The Silver Chair | Chapter 14: The Bottom of the World

Chapter Summary:

The captured gnome introduces himself as Golg. Golg tells Eustace, Jill, Puddleglum, and Prince Rilian that about an hour ago (when the Witch died), an enchantment broke. The gnomes immediately stopped the work that they were doing for the Witch, and at the same time, they could see a huge red glow. The gnomes realized that the huge, red glow was a hole in the earth leading back to their country--to Bism, which was much further beneath the Underworld. 

When Puddleglum points out that it appears that the gnomes are preparing for battle, Golg says that this was because they did not know that the Witch was dead, and they were expecting resistance. Now that they will not have any resistance, there was no need for battle. Prince Rilian also asked about the path toward the tunnel that would lead to the Overworld, and Golg directs them appropriately. 

The party of five then travel toward the chasm in the earth, and Golg announces to everyone that the battle is won, and the Witch is dead. At the chasm, they all peer into the gap and see the gnomes clambering down into their own country again. Golg offers them a chance to visit. Rilian and Eustace are tempted by the adventure, but Puddleglum and Jill will not go. Suddenly, the chasm begins to close. There is a rush to enter the chasm in time, and Golg and all of the other gnomes climb into the hole as it slowly closes. Eventually, the hole closes, and Eustace, Jill, Puddleglum, and Rilian are left alone with their horses.

The party of four then travels along a path lit by lanterns that rises steadily upward. Behind them, the flood continues to rise and eventually engulfs most of the Underworld. Still they travel onward, hopeful that they will find an exit at the end of the tunnel, lest they drown in the ever-approaching flood. As the path becomes a low tunnel, the lanterns suddenly go out. There is a light visible up ahead, and the group runs into a dead end where the light is emanating from.

Reflection:

This is really a unique chapter to the TCON series, and I think it's rather genius what C.S. Lewis has done with this chapter. And it's nothing complicated really, I just think it's awfully clever. Look at the title of the chapter: The Bottom of the World. In this chapter, we (and of course, our characters) get a glimpse into Bism, the location from which the Earthmen/gnomes originate--their homeland. Similar to the Narnian characters that are our protagonists, the Earthmen were taking from their homes and made to go elsewhere. The irony of course is that the Earthmen want nothing more than to go deeper into the earth, whereas our characters would prefer the exact opposite. 

But let's get back on track. The name of this chapter is The Bottom of the World. Well, you'll see a parallel here to the chapter from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. In that novel, the name of the last chapter is The Very End of the World. But unlike the characters in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the characters in this chapter do not actually go to the bottom of the world. They gaze into it, but when Glog invites them on a journey to their country, our four protagonists eventually decline the invitation, despite Prince Rilian's intense cravings to do the exact opposite. As Rilian himself says, "My father went to the world's end ... It would be a marvelous thing if his son went to the bottom of the world" (p. 441). 

But Rilian doesn't go. Instead, the entire chapter is rather an anti-climax, primarily because of the title of the chapter itself. As soon as that chasm opens, our expectation is that our protagonists are headed that way. Why? Because adventure. But that is not to be. So here's what's clever about the whole thing. In the same way that Prince Rilian experiences an anti-climax by being offered a journey to the bottom of the world and then having to pass up the opportunity, the reader also experiences an anti-climax of sorts, expecting a continued adventure to the bottom of the world (as heavily implied by the chapter title), but instead, we are left feeling a little empty as well. Touche, C.S. Lewis! Very clever.