6: The Wild Waste Lands of the North
Chapter Summary:
Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum set off on their journey north and cross the river Shribble. Just after doing so, they encounter a group of about 50 giants. The giant primarily ignore them, but the giants entertain themselves by throwing giant boulders, which results in a few close calls.
Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum continue along the northern moors for about ten days, drinking water from rivers and hunting wild birds for food. One day, the countryside abruptly changes--mountains loom up ahead, and a very large river stands between them and the beginning of the mountainous terrain. Jill spots a bridge where they can cross, and they do so.
Just as they are crossing the bridge, two strangers on horseback are seen coming toward them. One is a beautiful woman dressed in green who identifies herself as She of the Green Kirtle. The other is a person in a suit of armor who never once speaks during their interaction. As Eustace and Jill are about to explain the reason for their journey, Puddleglum stops them short. The woman says that the road that they are on will lead to Harfang--a city of gentle giants, who will give them a place to eat and sleep when they reach it. She also tells them to ensure not to get to the castle too late, as the giants lock the castle a little after noon, and do not open the doors for anyone.
As Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum continue onward, they discuss the merit of the woman's words, and Puddleglum speculates wildly about the suit of armor that rode the other horse.
Several weeks later, and after much travel through the cold mountains, a city is spotted in the distance. Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum know that this city is likely Harfang.
Reflection:
This chapter was an interesting one, and definitely more than just a run-of-the-mill plot-mover. Nevertheless, I'm struggling a little bit with what particular area to focus on, given that I have already focused on so many similar topics in other chapters in the TCON series. I think probably the best route to go here is the route of the mystery. In this chapter, C.S. Lewis introduces the reader (along with Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum) to a mystery. This is similar in ways to the mystery of the seven lost Lords in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
The mystery in this chapter is the mystery of the suit of armor. Here is how the knight is described as Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum are approaching:
Thus within the mystery of the lost prince of Narnia, we have another mystery--the mystery of the suit of armor. The mystery particularly toys with a reader's brain because of the possibility that the lost prince is actually himself beneath the armor (boy, would that be a bummer for our party of three). I suspect we will find out the answer to the mystery at some point in the novel. While this isn't always the case with adult novels, a novel aimed at children will certainly reveal this mystery along the way as well--or maybe, just maybe, it will be one of those mysteries that Aslan keeps from everyone at the end. Regardless, C.S. Lewis has definitely created a character who we will remember, until we know a little more about him.
Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum set off on their journey north and cross the river Shribble. Just after doing so, they encounter a group of about 50 giants. The giant primarily ignore them, but the giants entertain themselves by throwing giant boulders, which results in a few close calls.
Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum continue along the northern moors for about ten days, drinking water from rivers and hunting wild birds for food. One day, the countryside abruptly changes--mountains loom up ahead, and a very large river stands between them and the beginning of the mountainous terrain. Jill spots a bridge where they can cross, and they do so.
Just as they are crossing the bridge, two strangers on horseback are seen coming toward them. One is a beautiful woman dressed in green who identifies herself as She of the Green Kirtle. The other is a person in a suit of armor who never once speaks during their interaction. As Eustace and Jill are about to explain the reason for their journey, Puddleglum stops them short. The woman says that the road that they are on will lead to Harfang--a city of gentle giants, who will give them a place to eat and sleep when they reach it. She also tells them to ensure not to get to the castle too late, as the giants lock the castle a little after noon, and do not open the doors for anyone.
As Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum continue onward, they discuss the merit of the woman's words, and Puddleglum speculates wildly about the suit of armor that rode the other horse.
Several weeks later, and after much travel through the cold mountains, a city is spotted in the distance. Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum know that this city is likely Harfang.
Reflection:
This chapter was an interesting one, and definitely more than just a run-of-the-mill plot-mover. Nevertheless, I'm struggling a little bit with what particular area to focus on, given that I have already focused on so many similar topics in other chapters in the TCON series. I think probably the best route to go here is the route of the mystery. In this chapter, C.S. Lewis introduces the reader (along with Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum) to a mystery. This is similar in ways to the mystery of the seven lost Lords in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
The mystery in this chapter is the mystery of the suit of armor. Here is how the knight is described as Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum are approaching:
"One was a knight in complete armor with his visor down. His armor and his horse were black; there was no device on his shield and no banneret on his spear" (p. 403).After their interaction with the woman in green, Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum have a brief conversation about the suit of armor. Puddleglum wonders aloud why he never spoke. Jill replies that perhaps the knight was shy, or that he was just mesmerized by the beautiful woman he was with. Puddleglum, in his typical pessimistic way, suggests that beneath the armor could have been a skeleton, nothing at all, or something invisible.
Thus within the mystery of the lost prince of Narnia, we have another mystery--the mystery of the suit of armor. The mystery particularly toys with a reader's brain because of the possibility that the lost prince is actually himself beneath the armor (boy, would that be a bummer for our party of three). I suspect we will find out the answer to the mystery at some point in the novel. While this isn't always the case with adult novels, a novel aimed at children will certainly reveal this mystery along the way as well--or maybe, just maybe, it will be one of those mysteries that Aslan keeps from everyone at the end. Regardless, C.S. Lewis has definitely created a character who we will remember, until we know a little more about him.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
The Silver Chair | Chapter 5: Puddleglum
Chapter Summary:
Jill is woken up, and she and Eustace fly on two owls' backs. The owls bring them to Puddleglum, a Marsh-wiggle, who provides Eustace and Jill with a place to sleep. They sleep very well. The next morning, they leave the wigwam in which they slept and find Puddleglum fishing for eel among the very marshy land. Eustace and Jill greet Puddleglum, who looks like a man with long, thin arms and legs, but with completely webbed hands and feet.
Puddleglum asks Eustace and Jill to light a fire using some firewood. In all his talking, Puddleglum is incredibly pessimistic, expecting the worst of every situation. Once the eel stew is cooking, Jill asks if Puddleglum can help them find Prince Rilian. Puddleglum says that he will try to help, and will go with them on their journey. Puddleglum says that everyone who has attempted to find Rilian before has started at the location where Rilian disappeared. Jill says that they have to start at a ruined city of giants, because Aslan said so.
Puddleglum says that they must first go through Ettinsmoor, a land filled with semi-hostile giants, to get to the ruined city (though he doesn't know where it is exactly). Eustace gets upset with Puddleglum for being so pessimistic about everything, but Puddleglum says that he's fairly optimistic among Marsh-wiggles.
The rest of the day is spent preparing for the journey to come. They all go to bed early, and Eustace and Jill sleep terribly due to Puddleglum's snoring.
Reflection:
All in all, this is one of those TCON chapters that primarily serves the purpose of comedy. We know this because Puddleglum, whose name is as pessimistic as he is, is the absolute epitome of negativity. In everything that he suggests, he anticipates several paths toward failure. When he wants Jill and Eustace to fetch firewood, he immediately worries that the firewood will be wet--but it is bone dry and lights very easily.
After enjoying a rather full chapter of Puddleglum's amusing pessimism, Eustace finally calls him out for being absolutely pessimistic about everything. Eustace finds Puddleglum's habit rather irritating, particularly because it appears to be rarely accurate. Jill is worries that Puddleglum will reply aggressively to Eustace's chastising, but here is how Puddleglum actually replies:
Here's some good comedy, brought to us by Puddleglum. Actually, sarcasm would be nearer to the mark. Puddleglum might be pessimistic about the upcoming journey, but what he says here actually puts it in perspective. He's right--they are starting just as winter is beginning, and indeed many others have tried and failed (and died) trying to find the missing prince. And it is also true that they are trying to find a ruined city that appears to be a lost city altogether. The hope is rather dismal, and everyone knows it--but Puddleglum obviously anticipates the worst.
What is most amusing about all of this, of course, is that Puddleglum is an optimist among Wiggle-marshes. This is both surprising and amusing--and makes the reader wonder what a pessimistic Wiggle-marsh would be like. Probably not too thrilling to interact with, that's for sure. Anyway, Puddleglum is a most ridiculous and hilarious character--and the adventures with him are sure to be, at the least, cautious. Puddleglum brings a whole new meaning to 'prepare for the worst.'
Jill is woken up, and she and Eustace fly on two owls' backs. The owls bring them to Puddleglum, a Marsh-wiggle, who provides Eustace and Jill with a place to sleep. They sleep very well. The next morning, they leave the wigwam in which they slept and find Puddleglum fishing for eel among the very marshy land. Eustace and Jill greet Puddleglum, who looks like a man with long, thin arms and legs, but with completely webbed hands and feet.
Puddleglum asks Eustace and Jill to light a fire using some firewood. In all his talking, Puddleglum is incredibly pessimistic, expecting the worst of every situation. Once the eel stew is cooking, Jill asks if Puddleglum can help them find Prince Rilian. Puddleglum says that he will try to help, and will go with them on their journey. Puddleglum says that everyone who has attempted to find Rilian before has started at the location where Rilian disappeared. Jill says that they have to start at a ruined city of giants, because Aslan said so.
Puddleglum says that they must first go through Ettinsmoor, a land filled with semi-hostile giants, to get to the ruined city (though he doesn't know where it is exactly). Eustace gets upset with Puddleglum for being so pessimistic about everything, but Puddleglum says that he's fairly optimistic among Marsh-wiggles.
The rest of the day is spent preparing for the journey to come. They all go to bed early, and Eustace and Jill sleep terribly due to Puddleglum's snoring.
Reflection:
All in all, this is one of those TCON chapters that primarily serves the purpose of comedy. We know this because Puddleglum, whose name is as pessimistic as he is, is the absolute epitome of negativity. In everything that he suggests, he anticipates several paths toward failure. When he wants Jill and Eustace to fetch firewood, he immediately worries that the firewood will be wet--but it is bone dry and lights very easily.
After enjoying a rather full chapter of Puddleglum's amusing pessimism, Eustace finally calls him out for being absolutely pessimistic about everything. Eustace finds Puddleglum's habit rather irritating, particularly because it appears to be rarely accurate. Jill is worries that Puddleglum will reply aggressively to Eustace's chastising, but here is how Puddleglum actually replies:
"The other wiggles all say--that I'm too flighty; don't take life seriously enough. 'Puddleglum,' they've said, 'you're altogether too full of bobance and bounce and high spirits. You've got to learn that life it's all fricasseed frogs and eel pie. You want something to sober you down a bit...' Now a job like this--a journey up north just as winter's beginning, looking for a Prince that probably isn't there, by way of a ruined city that no one has ever seen--will be just the thing. If that doesn't steady a chap, I don't know what will" (p. 399).
Here's some good comedy, brought to us by Puddleglum. Actually, sarcasm would be nearer to the mark. Puddleglum might be pessimistic about the upcoming journey, but what he says here actually puts it in perspective. He's right--they are starting just as winter is beginning, and indeed many others have tried and failed (and died) trying to find the missing prince. And it is also true that they are trying to find a ruined city that appears to be a lost city altogether. The hope is rather dismal, and everyone knows it--but Puddleglum obviously anticipates the worst.
What is most amusing about all of this, of course, is that Puddleglum is an optimist among Wiggle-marshes. This is both surprising and amusing--and makes the reader wonder what a pessimistic Wiggle-marsh would be like. Probably not too thrilling to interact with, that's for sure. Anyway, Puddleglum is a most ridiculous and hilarious character--and the adventures with him are sure to be, at the least, cautious. Puddleglum brings a whole new meaning to 'prepare for the worst.'
Saturday, September 27, 2014
The Silver Chair | Chapter 4: A Parliament of Owls
Chapter Summary:
Just as Jill is getting ready to go to bed, the owl (named Glimfeather) comes to her window to visit. Glimfeather asks if she was serious about her quest to find the lost prince. Jill says that she was serious. Glimfeather then leaves to get Eustace. Glimfeather returns later for Jill, and tells Jill that she will have to fly on the owl's back. Glimfeather brings Jill to a tall tower, which already contains many owls and Eustace as well.
Eustace tells the owls about his friendship with King Caspian. The owls tell Eustace and Jill that Trumpkin the Dwarf won't let anyone seek after the lost prince--too many have already died or disappeared trying.
The owls then tell the story of the lost prince. One day, Prince Rilian was out with his mother, the Queen of Narnia (Ramandu's daughter) to the North of Narnia. The Queen laid down for a nap at one point while Rilian was a short distance away. The Queen was bitten by a serpent and died within ten minutes. The Queen tried to give Prince Rilian a message before she died, but was not able to speak well enough to deliver it.
The Queen was mourned greatly by Rilian and Narnia as a whole. One day, Lord Drinian--the former captain of the Dawn Treader--who was friends with Rilian noticed a change in Rilian. After convincing, Rilian brings Drinian to the site where his mother died. There, Drinian sees a woman beckoning to Rilian, but the woman disappears before Rilian reaches her. Drinian can sense that the woman is evil, but he does not say anything. The next day, Rilian goes to see the woman, and he has never been seen since.
Drinian confessed to Caspian what had occurred, and Caspian first intends to kill Drinian, but realizes he does not want to lose a friend along with his wife and son.
The owls and Jill speculate that the serpent and the woman to whom Rilian was attracted were the same being. The owls even mention that this might have to do with the White Witch.
Eustace tells the owls that they have to go to the ruins of the giant city to the north. The owls unanimously agree that they cannot fly Eustace and Jill there, but that they can take Eustace and Jill to a Marsh-wiggle, who will be of more help. The owls ask if they are ready, but Jill is asleep.
Reflection:
As far as individual chapters are concerned, this is not going to be one of the more memorable ones at the end of TCON. Largely, and we've seen one or two of these in every book, this is a plot-moving chapter. Before Eustace and Jill can really embark on their quest for the lost prince, they need to know the back-story, and so do we. As a result, we have a flock of owls to tell us the story.
What is abundantly clear in the chapter is that this serpent is bad news, and so is the woman that is connected with the disappearance of Prince Rilian. In case it weren't already bash-you-over-the-head-with-a-frying-pan obvious, here's how the text describes the snake:
As with some chapters, I don't have much more to say, only that the plot has been moved along within this chapter, and that the woman connected with Rilian's disappearance is clearly bad news. Onward to meet the Marsh-wiggle, whatever that means.
Just as Jill is getting ready to go to bed, the owl (named Glimfeather) comes to her window to visit. Glimfeather asks if she was serious about her quest to find the lost prince. Jill says that she was serious. Glimfeather then leaves to get Eustace. Glimfeather returns later for Jill, and tells Jill that she will have to fly on the owl's back. Glimfeather brings Jill to a tall tower, which already contains many owls and Eustace as well.
Eustace tells the owls about his friendship with King Caspian. The owls tell Eustace and Jill that Trumpkin the Dwarf won't let anyone seek after the lost prince--too many have already died or disappeared trying.
The owls then tell the story of the lost prince. One day, Prince Rilian was out with his mother, the Queen of Narnia (Ramandu's daughter) to the North of Narnia. The Queen laid down for a nap at one point while Rilian was a short distance away. The Queen was bitten by a serpent and died within ten minutes. The Queen tried to give Prince Rilian a message before she died, but was not able to speak well enough to deliver it.
The Queen was mourned greatly by Rilian and Narnia as a whole. One day, Lord Drinian--the former captain of the Dawn Treader--who was friends with Rilian noticed a change in Rilian. After convincing, Rilian brings Drinian to the site where his mother died. There, Drinian sees a woman beckoning to Rilian, but the woman disappears before Rilian reaches her. Drinian can sense that the woman is evil, but he does not say anything. The next day, Rilian goes to see the woman, and he has never been seen since.
Drinian confessed to Caspian what had occurred, and Caspian first intends to kill Drinian, but realizes he does not want to lose a friend along with his wife and son.
The owls and Jill speculate that the serpent and the woman to whom Rilian was attracted were the same being. The owls even mention that this might have to do with the White Witch.
Eustace tells the owls that they have to go to the ruins of the giant city to the north. The owls unanimously agree that they cannot fly Eustace and Jill there, but that they can take Eustace and Jill to a Marsh-wiggle, who will be of more help. The owls ask if they are ready, but Jill is asleep.
Reflection:
As far as individual chapters are concerned, this is not going to be one of the more memorable ones at the end of TCON. Largely, and we've seen one or two of these in every book, this is a plot-moving chapter. Before Eustace and Jill can really embark on their quest for the lost prince, they need to know the back-story, and so do we. As a result, we have a flock of owls to tell us the story.
What is abundantly clear in the chapter is that this serpent is bad news, and so is the woman that is connected with the disappearance of Prince Rilian. In case it weren't already bash-you-over-the-head-with-a-frying-pan obvious, here's how the text describes the snake:
"It was great, shining, and as green as poison" (p. 393)and the woman:
"She was tall and great, shining, and wrapped in a thin garment as green as poison" (p. 394).So that's about as obvious of a parallel as you're going to get. Of course, we immediately (due to the constant allegory in these books) think of the Garden of Eden and the snake in the garden. Recall, now, that we've known of a snake in a garden in Narnia before. If you've forgotten, there is a snake in the garden who tempts Digory in The Magician's Nephew to eat one of the magical apples. I would not be surprised, in the slightest, if this snake is the very same one. After all, if the snake is the woman who tempts Rilian, then the theme of temptation is a strong connection between the two snakes. I would not be surprised at all.
As with some chapters, I don't have much more to say, only that the plot has been moved along within this chapter, and that the woman connected with Rilian's disappearance is clearly bad news. Onward to meet the Marsh-wiggle, whatever that means.
Friday, September 26, 2014
The Silver Chair | Chapter 3: The Sailing of the King
Chapter Summary:
Jill and Eustace have been reunited. The scene in front of them includes a castle (Cair Paravel) and an old man--the King of Narnia--about to embark on a very grand ship. Jill and Eustace watch from a distance as the King addresses his subjects, which include people, animals, and the mythological creatures of Narnia.
The King sails away, and an owl alights next to Jill and Eustace. The owl asks where they have come from, and they explain that Aslan has sent them to look for a lost prince. The owl tells them that they should speak to the Lord Regent Trumpkin the Dwarf immediately. On the way, Eustace asks who the King of Narnia is. The owl says that Caspian the Tenth is King, and Eustace realizes that he has arrived in Narnia about 70 years after his previous visit--the old man is his friend, King Caspian.
When Eustace, Jill, and the owl reach Trumpkin, they find that he is too hard of hearing to be of any help. During the conversation, the owl says that his head has cleared a bit, and that they should not mention anything about a lost prince to Trumpkin. Trumpkin does understand that the children are humans, and tells the owl to see to it that they are given rooms at Cair Paravel.
After Jill and Eustace are brought to Cair Paravel, they wash up, and then have a conversation. For the first time, Jill is able to explain her full meeting with Aslan, including the tasks, and the signs. Meanwhile, Eustace describes the shock of seeing King Caspian as an old man. In doing so, Eustace explains to Jill that time in Narnia works differently than time on earth. Jill realizes that they have missed the first sign--King Caspian was the old friend that Eustace should have spoken to immediately after his arrival in Narnia.
Just before they begin to really argue, the dinner bells ring. Jill and Eustace eat a grand dinner. Jill says that she bets they will sleep well that night. The narrator disagrees.
Reflection:
Ageism is the topic for today, and with darn good reason. For a full page in this chapter, C.S. Lewis delights in making fun of the now-rather-elderly Lord Regent Trumpkin the Dwarf. Intended to be humorous, the entire dialogue is instead rather offensive. The elderly (but much esteemed) dwarf is clearly no longer his former self--he is significantly older, much in the way that Caspian the Tenth is as well. But the dwarf gets pretty poor treatment, in my opinion, in this chapter.
What Trumpkin supposedly hears is never exactly quite what the owl is trying to get across, and the story is clearly intending to mock his difficulty with hearing. Perhaps C.S. Lewis, who died at age 64, was never old enough to understand the plight of being hard of hearing--but there are plenty of people who would take rather great offense at Trumpkin being made fun of in this chapter.
And what's more, it's not just one little joke. It's a full, complete page of the owl continually trying to convey information to Trumpkin, who just gets increasingly confused. The entire message is distorted, and in the end, all that Trumpkin understands is that they are two humans sent by Aslan.
I think it's rather a low form of humor to make fun of another individual like C.S. Lewis intentionally does in this chapter. I get that young children reading the book will probably find it something enjoyable to giggle at, but that doesn't make it right. Trumpkin, of all people in this novel, should be held in high esteem and honored, not laughed at.
Jill and Eustace have been reunited. The scene in front of them includes a castle (Cair Paravel) and an old man--the King of Narnia--about to embark on a very grand ship. Jill and Eustace watch from a distance as the King addresses his subjects, which include people, animals, and the mythological creatures of Narnia.
The King sails away, and an owl alights next to Jill and Eustace. The owl asks where they have come from, and they explain that Aslan has sent them to look for a lost prince. The owl tells them that they should speak to the Lord Regent Trumpkin the Dwarf immediately. On the way, Eustace asks who the King of Narnia is. The owl says that Caspian the Tenth is King, and Eustace realizes that he has arrived in Narnia about 70 years after his previous visit--the old man is his friend, King Caspian.
When Eustace, Jill, and the owl reach Trumpkin, they find that he is too hard of hearing to be of any help. During the conversation, the owl says that his head has cleared a bit, and that they should not mention anything about a lost prince to Trumpkin. Trumpkin does understand that the children are humans, and tells the owl to see to it that they are given rooms at Cair Paravel.
After Jill and Eustace are brought to Cair Paravel, they wash up, and then have a conversation. For the first time, Jill is able to explain her full meeting with Aslan, including the tasks, and the signs. Meanwhile, Eustace describes the shock of seeing King Caspian as an old man. In doing so, Eustace explains to Jill that time in Narnia works differently than time on earth. Jill realizes that they have missed the first sign--King Caspian was the old friend that Eustace should have spoken to immediately after his arrival in Narnia.
Just before they begin to really argue, the dinner bells ring. Jill and Eustace eat a grand dinner. Jill says that she bets they will sleep well that night. The narrator disagrees.
Reflection:
Ageism is the topic for today, and with darn good reason. For a full page in this chapter, C.S. Lewis delights in making fun of the now-rather-elderly Lord Regent Trumpkin the Dwarf. Intended to be humorous, the entire dialogue is instead rather offensive. The elderly (but much esteemed) dwarf is clearly no longer his former self--he is significantly older, much in the way that Caspian the Tenth is as well. But the dwarf gets pretty poor treatment, in my opinion, in this chapter.
What Trumpkin supposedly hears is never exactly quite what the owl is trying to get across, and the story is clearly intending to mock his difficulty with hearing. Perhaps C.S. Lewis, who died at age 64, was never old enough to understand the plight of being hard of hearing--but there are plenty of people who would take rather great offense at Trumpkin being made fun of in this chapter.
And what's more, it's not just one little joke. It's a full, complete page of the owl continually trying to convey information to Trumpkin, who just gets increasingly confused. The entire message is distorted, and in the end, all that Trumpkin understands is that they are two humans sent by Aslan.
I think it's rather a low form of humor to make fun of another individual like C.S. Lewis intentionally does in this chapter. I get that young children reading the book will probably find it something enjoyable to giggle at, but that doesn't make it right. Trumpkin, of all people in this novel, should be held in high esteem and honored, not laughed at.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
The Silver Chair | Chapter 2: Jill is Given a Task
Chapter Summary:
The lion finishes blowing, and walks away into the woods. Jill lays face down and cries, afraid of the lion and upset about Eustace's fall. After she's done crying, Jill goes into the woods and comes across the lion at the edge of a stream. Jill is incredibly thirsty, but will not get closer to the lion to drink. After a long while, the lion encourages Jill to come to the stream to drink, lest she die of thirst. Jill is worried that he will eat her, and the lion says he will make no guarantees about what he will do once Jill drinks from the stream. Eventually, Jill drinks.
The lion asks Jill what happened with Eustace, and Jill says that Eustace fell because he tried to save Jill when she was showing off. The lion says that this is a good answer. The lion says that he has blown Eustace to Narnia. The lion then says that he has a task for her--a task that will be more difficult now that she and Eustace are separate. The lion says that this is the reason he called Jill and Eustace into Narnia. Jill understands now that the lion is the somebody that Eustace was asking to bring them to Narnia.
The lion says that their task is to find the prince of Narnia, who is currently missing, and restore him to his father--an old King of Narnia who is currently without an heir. They have only three options: Complete the task, die in the process, or return to their own world.
The lion says that there are four signs which will guide their quest:
Jill floats through the sky at a high speed for many hours. She sees islands below her, and it is clear that she has just been blown from the mountains beyond the sun that were seen by Edmund, Lucy, Eustace, and Reepicheep near the end of their voyage across the eastern sea.
After a long time, Jill alights next to a river in Narnia and finds Eustace right next to her. There is also a very grand ship nearby.
Reflection:
There is a whole bunch in this chapter, and the reader learns rather a great deal (as does Jill). Perhaps the most significant thing that we realize--or that I realized--while reading this chapter is that Eustace and Jill enter Narnia via the mountains beyond the sun. The very same mountains that the Dawn Treader passangers saw only for a split second, and only from a very, very great distance. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, those mountains represented what was not attainable for that particular voyage. They had come such a very long way to get from Narnia to the end of the world and the edge of the great sea, but there was still so much further to go. Eustace and Jill materialize in exactly that far-off place--the place that everyone is certain is Aslan's Country. I'm not even sure if Eustace realized where he was, until perhaps he was flying away from the mountain.
On to another interesting thing. The Silver Chair is clearly going to be a very different type of story than The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was. In our previous story, the reader never really knew what was going to come next. We knew that the journey would continue, but we had no idea what obstacles would come before the end, and we did not know what the end would look like (lilies, by the way, is the answer to that). This story is framed in the opposite way. Aslan practically gives us a thesis statement for how The Silver Chair is going to play out--but of course, we still don't know how it will all end, and that is what is most significant. But what we do know is that Jill and Eustace have a task, and we know exactly what that task is. We also know that their only way to get out of that task is to die or return to their own world. We also know the four signs that will appear along the way. And finally, we know that those signs are going to be unlike what we (or Jill or Eustace) imagine--and that there will be distractions and obstacles along the way.
What we don't know so much about is who or what the antagonist of this story will be, and this is a very large similarity to The Voyage of the Dawn Treader thus far. This could certainly change, and I almost expect it to. (Perhaps "giants" will be the answer?) I also expect that The Silver Chair will come with more narrator intervention than previous TCON stories. Since we, the reader (and thus, the narrator) know the basic plot of the story already, this gives the narrator more opportunity to speak up and converse with us. Perhaps this is totally off the mark, but it's fun to speculate.
All in all, I think The Silver Chair will be a pretty neat read--not with regard to plot, but with regard to how the characters interact and develop, and of course, how it will all end.
The lion finishes blowing, and walks away into the woods. Jill lays face down and cries, afraid of the lion and upset about Eustace's fall. After she's done crying, Jill goes into the woods and comes across the lion at the edge of a stream. Jill is incredibly thirsty, but will not get closer to the lion to drink. After a long while, the lion encourages Jill to come to the stream to drink, lest she die of thirst. Jill is worried that he will eat her, and the lion says he will make no guarantees about what he will do once Jill drinks from the stream. Eventually, Jill drinks.
The lion asks Jill what happened with Eustace, and Jill says that Eustace fell because he tried to save Jill when she was showing off. The lion says that this is a good answer. The lion says that he has blown Eustace to Narnia. The lion then says that he has a task for her--a task that will be more difficult now that she and Eustace are separate. The lion says that this is the reason he called Jill and Eustace into Narnia. Jill understands now that the lion is the somebody that Eustace was asking to bring them to Narnia.
The lion says that their task is to find the prince of Narnia, who is currently missing, and restore him to his father--an old King of Narnia who is currently without an heir. They have only three options: Complete the task, die in the process, or return to their own world.
The lion says that there are four signs which will guide their quest:
"First, as soon as the Boy Eustace sets foot in Narnia, he will meet an old and dear friend. He must greet that friend at once; if he does, you will both have good help. Second; you must journey out of Narnia to the north till you come to the ruined city of the ancient giants. Third; you shall find a writing on a stone in that ruined city, and you must do what the writing tells you. Fourth; you will know the lost prince (if you find him) by this, that he will be the first person you have met in your travels who will ask you to do something in my name, in the name of Aslan" (p. 383).Aslan then tells Jill to repeat the four signs until she remembers them perfectly. Then, Aslan and Jill walk to the cliff, and Aslan blows Jill toward Narnia, just as he did with Eustace. As he blows her away, he gives her a warning--that on the mountain, Jill's mind is clear--she cannot allow herself to be confused or distracted from the signs and the task she has been given.
Jill floats through the sky at a high speed for many hours. She sees islands below her, and it is clear that she has just been blown from the mountains beyond the sun that were seen by Edmund, Lucy, Eustace, and Reepicheep near the end of their voyage across the eastern sea.
After a long time, Jill alights next to a river in Narnia and finds Eustace right next to her. There is also a very grand ship nearby.
Reflection:
There is a whole bunch in this chapter, and the reader learns rather a great deal (as does Jill). Perhaps the most significant thing that we realize--or that I realized--while reading this chapter is that Eustace and Jill enter Narnia via the mountains beyond the sun. The very same mountains that the Dawn Treader passangers saw only for a split second, and only from a very, very great distance. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, those mountains represented what was not attainable for that particular voyage. They had come such a very long way to get from Narnia to the end of the world and the edge of the great sea, but there was still so much further to go. Eustace and Jill materialize in exactly that far-off place--the place that everyone is certain is Aslan's Country. I'm not even sure if Eustace realized where he was, until perhaps he was flying away from the mountain.
On to another interesting thing. The Silver Chair is clearly going to be a very different type of story than The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was. In our previous story, the reader never really knew what was going to come next. We knew that the journey would continue, but we had no idea what obstacles would come before the end, and we did not know what the end would look like (lilies, by the way, is the answer to that). This story is framed in the opposite way. Aslan practically gives us a thesis statement for how The Silver Chair is going to play out--but of course, we still don't know how it will all end, and that is what is most significant. But what we do know is that Jill and Eustace have a task, and we know exactly what that task is. We also know that their only way to get out of that task is to die or return to their own world. We also know the four signs that will appear along the way. And finally, we know that those signs are going to be unlike what we (or Jill or Eustace) imagine--and that there will be distractions and obstacles along the way.
What we don't know so much about is who or what the antagonist of this story will be, and this is a very large similarity to The Voyage of the Dawn Treader thus far. This could certainly change, and I almost expect it to. (Perhaps "giants" will be the answer?) I also expect that The Silver Chair will come with more narrator intervention than previous TCON stories. Since we, the reader (and thus, the narrator) know the basic plot of the story already, this gives the narrator more opportunity to speak up and converse with us. Perhaps this is totally off the mark, but it's fun to speculate.
All in all, I think The Silver Chair will be a pretty neat read--not with regard to plot, but with regard to how the characters interact and develop, and of course, how it will all end.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
The Silver Chair | Chapter 1: Behind the Gym
Chapter Summary:
One day at school, a girl named Jill Pole cries behind her school because she has been bullied a lot recently. A boy named Eustace happens upon Jill. Eustace and Jill talk about how Eustace used to be one of the bullies, but that he has become so much better since the holidays. When Jill asks why he has changed. Eustace hesitates, but then tells Jill briefly about his adventure to Narnia with his cousins.
Jill believes Eustace's rather unusual story. Just when Eustace and Jill are trying to figure out a way to get to Narnia, they hear voices that indicate that Jill is being looked for. Eustace and Jill scramble into the nearby bushes and up a small hill among the bushes. At the back of the bushes is a wall with a door in it. The door is almost always locked, because it leads beyond the school grounds.
When Eustace tries to open the door, it opens. Through the door is an entirely different land--Narnia. Eustace and Jill go through the door and find themselves in a large but not dense forest. They walk along, until they quite suddenly come to a cliff of incredible, unimaginable heights.
Jill initially feels brave, but finds herself feeling woozy. Eustace tries to catch Jill as she nearly faints at the cliff's edge, but she ends up pulling Eustace over the edge. Almost immediately, a huge creature is at Jill's side, blowing a current of wind toward Eustace, so that Eustace travels horizontally instead of vertically. Jill looks at the creature again and realizes that it is a lion.
Reflection:
Sitting here thinking, I just realized who Eustace is. Eustace is Paul. Like, from the Bible. Duh. Goes around persecuting the Aslanians (Christians) Edmund and Lucy until one day he is transformed (literally, into a dragon) and then Baptized by none other than Aslan himself. Thus, the beginning of The Silver Chair shows us Eustace after his transformation is complete. The former bully is now an ally to Jill, who is herself a victim of the very type of bullying that Eustace used to perform.
And like any good Aslanian (Christian), Eustace responds to the call to bring Jill to Aslan (Christ) rather literally, by trying to bring her to Narnia--and then, of course, succeeding. As we can see as we read through the chapter, it does take a little convincing from Eustace before Jill is willing to believe his story about Narnia. Jill is skeptical, most likely because she is rather used to being misled as a form of bullying. But Eustace is truthful, and Jill knows this as soon as she looks through the door beyond the school grounds and gets her first glimpse of Narnia.
But all does not go as planned when Jill and Eustace arrive in Narnia. And perhaps this was because there was absolutely no plan at all--the only plan was to escape the school and the bullies that inhabited it. Thus Jill and Eustace find themselves at the edge of an impossibly huge cliff (I would imagine something about ten times the height of Mount Everest), and very soon afterward, Eustace finds himself going over that very cliff, having just tried to save Jill from the same fate. Luckily, Aslan intervenes.
There's another comparison I'd like to draw from this chapter as well, and that is that Jill is not too unlike the Lucy that we meet at the beginning of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. If you recall, Lucy at that time is a rather quiet young girl. Edmund bullies her and her other siblings don't take her seriously when she first mentions her initial trip through the wardrobe and into Narnia. I would imagine that Jill would identify in many ways with that character. Perhaps they will meet some day.
Onward we go, to find out what Eustace and Jill's fate will be now that they are separated in the large world of Narnia.
One day at school, a girl named Jill Pole cries behind her school because she has been bullied a lot recently. A boy named Eustace happens upon Jill. Eustace and Jill talk about how Eustace used to be one of the bullies, but that he has become so much better since the holidays. When Jill asks why he has changed. Eustace hesitates, but then tells Jill briefly about his adventure to Narnia with his cousins.
Jill believes Eustace's rather unusual story. Just when Eustace and Jill are trying to figure out a way to get to Narnia, they hear voices that indicate that Jill is being looked for. Eustace and Jill scramble into the nearby bushes and up a small hill among the bushes. At the back of the bushes is a wall with a door in it. The door is almost always locked, because it leads beyond the school grounds.
When Eustace tries to open the door, it opens. Through the door is an entirely different land--Narnia. Eustace and Jill go through the door and find themselves in a large but not dense forest. They walk along, until they quite suddenly come to a cliff of incredible, unimaginable heights.
Jill initially feels brave, but finds herself feeling woozy. Eustace tries to catch Jill as she nearly faints at the cliff's edge, but she ends up pulling Eustace over the edge. Almost immediately, a huge creature is at Jill's side, blowing a current of wind toward Eustace, so that Eustace travels horizontally instead of vertically. Jill looks at the creature again and realizes that it is a lion.
Reflection:
Sitting here thinking, I just realized who Eustace is. Eustace is Paul. Like, from the Bible. Duh. Goes around persecuting the Aslanians (Christians) Edmund and Lucy until one day he is transformed (literally, into a dragon) and then Baptized by none other than Aslan himself. Thus, the beginning of The Silver Chair shows us Eustace after his transformation is complete. The former bully is now an ally to Jill, who is herself a victim of the very type of bullying that Eustace used to perform.
And like any good Aslanian (Christian), Eustace responds to the call to bring Jill to Aslan (Christ) rather literally, by trying to bring her to Narnia--and then, of course, succeeding. As we can see as we read through the chapter, it does take a little convincing from Eustace before Jill is willing to believe his story about Narnia. Jill is skeptical, most likely because she is rather used to being misled as a form of bullying. But Eustace is truthful, and Jill knows this as soon as she looks through the door beyond the school grounds and gets her first glimpse of Narnia.
But all does not go as planned when Jill and Eustace arrive in Narnia. And perhaps this was because there was absolutely no plan at all--the only plan was to escape the school and the bullies that inhabited it. Thus Jill and Eustace find themselves at the edge of an impossibly huge cliff (I would imagine something about ten times the height of Mount Everest), and very soon afterward, Eustace finds himself going over that very cliff, having just tried to save Jill from the same fate. Luckily, Aslan intervenes.
There's another comparison I'd like to draw from this chapter as well, and that is that Jill is not too unlike the Lucy that we meet at the beginning of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. If you recall, Lucy at that time is a rather quiet young girl. Edmund bullies her and her other siblings don't take her seriously when she first mentions her initial trip through the wardrobe and into Narnia. I would imagine that Jill would identify in many ways with that character. Perhaps they will meet some day.
Onward we go, to find out what Eustace and Jill's fate will be now that they are separated in the large world of Narnia.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | Chapter 16: The Very End of the World
Chapter Summary:
The Dawn Treader continues to sail eastward. Lucy sees only one more person beneath the water, and feels an immediate connection to the girl she sees. Over the next few days, the sun becomes ever more brilliant, and no one ever eats or sleeps. One day, Caspian and Drinian see nothing but white up ahead, as far as the eye can see. It is quickly discovered that there is an endless field of white lilies covering the still-deep ocean. The Dawn Treader sails onward into the lilies.
The sea gets more and more shallow, until it is clear that the Dawn Treader cannot go any further. Caspian gathers everyone on the ship, and says that he and Reepicheep will continue on to the east while the Dawn Treader sails back west. Everyone argues against Caspian's decision. When Lucy reminds Caspian of Ramandu's daughter, Caspian changes his mind, and declares that everyone must go back, Reepicheep included.
After isolating himself in his cabin, Caspian has a vision from Aslan. Aslan has told Caspian that he is to go back--and that Eustace, Edmund, Lucy, and Reepicheep only are to sail onward.
After saying goodbyes, Eustace, Edmund, Lucy, and Reepicheep go onward in a smaller boat, while the Dawn Treader and its crew turns around. They stay in the current, and soon see in the distance a huge, immobile wave. The next morning, at sunrise, they each see, just beyond the other side of the sun itself, massive mountains of impossible heights--and they all know that this is Aslan's country.
The boat runs aground, and Reepicheep says that he must now go on alone. Eustace, Edmund, and Lucy watch as Reepicheep sails to the large, immobile wave, goes over the top, and disappears, never to be seen again in Narnia. Eustace, Edmund, and Lucy then walk south, until they come to land. On that land is a lamb, who welcomes them and tells them to eat. They eat for the first time in days, and they are actually hungry.
Lucy asks the lamb if this is the way to Aslan's country. The lamb, transforming into Aslan, tells Lucy that her path to Aslan's country is through her own world. Lucy asks Aslan when she will come back to Narnia, and Aslan says that neither Edmund or Lucy will return to Narnia--they are too old. Aslan tells them that they must now learn to know him by another name in their own world. Lucy asks if Eustace will ever come back--and Aslan replies that this is not for Lucy to know.
Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace pass through a door that Aslan creates, and they reenter into Aunt Alberta's home in Cambridge, where their adventure began. Meanwhile, Caspian and his men return to Ramandu's island, where the three Lords are awake. Caspian marries Ramandu's daughter, and she becomes the ancestor of many great Narnian kings. Meanwhile, Eustace is a much improved boy back on earth.
Reflection:
We should have known it was coming. After the surprise we get when Peter reveals that he and Susan will never again return to Narnia, we should have been expecting it. But nevertheless, it seemed too abrupt, even at the world's end--a place where we knew there would be many sorts of endings. Still, Aslan's answer is still rather shocking when Lucy asks when they will return to Narnia. In short, the answer was never. According to Aslan, this is because Edmund and Lucy have become too old, and that it is now time for them to make a connection with their own world, and to get to know Aslan as he is portrayed in their world.
This conversation, of course, is also some of the strongest allegory that we have experienced as readers throughout the entire TCON series. It just doesn't get much more straightforward than the end of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Aslan is the Jesus of Narnia, and is representative of the Jesus of the earth; from what Aslan says, they are basically one and the same. Aslan tells Edmund and Lucy that the reason that they were brought to Narnia was so that they could get to know Aslan, in order to get to know him even better back on earth.
Let me repeat that again just in case the point was lost: This was THE purpose for Edmund and Lucy to come to Narnia. They didn't come to Narnia to save Narnia from the White Witch, or to rescue Prince Caspian, or to sail to the end of the world--and they didn't come to Narnia to be Kings and Queens and to reign at Cair Paravel. Edmund and Lucy (and we can presume Peter and Susan as well) came to Narnia in order to better get to know Aslan. And so they have. This is the hidden knowledge that Peter gains from Aslan at the end of Prince Caspian--that Aslan is not a being mutually exclusive to Narnia. He is present even in their other world.
And along with all of this, Aslan tells Edmund and Lucy that there is indeed a way into Aslan's Country from their world--and that Aslan will be guiding them to that place all the time. We will (spoiler alert) return to Aslan's Country at a later time and we'll see if or how Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy arrive there. Oh, there is much to be said about that topic!
Thank you as always for reading along with me, whether this is the first post you've read, or the 79th (yes, this is the 79th entry). Onward and upward to The Silver Chair.
The Dawn Treader continues to sail eastward. Lucy sees only one more person beneath the water, and feels an immediate connection to the girl she sees. Over the next few days, the sun becomes ever more brilliant, and no one ever eats or sleeps. One day, Caspian and Drinian see nothing but white up ahead, as far as the eye can see. It is quickly discovered that there is an endless field of white lilies covering the still-deep ocean. The Dawn Treader sails onward into the lilies.
The sea gets more and more shallow, until it is clear that the Dawn Treader cannot go any further. Caspian gathers everyone on the ship, and says that he and Reepicheep will continue on to the east while the Dawn Treader sails back west. Everyone argues against Caspian's decision. When Lucy reminds Caspian of Ramandu's daughter, Caspian changes his mind, and declares that everyone must go back, Reepicheep included.
After isolating himself in his cabin, Caspian has a vision from Aslan. Aslan has told Caspian that he is to go back--and that Eustace, Edmund, Lucy, and Reepicheep only are to sail onward.
After saying goodbyes, Eustace, Edmund, Lucy, and Reepicheep go onward in a smaller boat, while the Dawn Treader and its crew turns around. They stay in the current, and soon see in the distance a huge, immobile wave. The next morning, at sunrise, they each see, just beyond the other side of the sun itself, massive mountains of impossible heights--and they all know that this is Aslan's country.
The boat runs aground, and Reepicheep says that he must now go on alone. Eustace, Edmund, and Lucy watch as Reepicheep sails to the large, immobile wave, goes over the top, and disappears, never to be seen again in Narnia. Eustace, Edmund, and Lucy then walk south, until they come to land. On that land is a lamb, who welcomes them and tells them to eat. They eat for the first time in days, and they are actually hungry.
Lucy asks the lamb if this is the way to Aslan's country. The lamb, transforming into Aslan, tells Lucy that her path to Aslan's country is through her own world. Lucy asks Aslan when she will come back to Narnia, and Aslan says that neither Edmund or Lucy will return to Narnia--they are too old. Aslan tells them that they must now learn to know him by another name in their own world. Lucy asks if Eustace will ever come back--and Aslan replies that this is not for Lucy to know.
Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace pass through a door that Aslan creates, and they reenter into Aunt Alberta's home in Cambridge, where their adventure began. Meanwhile, Caspian and his men return to Ramandu's island, where the three Lords are awake. Caspian marries Ramandu's daughter, and she becomes the ancestor of many great Narnian kings. Meanwhile, Eustace is a much improved boy back on earth.
Reflection:
We should have known it was coming. After the surprise we get when Peter reveals that he and Susan will never again return to Narnia, we should have been expecting it. But nevertheless, it seemed too abrupt, even at the world's end--a place where we knew there would be many sorts of endings. Still, Aslan's answer is still rather shocking when Lucy asks when they will return to Narnia. In short, the answer was never. According to Aslan, this is because Edmund and Lucy have become too old, and that it is now time for them to make a connection with their own world, and to get to know Aslan as he is portrayed in their world.
This conversation, of course, is also some of the strongest allegory that we have experienced as readers throughout the entire TCON series. It just doesn't get much more straightforward than the end of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Aslan is the Jesus of Narnia, and is representative of the Jesus of the earth; from what Aslan says, they are basically one and the same. Aslan tells Edmund and Lucy that the reason that they were brought to Narnia was so that they could get to know Aslan, in order to get to know him even better back on earth.
Let me repeat that again just in case the point was lost: This was THE purpose for Edmund and Lucy to come to Narnia. They didn't come to Narnia to save Narnia from the White Witch, or to rescue Prince Caspian, or to sail to the end of the world--and they didn't come to Narnia to be Kings and Queens and to reign at Cair Paravel. Edmund and Lucy (and we can presume Peter and Susan as well) came to Narnia in order to better get to know Aslan. And so they have. This is the hidden knowledge that Peter gains from Aslan at the end of Prince Caspian--that Aslan is not a being mutually exclusive to Narnia. He is present even in their other world.
And along with all of this, Aslan tells Edmund and Lucy that there is indeed a way into Aslan's Country from their world--and that Aslan will be guiding them to that place all the time. We will (spoiler alert) return to Aslan's Country at a later time and we'll see if or how Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy arrive there. Oh, there is much to be said about that topic!
Thank you as always for reading along with me, whether this is the first post you've read, or the 79th (yes, this is the 79th entry). Onward and upward to The Silver Chair.
Monday, September 22, 2014
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | Chapter 15: The Wonders of the Last Sea
Chapter Summary:
The Dawn Treader sails on from Ramandu's country. The passengers start to realize that they have less need/desire to eat, sleep, and talk than before. The sun appears closer than ever, and extremely bright.
Lucy looks over the side of the Dawn Treader and notices that the ocean is so clear that she can see the shadow of the ship at the bottom of the ocean. Lucy also notices what looks like roads, and then buildings. Finally, Lucy spots people at the bottom of the ocean. Just as the mer-people notice Lucy, Drinian and Caspian join Lucy on the deck. Lucy points out what she is seeing, and Drinian immediately tells her to act natural--he does not want everyone on board to see them, lest a panic ensue.
Suddenly, a splash is heard. Reepicheep has jumped overboard. Drinian helps hoist Reepicheep back onto the ship. Reepicheep tells everyone that the water is both sweet and drinkable--it is fresh water, not salt water. Everyone drinks the water, and they realize it is more like drinking light than drinking water. After drinking the water, the brightness of the area becomes easier to tolerate. In addition, eating, sleeping, and talking become even less of a priority. The sun grows ever brighter.
Drinian notices that there is no wind, yet the ship is still moving quickly to the east. Caspian and Edmund wonder if they are caught in a strong current that it going to bring them to the edge of the world (and then over it). Reepicheep thinks that after going over the edge, the Dawn Treader will find itself in Aslan's country. Meanwhile, Eustace tells Caspian that their world is round, and Caspian is jealous.
Reflection:
I really enjoy these last few chapters of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, because frankly, things have just started to get entirely weird. We have no antagonist, and it is clear after the mer-people do not raid the ship that there will be no antagonist in this story. With one chapter left, the only antagonist that remains is the possibility of a safe ending to the journey and subsequently a safe journey home--at least, for everyone except perhaps Reepicheep.
The other antagonist is simply the absolute mystery surrounding the voyage. As they move closer and closer to what is likely the end of the world, strange things are happening. Eating, sleeping, and talking are just becoming less necessary. The sun is too bright and too large. There are unheard of civilizations beneath the ocean, which, by the way, is made of sweet fresh water and is as clear as glass. What these are all signs of is not known, nor is the implication really known either. It is all a mystery, and it is unfolding for the characters much in the same way that it is unfolding for the reader.
And in addition to all of that, there is also the mysterious current. Will the Dawn Treader simply drop off the edge of the world? Unlikely, given that there are still two stories left in the TCON series, and we can't eliminate all of our main characters like that. But really, what of the current? What makes the Dawn Treader move so swiftly to the east if not a strong current due to their location on or near an edge? Time will tell.
Meanwhile, Reepicheep's prophecy that was spoken over him as a young mouse is finally coming true. As Reepicheep comes back on board the Dawn Treader after jumping into the ocean, he reminds us of the prophecy: "'Where the waves grow sweet, Doubt not, Reepicheep, There is the utter East'" (p. 364). So we know that Reepicheep is near to the fulfillment of his prophecy. Of course, by this time, we expect that the fulfillment of this prophecy means that Reepicheep will be left behind, while the Dawn Treader returns home.
Let's head onward to the last chapter of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
The Dawn Treader sails on from Ramandu's country. The passengers start to realize that they have less need/desire to eat, sleep, and talk than before. The sun appears closer than ever, and extremely bright.
Lucy looks over the side of the Dawn Treader and notices that the ocean is so clear that she can see the shadow of the ship at the bottom of the ocean. Lucy also notices what looks like roads, and then buildings. Finally, Lucy spots people at the bottom of the ocean. Just as the mer-people notice Lucy, Drinian and Caspian join Lucy on the deck. Lucy points out what she is seeing, and Drinian immediately tells her to act natural--he does not want everyone on board to see them, lest a panic ensue.
Suddenly, a splash is heard. Reepicheep has jumped overboard. Drinian helps hoist Reepicheep back onto the ship. Reepicheep tells everyone that the water is both sweet and drinkable--it is fresh water, not salt water. Everyone drinks the water, and they realize it is more like drinking light than drinking water. After drinking the water, the brightness of the area becomes easier to tolerate. In addition, eating, sleeping, and talking become even less of a priority. The sun grows ever brighter.
Drinian notices that there is no wind, yet the ship is still moving quickly to the east. Caspian and Edmund wonder if they are caught in a strong current that it going to bring them to the edge of the world (and then over it). Reepicheep thinks that after going over the edge, the Dawn Treader will find itself in Aslan's country. Meanwhile, Eustace tells Caspian that their world is round, and Caspian is jealous.
Reflection:
I really enjoy these last few chapters of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, because frankly, things have just started to get entirely weird. We have no antagonist, and it is clear after the mer-people do not raid the ship that there will be no antagonist in this story. With one chapter left, the only antagonist that remains is the possibility of a safe ending to the journey and subsequently a safe journey home--at least, for everyone except perhaps Reepicheep.
The other antagonist is simply the absolute mystery surrounding the voyage. As they move closer and closer to what is likely the end of the world, strange things are happening. Eating, sleeping, and talking are just becoming less necessary. The sun is too bright and too large. There are unheard of civilizations beneath the ocean, which, by the way, is made of sweet fresh water and is as clear as glass. What these are all signs of is not known, nor is the implication really known either. It is all a mystery, and it is unfolding for the characters much in the same way that it is unfolding for the reader.
And in addition to all of that, there is also the mysterious current. Will the Dawn Treader simply drop off the edge of the world? Unlikely, given that there are still two stories left in the TCON series, and we can't eliminate all of our main characters like that. But really, what of the current? What makes the Dawn Treader move so swiftly to the east if not a strong current due to their location on or near an edge? Time will tell.
Meanwhile, Reepicheep's prophecy that was spoken over him as a young mouse is finally coming true. As Reepicheep comes back on board the Dawn Treader after jumping into the ocean, he reminds us of the prophecy: "'Where the waves grow sweet, Doubt not, Reepicheep, There is the utter East'" (p. 364). So we know that Reepicheep is near to the fulfillment of his prophecy. Of course, by this time, we expect that the fulfillment of this prophecy means that Reepicheep will be left behind, while the Dawn Treader returns home.
Let's head onward to the last chapter of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | Chapter 14: The Beginning of the End of the World
Chapter Summary:
The door in the hillside opens again and an old man emerges and walks toward the girl and the Narnians, who are standing by Aslan's table. The old man joins the girl. They sing together, and the sun rises. The sun is much closer than it is in Narnia. Hundreds of thousands of birds fly toward them from the rising sun, and one of them deposits a bright object into the old man's mouth. The birds then clear Aslan's table of all the uneaten food.
The song stops. Caspain asks the old man, whose name is Ramandu, how to awaken the sleeping Lords. Ramandu tells Caspian that he must sail to the world's end and return having left one of his company behind. Reepicheep immediately volunteers. Ramandu tells them that he is a retired star, and that the bright object the bird had delivered to him is a fire stone, which makes him younger and younger every day. Ramandu tells them that Coriakin is also a retired star, but a star who is being punished--and his punishment is to take care of the Duffers.
While deciding to continue their voyage, the Narnians mention Lord Rhoop and tell the story of Lord Rhoop to Ramandu. Ramandu recommends that the Lord Rhoop sleep next to the other three lords until the Narnias return from the end of the world. Lord Rhoop agrees to this plan, and the girl and Ramandu place him into an enchanted sleep.
Meanwhile, everyone else from the ship comes on land. About half the crew feels ready to go home. In order to have a willing crew, Caspian tells them all that they are going to be selected to either continue the journey (and gain fame and honor, etc.) or whether they will wait here for the Narnians' return. Caspian accepts all but one man to continue on the journey. Caspian tells Ramandu's daughter that he wants to speak with her further after he has broken the enchantments of the sleeping lords.
Reflection:
What better subject for this chapter than the topic of reverse psychology? Caspian clearly gets it. When Ramandu tells Caspian that in order for the unenchantment process to work correctly, he must not only sail to the end of the world, but he must sail there with a willing crew. When the crew comes ashore, they are none-too-willing to continue the journey. They are tired, and they are worried about the direction of the winds that will bring them home.
But Caspian has a trick up his sleeve. After it appears that he is trying to convince the Narnians to continue on this journey with him, Caspian corrects himself and tells the sailors that they are misunderstanding--they are not choosing whether to continue or not. Instead, Caspian and Drinian are selecting which of them will have the opportunity to continue (resulting in endless fame and honor).
Caspian clearly understands the manipulation processes of scarcity and conformity. As soon as the sailors are told that the number of positions aboard the Dawn Treader are fewer than their own numbers, suddenly everyone wants to remain on the crew to sail to the end of the world. By the end of the half hour of supposed decision-making by Caspian and Drinian, all of the sailors are willing to continue on. The only one that Caspian and Drinian do not choose to continue is a man by the name of Pittencream--and he was the last man to decide that he would indeed like to continue on the journey. So, Pittencream remains on the current island alone while the others go on.
But despite the one lone sailor who gets left behind, Caspian's plan worked. Caspian is no foolish young king--he is one that has an advanced awareness of human behavior and decision making. Indeed, some of the psychological tricks he played have only been brought into awareness by research since the time that C.S. Lewis wrote this book. Obviously, C.S. Lewis also must have had an advanced knowledge of people and human behavior to write a character as keen as Caspian.
The door in the hillside opens again and an old man emerges and walks toward the girl and the Narnians, who are standing by Aslan's table. The old man joins the girl. They sing together, and the sun rises. The sun is much closer than it is in Narnia. Hundreds of thousands of birds fly toward them from the rising sun, and one of them deposits a bright object into the old man's mouth. The birds then clear Aslan's table of all the uneaten food.
The song stops. Caspain asks the old man, whose name is Ramandu, how to awaken the sleeping Lords. Ramandu tells Caspian that he must sail to the world's end and return having left one of his company behind. Reepicheep immediately volunteers. Ramandu tells them that he is a retired star, and that the bright object the bird had delivered to him is a fire stone, which makes him younger and younger every day. Ramandu tells them that Coriakin is also a retired star, but a star who is being punished--and his punishment is to take care of the Duffers.
While deciding to continue their voyage, the Narnians mention Lord Rhoop and tell the story of Lord Rhoop to Ramandu. Ramandu recommends that the Lord Rhoop sleep next to the other three lords until the Narnias return from the end of the world. Lord Rhoop agrees to this plan, and the girl and Ramandu place him into an enchanted sleep.
Meanwhile, everyone else from the ship comes on land. About half the crew feels ready to go home. In order to have a willing crew, Caspian tells them all that they are going to be selected to either continue the journey (and gain fame and honor, etc.) or whether they will wait here for the Narnians' return. Caspian accepts all but one man to continue on the journey. Caspian tells Ramandu's daughter that he wants to speak with her further after he has broken the enchantments of the sleeping lords.
Reflection:
What better subject for this chapter than the topic of reverse psychology? Caspian clearly gets it. When Ramandu tells Caspian that in order for the unenchantment process to work correctly, he must not only sail to the end of the world, but he must sail there with a willing crew. When the crew comes ashore, they are none-too-willing to continue the journey. They are tired, and they are worried about the direction of the winds that will bring them home.
But Caspian has a trick up his sleeve. After it appears that he is trying to convince the Narnians to continue on this journey with him, Caspian corrects himself and tells the sailors that they are misunderstanding--they are not choosing whether to continue or not. Instead, Caspian and Drinian are selecting which of them will have the opportunity to continue (resulting in endless fame and honor).
Caspian clearly understands the manipulation processes of scarcity and conformity. As soon as the sailors are told that the number of positions aboard the Dawn Treader are fewer than their own numbers, suddenly everyone wants to remain on the crew to sail to the end of the world. By the end of the half hour of supposed decision-making by Caspian and Drinian, all of the sailors are willing to continue on. The only one that Caspian and Drinian do not choose to continue is a man by the name of Pittencream--and he was the last man to decide that he would indeed like to continue on the journey. So, Pittencream remains on the current island alone while the others go on.
But despite the one lone sailor who gets left behind, Caspian's plan worked. Caspian is no foolish young king--he is one that has an advanced awareness of human behavior and decision making. Indeed, some of the psychological tricks he played have only been brought into awareness by research since the time that C.S. Lewis wrote this book. Obviously, C.S. Lewis also must have had an advanced knowledge of people and human behavior to write a character as keen as Caspian.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | Chapter 13: The Three Sleepers
Chapter Summary:
The Dawn Treader sails onward until one night at sunset land appears in the distance. A place is found to anchor the ship, and Caspian, Drinian, Lucy, Edmund, Eustace, and Reepicheep go to explore the island. They quickly come across a massive table filled with the best food. Sitting at the table are three men who have clearly been in an enchanted sleep for a very long time. Everyone is careful not to touch the food, certain that it has caused the enchanted sleep. After examining the men, it is clear that they are Lords Revilian, Argoz, and Mavramorn--the last of the three Lords for whom Caspian has been searching.
It is decided (primarily by Reepicheep) that everyone but Drinian should stay at the table throughout the night for what adventures may come. In the middle of the night, a door opens on a nearby hill. A beautiful girl comes from the hill with a candle. She approaches the table.
The girl greets the Narnians. The girl tells them that the three sleeping Lords had not been enchanted by the food, and that the Narnians should eat from Aslan's table. What had occurred is that the three Lords began to argue about whether or not to continue east or sail back to Narnia. One of the three Lords had grabbed a knife from the table to use as a weapon, and as soon as he had touched the knife, all three of them fell asleep. The knife, previously unnoticed, is still sitting on the table, and is the very knife that the White Witch had used to kill Aslan (identified first by Lucy).
Reepicheep and then the others, sensing the goodness of the girl, eat the food from the table. Lucy asks why the table is called Aslan's table, and the girl says that it was placed there by Aslan for those who come so far. The girl says that the island they are on is known as the World's End, though they can sail further still.
The Narnians ask what they can do about the enchanted sleepers, and the girls says that they will have to ask her father. All eyes turn back to the doorway in the hillside.
Reflection:
What I am enjoying most about The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is how very random it is--much in the way a ship sails, this tale takes us from island to island, and we never know what we should expect to find there. In addition, there is really no one antagonist in this story. Several have come and gone--and some, like the Dufflepuds and the magician Coriakin, turned out not to be enemies at all. But with every passing chapter the tension increases, because we know that this story must culminate in something. Chances are, it's not going to be a huge battle like we have seen in several of the other TCON stories. This story is much more about the magic of Narnia and the eastern seas than it is about a protagonist and antagonist. And of course, what I am waiting for the most (and I suspect that you are as well) is the culmination of Eustace's increasing bravery.
So that's the question with this story--what will it all amount to? Why does it matter? Beyond honor and adventure, what is the point, and what is accomplished? Yes, the seven Lords will have been found, but this is not much of a culminating event. Only time will tell.
Meanwhile, there's an interesting little detail about this chapter that I want to discuss. I don't think I'm missing anything, but I've searched the great Internet for answers and have found none. No doubt this has been observed before, but check out this quote from Reepicheep. Context really isn't needed.
"'Depend upon it,' said Reepicheep, 'it was from eating this food that these three lords came by a seven years' sleep'" (p. 353).
Now, what makes this quote interesting is a couple of things. First, Reepicheep is incorrect--the food is not what caused the Lords to fall into their enchanted sleep. But, Reepicheep is correct that the Lords have been asleep for seven years. What's interesting is that the Narnians have absolutely no context for making this guess. It has been previously noted that the Lords have clearly been asleep for a long time, but how Reepicheep correctly guesses that they have slept for seven years is unknown. Indeed, the girl who emerges from the hillside confirms this length of time, without any reference to Reepicheep's correct guess. How Reepicheep has this knowledge, we do not know. It is another mystery of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
The Dawn Treader sails onward until one night at sunset land appears in the distance. A place is found to anchor the ship, and Caspian, Drinian, Lucy, Edmund, Eustace, and Reepicheep go to explore the island. They quickly come across a massive table filled with the best food. Sitting at the table are three men who have clearly been in an enchanted sleep for a very long time. Everyone is careful not to touch the food, certain that it has caused the enchanted sleep. After examining the men, it is clear that they are Lords Revilian, Argoz, and Mavramorn--the last of the three Lords for whom Caspian has been searching.
It is decided (primarily by Reepicheep) that everyone but Drinian should stay at the table throughout the night for what adventures may come. In the middle of the night, a door opens on a nearby hill. A beautiful girl comes from the hill with a candle. She approaches the table.
The girl greets the Narnians. The girl tells them that the three sleeping Lords had not been enchanted by the food, and that the Narnians should eat from Aslan's table. What had occurred is that the three Lords began to argue about whether or not to continue east or sail back to Narnia. One of the three Lords had grabbed a knife from the table to use as a weapon, and as soon as he had touched the knife, all three of them fell asleep. The knife, previously unnoticed, is still sitting on the table, and is the very knife that the White Witch had used to kill Aslan (identified first by Lucy).
Reepicheep and then the others, sensing the goodness of the girl, eat the food from the table. Lucy asks why the table is called Aslan's table, and the girl says that it was placed there by Aslan for those who come so far. The girl says that the island they are on is known as the World's End, though they can sail further still.
The Narnians ask what they can do about the enchanted sleepers, and the girls says that they will have to ask her father. All eyes turn back to the doorway in the hillside.
Reflection:
What I am enjoying most about The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is how very random it is--much in the way a ship sails, this tale takes us from island to island, and we never know what we should expect to find there. In addition, there is really no one antagonist in this story. Several have come and gone--and some, like the Dufflepuds and the magician Coriakin, turned out not to be enemies at all. But with every passing chapter the tension increases, because we know that this story must culminate in something. Chances are, it's not going to be a huge battle like we have seen in several of the other TCON stories. This story is much more about the magic of Narnia and the eastern seas than it is about a protagonist and antagonist. And of course, what I am waiting for the most (and I suspect that you are as well) is the culmination of Eustace's increasing bravery.
So that's the question with this story--what will it all amount to? Why does it matter? Beyond honor and adventure, what is the point, and what is accomplished? Yes, the seven Lords will have been found, but this is not much of a culminating event. Only time will tell.
Meanwhile, there's an interesting little detail about this chapter that I want to discuss. I don't think I'm missing anything, but I've searched the great Internet for answers and have found none. No doubt this has been observed before, but check out this quote from Reepicheep. Context really isn't needed.
"'Depend upon it,' said Reepicheep, 'it was from eating this food that these three lords came by a seven years' sleep'" (p. 353).
Now, what makes this quote interesting is a couple of things. First, Reepicheep is incorrect--the food is not what caused the Lords to fall into their enchanted sleep. But, Reepicheep is correct that the Lords have been asleep for seven years. What's interesting is that the Narnians have absolutely no context for making this guess. It has been previously noted that the Lords have clearly been asleep for a long time, but how Reepicheep correctly guesses that they have slept for seven years is unknown. Indeed, the girl who emerges from the hillside confirms this length of time, without any reference to Reepicheep's correct guess. How Reepicheep has this knowledge, we do not know. It is another mystery of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Friday, September 19, 2014
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | Chapter 12: The Dark Island
Chapter Summary:
The Dawn Treader sails onward to the southeast for twelve days. Then, a large black mountain is spotted in the distance. The next day, it is much nearer. Soon, it is realized that the black mass is nothing more than darkness. Caspian and Drinian advise not sailing into the darkness, but Reepicheep, supported by Lucy, convince everyone to do so anyway for the sake of honor and adventure.
After lighting torches, the Dawn Treader sails into the darkness. After five minutes, some is heard shouting for help. A man is brought on board in the darkness from the sea. The man tells them to flee immediately back toward the sunlight, as they have arrived in the land where dreams come true--not daydreams, but actual dreams.
Panic ensues, and the Dawn Treader tries to flee the darkness. Every individual begins to experience portions of their own personal nightmares. Everyone begins to worry that they will never get out. Lucy asks aloud for Aslan's help, and moments later an albatross appears and guides the Dawn Treader back towards the light. Only Lucy can sense that the albatross is Aslan himself.
The Dawn Treader breaks back into the sunlight and the albatross vanishes. The man who has been pulled abroad identifies himself as Lord Rhoop--one of the seven Lords for whom Caspian is searching. Looking around, everyone realizes that the dark island and the darkness along with it have completely vanished.
Reflection:
This chapter is as fascinating as they come in the TCON series. And what makes it fascinating is that the entire fear that surrounds the dark island is the fear of the unknown. To paraphrase a former U.S. President--the Narnians had nothing to fear except fear itself. In fact, just a few short sentences from Lord Rhoop sent the men of Narnia (everyone except Reeipcheep) running in panic to bring the Dawn Treader back into the sunlight as quickly as possible.
Now, this is without knowing a single thing about Lord Rhoop. The Narnians don't know where he has come from, how he exactly got there, and for goodness sake, why he is apparently floating in the ocean. There's no evidence that there is any land at all in the darkness. Lord Rhoop doesn't even give an example of what he means when he says that this is the place where all dreams come true. It is very possible that the only danger present in the darkness was the fear of the unknown, and perhaps a fear of the darkness itself. I think it is very possible that the sounds that everyone is hearing as the Dawn Treader flees the darkness are only sounds created by their own imaginations.
Nevertheless, Lucy comes to the rescue when she (basically) prays to Aslan for help--and Aslan not only arrives, but he also brings the end of the darkness as well. Lucy alone knows that Aslan has saved the day once again--even if he has saved the Narnians only from their own imaginations.
More than most other chapters in this series, this chapter demonstrates to the readers some of the most interesting qualities of mankind--the tendency to fear what is not known, even to the point of psychological panic. It is a lesson in bravery, in adventure, in faith, and in fear. And what we learn, while not necessarily charming, is something that is true for all humanity--that we fear what we do not know, more than anything else.
The Dawn Treader sails onward to the southeast for twelve days. Then, a large black mountain is spotted in the distance. The next day, it is much nearer. Soon, it is realized that the black mass is nothing more than darkness. Caspian and Drinian advise not sailing into the darkness, but Reepicheep, supported by Lucy, convince everyone to do so anyway for the sake of honor and adventure.
After lighting torches, the Dawn Treader sails into the darkness. After five minutes, some is heard shouting for help. A man is brought on board in the darkness from the sea. The man tells them to flee immediately back toward the sunlight, as they have arrived in the land where dreams come true--not daydreams, but actual dreams.
Panic ensues, and the Dawn Treader tries to flee the darkness. Every individual begins to experience portions of their own personal nightmares. Everyone begins to worry that they will never get out. Lucy asks aloud for Aslan's help, and moments later an albatross appears and guides the Dawn Treader back towards the light. Only Lucy can sense that the albatross is Aslan himself.
The Dawn Treader breaks back into the sunlight and the albatross vanishes. The man who has been pulled abroad identifies himself as Lord Rhoop--one of the seven Lords for whom Caspian is searching. Looking around, everyone realizes that the dark island and the darkness along with it have completely vanished.
Reflection:
This chapter is as fascinating as they come in the TCON series. And what makes it fascinating is that the entire fear that surrounds the dark island is the fear of the unknown. To paraphrase a former U.S. President--the Narnians had nothing to fear except fear itself. In fact, just a few short sentences from Lord Rhoop sent the men of Narnia (everyone except Reeipcheep) running in panic to bring the Dawn Treader back into the sunlight as quickly as possible.
Now, this is without knowing a single thing about Lord Rhoop. The Narnians don't know where he has come from, how he exactly got there, and for goodness sake, why he is apparently floating in the ocean. There's no evidence that there is any land at all in the darkness. Lord Rhoop doesn't even give an example of what he means when he says that this is the place where all dreams come true. It is very possible that the only danger present in the darkness was the fear of the unknown, and perhaps a fear of the darkness itself. I think it is very possible that the sounds that everyone is hearing as the Dawn Treader flees the darkness are only sounds created by their own imaginations.
Nevertheless, Lucy comes to the rescue when she (basically) prays to Aslan for help--and Aslan not only arrives, but he also brings the end of the darkness as well. Lucy alone knows that Aslan has saved the day once again--even if he has saved the Narnians only from their own imaginations.
More than most other chapters in this series, this chapter demonstrates to the readers some of the most interesting qualities of mankind--the tendency to fear what is not known, even to the point of psychological panic. It is a lesson in bravery, in adventure, in faith, and in fear. And what we learn, while not necessarily charming, is something that is true for all humanity--that we fear what we do not know, more than anything else.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | Chapter 11: The Dufflepuds Made Happy
Chapter Summary:
The chapter opens as Lucy follows Aslan out of the door and into the upstairs hallway of the Magician's house. The Magician, named Coriakin, welcomes Aslan. Aslan says that he must go to Cair Paravel to visit Trumpkin, and vanishes after telling Lucy that he will see her soon.
Coriakin treats Lucy to a nice meal, and they converse. Coriakin says that the Duffers (the voices) will be visible again. Lucy also learns that Coriakin had not actually made the Duffers ugly; he made them different, but the Duffers decided that they were now ugly. Coriakin said that he changed them to help them better work in the garden, which is their most common form of work.
Coriakin and Lucy join Caspian and Edmund. They all see the Monopod creatures--the Duffers--on the lawn. They are basically dwarfs with one giant foot, hence the thumping. Instead of walking, they hop. The Duffers celebrate their visibility and Lucy's success. Lucy does her best to convince the Duffers that they are not ugly.
Everyone, Narnians and Duffers, go back to the Dawn Treader and celebrate. Reepicheep teaches the Duffers to surf using their large feet, and feasts are had. The Duffers like the name Monopod and try to adopt it, but instead mix up their name, calling themselves the Dufferpuds. Coriakin makes a map of the voyage of the Dawn Treader thus far and gives it to Caspian. Coriakin says that he knows nothing more about the sea to the east, but he does know that a boat with four of the seven Narnian lords had passed their island in the past. Coriakin mends the stern of the Dawn Treader. The Dawn Treader sails away.
Reflection:
This chapter brings the end of the mystery of the voices, which turn out to simply be silly, rather harmless, and ridiculously agreeable (but rather stupid) creatures called the Duffers, or Monopods, or as they became to be known for centuries thereafter, Dufflepuds. This chapter gives us a nice thick dose of the age-old lesson that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Despite thinking that they have been uglified by the cruel magician, what the Dufflepuds don't know (or don't seem to remember) is that the magician changed their to make their work more effective and easier than it was before. They have convinced themselves (which they do very, very easily) that they have been made ugly. This, in turn, is what causes them to make themselves invisible.
Lucy does her best to convince the Dufflepuds that they are not ugly creatures, and does a fairly decent job, given how agreeable the Dufflepuds are. But the lesson is the same--the Dufflepuds only think that they are ugly because their concept of beauty is different than they actually currently are. It would be much the same if all humans were suddenly made to have one leg and a really, really large foot. We would all think that we are rather different-looking than before, and probably not regard this new trait immediately as beautiful.
But, over time, things can change. Even by the end of the story, the Dufflepuds have begun to accept themselves as they are. This, most likely, is what Aslan has in mind for them before Aslan introduces himself to these creatures. (Interestingly, Aslan tells Coriakin that the Dufflepuds are not ready to interact with him yet--not for a very long time.) I think the Dufflepuds need to gain some confidence in themselves before they can handle the presence of Aslan.
Onward we go to the most exciting portion of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I'm going to do my best to get a little more on schedule this weekend...
The chapter opens as Lucy follows Aslan out of the door and into the upstairs hallway of the Magician's house. The Magician, named Coriakin, welcomes Aslan. Aslan says that he must go to Cair Paravel to visit Trumpkin, and vanishes after telling Lucy that he will see her soon.
Coriakin treats Lucy to a nice meal, and they converse. Coriakin says that the Duffers (the voices) will be visible again. Lucy also learns that Coriakin had not actually made the Duffers ugly; he made them different, but the Duffers decided that they were now ugly. Coriakin said that he changed them to help them better work in the garden, which is their most common form of work.
Coriakin and Lucy join Caspian and Edmund. They all see the Monopod creatures--the Duffers--on the lawn. They are basically dwarfs with one giant foot, hence the thumping. Instead of walking, they hop. The Duffers celebrate their visibility and Lucy's success. Lucy does her best to convince the Duffers that they are not ugly.
Everyone, Narnians and Duffers, go back to the Dawn Treader and celebrate. Reepicheep teaches the Duffers to surf using their large feet, and feasts are had. The Duffers like the name Monopod and try to adopt it, but instead mix up their name, calling themselves the Dufferpuds. Coriakin makes a map of the voyage of the Dawn Treader thus far and gives it to Caspian. Coriakin says that he knows nothing more about the sea to the east, but he does know that a boat with four of the seven Narnian lords had passed their island in the past. Coriakin mends the stern of the Dawn Treader. The Dawn Treader sails away.
Reflection:
This chapter brings the end of the mystery of the voices, which turn out to simply be silly, rather harmless, and ridiculously agreeable (but rather stupid) creatures called the Duffers, or Monopods, or as they became to be known for centuries thereafter, Dufflepuds. This chapter gives us a nice thick dose of the age-old lesson that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Despite thinking that they have been uglified by the cruel magician, what the Dufflepuds don't know (or don't seem to remember) is that the magician changed their to make their work more effective and easier than it was before. They have convinced themselves (which they do very, very easily) that they have been made ugly. This, in turn, is what causes them to make themselves invisible.
Lucy does her best to convince the Dufflepuds that they are not ugly creatures, and does a fairly decent job, given how agreeable the Dufflepuds are. But the lesson is the same--the Dufflepuds only think that they are ugly because their concept of beauty is different than they actually currently are. It would be much the same if all humans were suddenly made to have one leg and a really, really large foot. We would all think that we are rather different-looking than before, and probably not regard this new trait immediately as beautiful.
But, over time, things can change. Even by the end of the story, the Dufflepuds have begun to accept themselves as they are. This, most likely, is what Aslan has in mind for them before Aslan introduces himself to these creatures. (Interestingly, Aslan tells Coriakin that the Dufflepuds are not ready to interact with him yet--not for a very long time.) I think the Dufflepuds need to gain some confidence in themselves before they can handle the presence of Aslan.
Onward we go to the most exciting portion of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I'm going to do my best to get a little more on schedule this weekend...
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | Chapter 10: The Magician's Book
Chapter Summary:
The invisible voices provide the Narnians with a feast. The next morning, Lucy wakes up, eats breakfast, and then goes upstairs inside the magician's house (leaving the invisible voices and the Narnians downstairs). At the top of the stairs, she sees that there is a long hallway in front of her. She walks down the long, spooky hallway until she reaches the last door on the left.
She enters the room (the door will not close) and immediately sees the book she is looking for. She opens it, and starts reading spell after spell. Lucy comes across a spell to make a person very beautiful, and the pictures in the book show Lucy transformed into a sensationally beautiful version of herself. Just as she is preparing to read the spell, the image of Aslan appears in the middle of the page and prevents her from doing so.
Lucy reads on, and comes across a spell that lets you hear what your friends think of you. Lucy reads the spell, and sees a moving picture (like a movie) appear on the page of the book, showing a conversation in which her friend Marjorie speaks cruelly of Lucy.
Lucy then sees a spell that refreshes a person's spirit. She reads the spell, which is a short story. Afterward, she cannot remember it at all. Finally, she comes across the spell to make invisible things visible. She reads the spell, and immediately hears footsteps from the hallway. Lucy turns around and sees Aslan, who tells Lucy that he has just been made visible by the spell. Lucy asks about the story from the magical book that she can't remember and wants to hear it from Aslan--and Aslan tells her that she will hear it again, and that he will tell it to her for many years. Aslan then says that it's time to meet the master of the house.
Reflection:
This is another fairly insightful chapter, particularly into the character of Lucy. In this short chapter, Lucy comes across several spells in the magician's spell book, and what follows is a brief but substantial lesson in temptation and ethical decision making. There are four spells in particular that Lucy really takes a detailed look at:
The first of the four spells is a spell that will make the reader of the spell an incredibly beautiful person. Accompanying the spell--obviously as a form of enchantment--are pictures that lure the reader by demonstrating what some of the results of the spell could be. In particular, we see that Lucy is especially swayed by seeing a version of herself that is more beautiful than her sister, Susan--a girl who is already considered beautiful. Lucy is only able to resist the spell when Aslan's face appears in the middle of the page.
The second of the four spells is one that allows Lucy to hear what her friends think of her. This is the first spell that Lucy actually performs. After doing so, she hears a conversation between her friend Marjorie and a classmate named Anne, in which Marjorie tells Anne that she had not really enjoyed all of the time that she had spent with Lucy the previous year. Lucy is obviously distraught, but when Aslan appears later, here's the conversation that occurs about this:
The third spell that Lucy reads about is one that refreshes her spirit. Strangely, she cannot remember it afterward. But she brings it up to Aslan, and here is their brief exchange:
The fourth and final spell, of course, is a spell that makes invisible things visible. After reading the spell, Lucy becomes momentarily a bit concerned, realizing that there are probably more invisible things in the world than just the voices on this island. Indeed, she is immediately proved correct when Aslan arrives and tells Lucy that she, in fact, had made him appear as well. What else Lucy made appear, we do not know.
Throughout reading the spell book, Lucy undergoes a rather impactful challenge--one that requires her to overcome vanity and curiosity. She does not pass every test, but the important part is that Aslan was always with her through the entire battle, and that is the most important lesson of all from the chapter.
The invisible voices provide the Narnians with a feast. The next morning, Lucy wakes up, eats breakfast, and then goes upstairs inside the magician's house (leaving the invisible voices and the Narnians downstairs). At the top of the stairs, she sees that there is a long hallway in front of her. She walks down the long, spooky hallway until she reaches the last door on the left.
She enters the room (the door will not close) and immediately sees the book she is looking for. She opens it, and starts reading spell after spell. Lucy comes across a spell to make a person very beautiful, and the pictures in the book show Lucy transformed into a sensationally beautiful version of herself. Just as she is preparing to read the spell, the image of Aslan appears in the middle of the page and prevents her from doing so.
Lucy reads on, and comes across a spell that lets you hear what your friends think of you. Lucy reads the spell, and sees a moving picture (like a movie) appear on the page of the book, showing a conversation in which her friend Marjorie speaks cruelly of Lucy.
Lucy then sees a spell that refreshes a person's spirit. She reads the spell, which is a short story. Afterward, she cannot remember it at all. Finally, she comes across the spell to make invisible things visible. She reads the spell, and immediately hears footsteps from the hallway. Lucy turns around and sees Aslan, who tells Lucy that he has just been made visible by the spell. Lucy asks about the story from the magical book that she can't remember and wants to hear it from Aslan--and Aslan tells her that she will hear it again, and that he will tell it to her for many years. Aslan then says that it's time to meet the master of the house.
Reflection:
This is another fairly insightful chapter, particularly into the character of Lucy. In this short chapter, Lucy comes across several spells in the magician's spell book, and what follows is a brief but substantial lesson in temptation and ethical decision making. There are four spells in particular that Lucy really takes a detailed look at:
The first of the four spells is a spell that will make the reader of the spell an incredibly beautiful person. Accompanying the spell--obviously as a form of enchantment--are pictures that lure the reader by demonstrating what some of the results of the spell could be. In particular, we see that Lucy is especially swayed by seeing a version of herself that is more beautiful than her sister, Susan--a girl who is already considered beautiful. Lucy is only able to resist the spell when Aslan's face appears in the middle of the page.
The second of the four spells is one that allows Lucy to hear what her friends think of her. This is the first spell that Lucy actually performs. After doing so, she hears a conversation between her friend Marjorie and a classmate named Anne, in which Marjorie tells Anne that she had not really enjoyed all of the time that she had spent with Lucy the previous year. Lucy is obviously distraught, but when Aslan appears later, here's the conversation that occurs about this:
"'Child,' he said, 'I think you have been eavesdropping.'
'Eavesdropping?'
'You listened to what your two schoolfellows were saying about you.'
'Oh that? I never thought that was eavesdropped, Aslan. Wasn't it magic?'
'Spying on people by magic is the same as spying on them in any other way. And you have misjudged your friend. She is weak, but she loves you. She was afraid of the older girl and said what she does not mean.'
'I don't think I'd ever be able to forget what I heard her say.'
'No, you won't'" (p. 342).The conversation carries on from here, but the point has been made: Lucy's punishment for her decision to eavesdrop on her friend is that she will never forget the cruel thing that her friend said about her, even though her friend did not really mean it.
The third spell that Lucy reads about is one that refreshes her spirit. Strangely, she cannot remember it afterward. But she brings it up to Aslan, and here is their brief exchange:
"'Shall I ever be able to read that story again; the one I couldn't remember? Will you tell it to me, Aslan? Oh do, do, do.'
'Indeed, yes, I will tell it to you for years and years. But now, come. We must meet the master of this house'" (p. 342).What that refreshing story is we can only guess, but I suppose we can make a good guess that it has something to do with the conclusion of The Last Battle, which we will come to sooner rather than later.
The fourth and final spell, of course, is a spell that makes invisible things visible. After reading the spell, Lucy becomes momentarily a bit concerned, realizing that there are probably more invisible things in the world than just the voices on this island. Indeed, she is immediately proved correct when Aslan arrives and tells Lucy that she, in fact, had made him appear as well. What else Lucy made appear, we do not know.
Throughout reading the spell book, Lucy undergoes a rather impactful challenge--one that requires her to overcome vanity and curiosity. She does not pass every test, but the important part is that Aslan was always with her through the entire battle, and that is the most important lesson of all from the chapter.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | Chapter 9: The Island of the Voices
Chapter Summary:
The Dawn Treader continues to sail eastward from Deathwater Island. Just before deciding to abandon the journey, having spotted no land for many days, land is spotted again and the Dawn Treader makes harbor. On the island is a house. As everyone is approaching it, Lucy stops to fix her shoe.
As the others go on ahead of her, Lucy hears louder and louder thumping sounds. She is soon surrounded by a group of voices, who collectively decide to go to the beach and cut off the company of the Dawn Treader from their ship. The invisible creatures thump away toward the beach.
Lucy catches up with the others, who are inspecting the house (and watching a water pump work by itself), and tells them what she has seen and heard. They decide to go back to the beach.
As they reach the beach, the voices tell them to stop--threatening them with death if they do not comply. The voices tell them that they need the little girl's help (Lucy's). The Chief Voice tells them a story about how a magician used to live on the island in the house they had been inspecting. One day, the magician put an uglifying spell on all of them. They became fed up with being ugly, so one day a few of them snuck into the magician's house, found his spell book, and cast a spell for making people invisible. Now, they want to be un-invisible, and a little girl must cast the reverse spell.
Therefore, they want Lucy to go into the house, upstairs, to find the book and read the spell to reverse their invisibility, and if Lucy don't do so, they--the Narnians--will all be killed. Lucy decides that she will help them.
Reflection:
The Island of the Voices brings us to a unique feature that we have not yet come across within the TCON series thus far, and that is the concept of an invisible enemy. Throughout the three hundred (plus) pages of this tale so far, all of our enemies have been pretty well known. Perhaps their location was not always known, but we always knew who they were. In this situation, all we know is that there is an invisible enemy, and that enemy is very likely large--due to the large thumping that Lucy and the others hear in the presence of the voices.
And this brings me to wondering what C.S. Lewis was intending with this chapter. Of course, there's the most obvious possibility--that the invisible enemy in Narnia is meant to parallel with the only invisible enemy that C.S. Lewis might write about in a Christian allegory--that is, the devil. This is the author of The Screwtape Letters, after all. But something about this parallel just doesn't sit right when Lucy decides to basically make a deal with the Voices--not that it's much of a deal (do what they say or be killed). So really, I don't know why C.S. Lewis has introduced these invisible characters, but I don't think they are meant to parallel the earth's invisible enemy. After all, these voices are none too cunning, intelligent, or brave. Meanwhile, it is yet to be seen whether Lucy's agreement to help them is foolish or brave.
I think this is also a good time to discuss the very odd behavior of the voices. This is not mentioned in my summary, but if you're reading along (which you most certainly are not by this point), you'll know that the voices always repeat after the Chief Voice--encouraging it/him/her when it makes a statement, even if that statement is self-deprecating. Take a look:
We see the Narnians as a polar opposite to the voices--the Narnians decide via conversation the best manner in which to proceed, even though Lucy ultimately has the final word. But I would imagine that the voices are run much more as a dictatorship, in which the Chief Voice is always correct, no matter how silly or absurd that correctness might be (such as when the Chief Voice is admitting to being incorrect). The whole thing is fascinating, and I think we will get to see a little more of the voices (literally and figuratively) before we sail onward. Man, I'm punny today.
Again, late post. Work is very busy...
The Dawn Treader continues to sail eastward from Deathwater Island. Just before deciding to abandon the journey, having spotted no land for many days, land is spotted again and the Dawn Treader makes harbor. On the island is a house. As everyone is approaching it, Lucy stops to fix her shoe.
As the others go on ahead of her, Lucy hears louder and louder thumping sounds. She is soon surrounded by a group of voices, who collectively decide to go to the beach and cut off the company of the Dawn Treader from their ship. The invisible creatures thump away toward the beach.
Lucy catches up with the others, who are inspecting the house (and watching a water pump work by itself), and tells them what she has seen and heard. They decide to go back to the beach.
As they reach the beach, the voices tell them to stop--threatening them with death if they do not comply. The voices tell them that they need the little girl's help (Lucy's). The Chief Voice tells them a story about how a magician used to live on the island in the house they had been inspecting. One day, the magician put an uglifying spell on all of them. They became fed up with being ugly, so one day a few of them snuck into the magician's house, found his spell book, and cast a spell for making people invisible. Now, they want to be un-invisible, and a little girl must cast the reverse spell.
Therefore, they want Lucy to go into the house, upstairs, to find the book and read the spell to reverse their invisibility, and if Lucy don't do so, they--the Narnians--will all be killed. Lucy decides that she will help them.
Reflection:
The Island of the Voices brings us to a unique feature that we have not yet come across within the TCON series thus far, and that is the concept of an invisible enemy. Throughout the three hundred (plus) pages of this tale so far, all of our enemies have been pretty well known. Perhaps their location was not always known, but we always knew who they were. In this situation, all we know is that there is an invisible enemy, and that enemy is very likely large--due to the large thumping that Lucy and the others hear in the presence of the voices.
And this brings me to wondering what C.S. Lewis was intending with this chapter. Of course, there's the most obvious possibility--that the invisible enemy in Narnia is meant to parallel with the only invisible enemy that C.S. Lewis might write about in a Christian allegory--that is, the devil. This is the author of The Screwtape Letters, after all. But something about this parallel just doesn't sit right when Lucy decides to basically make a deal with the Voices--not that it's much of a deal (do what they say or be killed). So really, I don't know why C.S. Lewis has introduced these invisible characters, but I don't think they are meant to parallel the earth's invisible enemy. After all, these voices are none too cunning, intelligent, or brave. Meanwhile, it is yet to be seen whether Lucy's agreement to help them is foolish or brave.
I think this is also a good time to discuss the very odd behavior of the voices. This is not mentioned in my summary, but if you're reading along (which you most certainly are not by this point), you'll know that the voices always repeat after the Chief Voice--encouraging it/him/her when it makes a statement, even if that statement is self-deprecating. Take a look:
"'Why, bless me, if I haven't gone and left out the whole point,' said the Chief Voice.
'That you have, that you have,' roared the Other Voices with great enthusiasm. 'No one couldn't have left it out cleaner and better. Keep it up, Chief, keep it up'" (p. 336-337).Interesting, huh? It's almost as if the voices are the exaggerated version of perpetual and unstoppable groupthink--the idea that the more individuals that are present that are in agreement, the more polarized the group as a whole becomes (read: Tea Party). At least, that's what I like to think C.S. Lewis is saying (but don't start agreeing with me).
We see the Narnians as a polar opposite to the voices--the Narnians decide via conversation the best manner in which to proceed, even though Lucy ultimately has the final word. But I would imagine that the voices are run much more as a dictatorship, in which the Chief Voice is always correct, no matter how silly or absurd that correctness might be (such as when the Chief Voice is admitting to being incorrect). The whole thing is fascinating, and I think we will get to see a little more of the voices (literally and figuratively) before we sail onward. Man, I'm punny today.
Again, late post. Work is very busy...
Monday, September 15, 2014
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | Chapter 8: Two Narrow Escapes
Chapter Summary:
The Dawn Treader sails away from Dragon Island and sails further south and east for about five days. One day, something is spotted on the horizon. Everyone quickly realizes that they have spotted the great Sea Serpent. The serpent moves toward the Dawn Treader and appears to leap over it. Eustace slashes at it (with no effect) with Caspian's sword. Reepicheep is the first to realize that the serpent is trying to wrap itself around the ship to squeeze it in half. Everyone pushes the serpent's tightening coil, and almost gets it off the stern, but the coil cracks off the stern and the Dawn Treader sails away.
Four days later, land is spotted. The Dawn Treader lands near a stream by the island. The next day, Caspian, Edmund, Lucy, Eustace, and Reepicheep go to explore the island. On a hill, they find the remains of Narnian armor and swords (but no body).
Then, they came down the hill to a lake. At the bottom of the lake is a statue of a man made of gold. Testing the depth, Edmund lowers a spear into the lake, but it becomes heavy and he drops it. Edmund looks at his boots and sees that the tips are gold. Suddenly everyone understands that the lake turns everything into gold (and that the man at the bottom is one of the lost Narnian Lords--the third discovered thus far).
Just as Edmund and Caspian begin to argue about who holds claim to the gold-making lake, a huge lion passes on top of the hill nearby--and everyone knows it is Aslan. They stop arguing and vote to name the island Deathwater. They agree that the place is cursed, and that no one present must tell anyone about it. They return to the Dawn Treader and sail away.
Reflection:
Boy, have the tides turned in this chapter. Eustace, before the prototypical obnoxious boy that no one likes, has turned into a boy who pulls a sword and slashes at a gigantic sea serpent. Though the act did nothing to dissuade the serpent, the narrator describes his action as doing "the first brave thing that he had ever done" (p. 329). Clearly, Eustace is moving in the right direction as a character.
Meanwhile, we have the events on Deathwater Island (orginally Goldwater Island) to discuss as well. Caspian and Edmund display a rather shocking degree of greed once discovering that the lake turned objects into gold--both of them draw their swords on one another before the larger-than-life Aslan passes by and everyone seems to snap out of their greedy spell.
Speaking of that appearance by Aslan--it is a fairly unusual one. Aslan has been only somewhat absent throughout the journey of the Dawn Treader, appearing only once--to Eustace only, and for the sole purpose of de-dragonizing him. And then we have this scene here, where Aslan passes nearby on top of the hill--but he doesn't speak or even acknowledge that the others are present. It's as if his mere presence is a reminder to Caspian and Edmund of their journey and what Narnia stands for. I think, really, that Aslan was just there to give them a quick reminder of why they should not be fighting over possession of the lake that turns things into gold. After Aslan passes, the narrator writes that "they looked at one another like people waking from sleep" (p. 333). A strange sort of amnesia has seemed to set in as well--Captain Drinian thereafter said that they all seemed to come back to the ship bewitched. It's actually worth looking at his brief statement:
Frankly, I think the island is simply an island that bewitches the normal sense of greed that a person has--and provides a resource (the lake) that would only cause that greed to exponentially grow. Caspian and Edmund almost fell victim to the curse of greed--which could have left one of them dead (as greed has often done many, many times throughout history). Luckily, they left the island of greed unharmed, thanks to Aslan's intervention.
---
Apologies for the late post today (not that anyone is reading this, but that's ok). Work is getting rather busy, and I'm having to catch up on this a bit at home.
The Dawn Treader sails away from Dragon Island and sails further south and east for about five days. One day, something is spotted on the horizon. Everyone quickly realizes that they have spotted the great Sea Serpent. The serpent moves toward the Dawn Treader and appears to leap over it. Eustace slashes at it (with no effect) with Caspian's sword. Reepicheep is the first to realize that the serpent is trying to wrap itself around the ship to squeeze it in half. Everyone pushes the serpent's tightening coil, and almost gets it off the stern, but the coil cracks off the stern and the Dawn Treader sails away.
Four days later, land is spotted. The Dawn Treader lands near a stream by the island. The next day, Caspian, Edmund, Lucy, Eustace, and Reepicheep go to explore the island. On a hill, they find the remains of Narnian armor and swords (but no body).
Then, they came down the hill to a lake. At the bottom of the lake is a statue of a man made of gold. Testing the depth, Edmund lowers a spear into the lake, but it becomes heavy and he drops it. Edmund looks at his boots and sees that the tips are gold. Suddenly everyone understands that the lake turns everything into gold (and that the man at the bottom is one of the lost Narnian Lords--the third discovered thus far).
Just as Edmund and Caspian begin to argue about who holds claim to the gold-making lake, a huge lion passes on top of the hill nearby--and everyone knows it is Aslan. They stop arguing and vote to name the island Deathwater. They agree that the place is cursed, and that no one present must tell anyone about it. They return to the Dawn Treader and sail away.
Reflection:
Boy, have the tides turned in this chapter. Eustace, before the prototypical obnoxious boy that no one likes, has turned into a boy who pulls a sword and slashes at a gigantic sea serpent. Though the act did nothing to dissuade the serpent, the narrator describes his action as doing "the first brave thing that he had ever done" (p. 329). Clearly, Eustace is moving in the right direction as a character.
Meanwhile, we have the events on Deathwater Island (orginally Goldwater Island) to discuss as well. Caspian and Edmund display a rather shocking degree of greed once discovering that the lake turned objects into gold--both of them draw their swords on one another before the larger-than-life Aslan passes by and everyone seems to snap out of their greedy spell.
Speaking of that appearance by Aslan--it is a fairly unusual one. Aslan has been only somewhat absent throughout the journey of the Dawn Treader, appearing only once--to Eustace only, and for the sole purpose of de-dragonizing him. And then we have this scene here, where Aslan passes nearby on top of the hill--but he doesn't speak or even acknowledge that the others are present. It's as if his mere presence is a reminder to Caspian and Edmund of their journey and what Narnia stands for. I think, really, that Aslan was just there to give them a quick reminder of why they should not be fighting over possession of the lake that turns things into gold. After Aslan passes, the narrator writes that "they looked at one another like people waking from sleep" (p. 333). A strange sort of amnesia has seemed to set in as well--Captain Drinian thereafter said that they all seemed to come back to the ship bewitched. It's actually worth looking at his brief statement:
"'Their Majesties all seemed a bit bewitched when they came aboard ... Something happened to them in that place. The only thing I could get clear was that they think they've found the body of one of these lords we're looking for" (p. 333).What I find most interesting about Drinian's statement is that apparently Aslan's presence did not have enough impact that it brought all of them back to reality entirely. This was a place of a strong magical power of some sort--and not a positive power.
Frankly, I think the island is simply an island that bewitches the normal sense of greed that a person has--and provides a resource (the lake) that would only cause that greed to exponentially grow. Caspian and Edmund almost fell victim to the curse of greed--which could have left one of them dead (as greed has often done many, many times throughout history). Luckily, they left the island of greed unharmed, thanks to Aslan's intervention.
---
Apologies for the late post today (not that anyone is reading this, but that's ok). Work is getting rather busy, and I'm having to catch up on this a bit at home.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | Chapter 7: How the Adventure Ended
Chapter Summary:
The chapter begins as Caspian points out the braclet that the dragon (Eustace) is wearing--the symbol on it belongs to Lord Octesian, one of the seven lost Lords for whom Caspian is searching. Slowly, through asking the dragon questions, Lucy, Edmund, and Caspian discover that the dragon is really Eustace, trapped in a dragon's body.
From then on (for about a week), Eustace does all he can to be helpful as a dragon. He helps fetch food for everyone to eat, flies around the island to look for natives or any danger (there are none), and even brings a large pine tree to build a new mast for the Dawn Treader. He also serves as a form of heat--during cold nights, everyone could gather around him and be warm. However--there is increasing concern about what to do with him when the Dawn Treader is ready to sail again.
After about a week on the island, Edmund wakes up one night and sees someone walking in the woods nearby. Edmund gets up to investigate, and finds a human Eustace in the woods. Eustace then tells Edmund that he wants to tell him privately about how he became human again. This is Eustace's story:
In the middle of the previous night, a lion approached Eustace and told Eustace to follow him. Eustace did so, and ended up near a large well on the top of a mountain. The lion told him to take a bath, but to undress first. Eustace then sheds three layers of his dragon skin, but it was never enough. The lion then said that he would undress Eustace. The lion tore into Eustace's scales very deep, taking off many layers of skin and scales. (Eustace describes this as both painful and satisfying.) The lion then threw Eustace into the bath, and Eustace almost immediately became human again. The painful bracelet he was wearing came off as well.
Eustace tells Edmund that he wonders whether it was all a dream, but Edmund tells Eustace that it wasn't--he had met Aslan, and Aslan had helped him change back into a human. Eustace apologizes to Edmund for being so horrible to him.
A few days later, the Dawn Treader is ready to set sail. No one wants to keep Lord Octesian's bracelet, and Caspian throws it upward, where it lands in an unreachable place on a high cliff.
Reflection:
This is an excellent chapter all around, and is a great representation of Eustace's redemption process. When Aslan visits him, the result is a great deal of pain and suffering for the final reward. That pain and suffering is manifested in the shedding of the skin and scales of the dragon-Eustace--the literal removal of the old Eustace. In some ways, you could say that Eustace is reborn as a new person. You get the picture by now--Eustace was Baptized, and there's little doubt in my mind about that allegorical connection. Like humans who are being baptized who are asked to prepare themselves spiritually for that moment, Eustace's transformation into the dragon, kind behavior as a dragon, and the final shedding of his scales are all precursors (necessary preludes) to his baptismal moment. I don't think there's anyone who would argue against this reading of this chapter!
But what a delightful chapter for Eustace all around. Even as a dragon, Eustace finds that he can be of great benefit to all those he had wronged for so long. By demonstrating that he is willing to be helpful, Eustace is preparing those around him for the transformed Eustace that is coming. Indeed, Eustace could have quite literally ensured the survival of the company of the Dawn Treader. And of course what we find most ironic as readers (though this is not in my summary) is that Reepicheep was Eustace's chief comforter throughout his time as a dragon. His greatest enemy had become his greatest ally.
Of course, this chapter also provides us with the Edmund-as-evangelist moment, which is both a little strange and very fitting, all at the same time. Until Edmund mentions that Eustace has seen Aslan, Eustace doesn't really even know who Aslan is. Here is how Edmund describes Aslan to Eustace:
The quote also confirms to us something that we already know--that Lucy is the one who sees Aslan most often. But this begs the question--why? Is it because she is youngest? That she has the strongest belief? That she is the most pure at heart? We don't know, and I'm not sure we'll ever know.
There is much more here, but for the sake of brevity I will leave it at that for today. This chapter was a great one, and is a very neat demonstration of the culmination of Eustace's change. As the narrator tells us, from this point forward, "the cure had begun" (p. 327) for Eustace.
The chapter begins as Caspian points out the braclet that the dragon (Eustace) is wearing--the symbol on it belongs to Lord Octesian, one of the seven lost Lords for whom Caspian is searching. Slowly, through asking the dragon questions, Lucy, Edmund, and Caspian discover that the dragon is really Eustace, trapped in a dragon's body.
From then on (for about a week), Eustace does all he can to be helpful as a dragon. He helps fetch food for everyone to eat, flies around the island to look for natives or any danger (there are none), and even brings a large pine tree to build a new mast for the Dawn Treader. He also serves as a form of heat--during cold nights, everyone could gather around him and be warm. However--there is increasing concern about what to do with him when the Dawn Treader is ready to sail again.
After about a week on the island, Edmund wakes up one night and sees someone walking in the woods nearby. Edmund gets up to investigate, and finds a human Eustace in the woods. Eustace then tells Edmund that he wants to tell him privately about how he became human again. This is Eustace's story:
In the middle of the previous night, a lion approached Eustace and told Eustace to follow him. Eustace did so, and ended up near a large well on the top of a mountain. The lion told him to take a bath, but to undress first. Eustace then sheds three layers of his dragon skin, but it was never enough. The lion then said that he would undress Eustace. The lion tore into Eustace's scales very deep, taking off many layers of skin and scales. (Eustace describes this as both painful and satisfying.) The lion then threw Eustace into the bath, and Eustace almost immediately became human again. The painful bracelet he was wearing came off as well.
Eustace tells Edmund that he wonders whether it was all a dream, but Edmund tells Eustace that it wasn't--he had met Aslan, and Aslan had helped him change back into a human. Eustace apologizes to Edmund for being so horrible to him.
A few days later, the Dawn Treader is ready to set sail. No one wants to keep Lord Octesian's bracelet, and Caspian throws it upward, where it lands in an unreachable place on a high cliff.
Reflection:
This is an excellent chapter all around, and is a great representation of Eustace's redemption process. When Aslan visits him, the result is a great deal of pain and suffering for the final reward. That pain and suffering is manifested in the shedding of the skin and scales of the dragon-Eustace--the literal removal of the old Eustace. In some ways, you could say that Eustace is reborn as a new person. You get the picture by now--Eustace was Baptized, and there's little doubt in my mind about that allegorical connection. Like humans who are being baptized who are asked to prepare themselves spiritually for that moment, Eustace's transformation into the dragon, kind behavior as a dragon, and the final shedding of his scales are all precursors (necessary preludes) to his baptismal moment. I don't think there's anyone who would argue against this reading of this chapter!
But what a delightful chapter for Eustace all around. Even as a dragon, Eustace finds that he can be of great benefit to all those he had wronged for so long. By demonstrating that he is willing to be helpful, Eustace is preparing those around him for the transformed Eustace that is coming. Indeed, Eustace could have quite literally ensured the survival of the company of the Dawn Treader. And of course what we find most ironic as readers (though this is not in my summary) is that Reepicheep was Eustace's chief comforter throughout his time as a dragon. His greatest enemy had become his greatest ally.
Of course, this chapter also provides us with the Edmund-as-evangelist moment, which is both a little strange and very fitting, all at the same time. Until Edmund mentions that Eustace has seen Aslan, Eustace doesn't really even know who Aslan is. Here is how Edmund describes Aslan to Eustace:
"He is the great Lion, the son of the Emperor-beyond-the-Sea, who saved me and saved Narnia. We've all seen him. Lucy seems him most often. And it may be Aslan's country we are sailing to" (p. 327).This quote tells us many things. First, I think it's our first real confirmation that Edmund might know something about what Aslan did for him in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Remember, Susan and Lucy have a brief conversation about whether or not Edmund should be told--and they vaguely agree that he probably should be. But--this is the first confirmation (or at least hint) that tells us that he probably has been told.
The quote also confirms to us something that we already know--that Lucy is the one who sees Aslan most often. But this begs the question--why? Is it because she is youngest? That she has the strongest belief? That she is the most pure at heart? We don't know, and I'm not sure we'll ever know.
There is much more here, but for the sake of brevity I will leave it at that for today. This chapter was a great one, and is a very neat demonstration of the culmination of Eustace's change. As the narrator tells us, from this point forward, "the cure had begun" (p. 327) for Eustace.
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