The Chronicles

of Narnia

A PROJECT BY KJERSTI ANDREASSEN

INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH 2011
SYKKYLVEN VGS

How Do The Popular Christian Children’s

Books Relate To Christianity, And How
Should The Modern Secular Reader Treat
Them?
Contents:
PAGE 3: INTRODUCTION

PAGE 3-5: THE REAL CREATOR OF NARNIA

PAGE 5-10: AN INTRODUCTION TO “THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA”

PAGE 10-25: CHARACTERS AND SYMBOLS OF NARNIA AND SURROUNDING

COUNTRIES

PAGE 25-28: “THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA”: A CHRISTIAN ALLEGORY OR

MYTHOLOGICAL PLAYGROUND?

PAGE 28-33: MISOGYNY, ETHNOCENTRISM AND RELIGIOUS OVERTONES:

CRITICISMS AND CONTROVERSIES

PAGE 33-35: CONCLUSION

PAGE 36-43: PROJECT LOG

2
Introduction

“The Chronicles of Narnia”, a series of seven fantasy novels, are some of

the most beloved children’s novels from the 20th century. The series was

written between 1949 and 1954 by C.S. Lewis, and is the author’s best-known

work. Still, the books have received criticism for their overt religious message,

and many have expressed discontentment with the books as a form of

religious propaganda. But how do the books and the message in them really

relate to Christianity? And furthermore, do the religious overtones prevent

them from being enjoyable for secular readers?

The Real Creator of Narnia

In order to understand the Narnia-series it is critical to understand its

creator. C.S. Lewis, or Clive Staples ‘Jack’ Lewis, was a British scholar born in

Belfast in 1889. While a widely read author on many topics, he is especially

well-known for his fictional work which includes his series about Narnia.

Lewis's account of his early years reads like a list of books and people

who shaped his life. The younger of two sons, Lewis was born to parents who

were avid readers. In his autobiography, “Surprised by Joy”, Lewis describes

3
 himself as "a product of long corridors, empty sunlit

rooms, upstair indoor silences, attics explored in

solitude, distant noises of gurgling cisterns and

pipes, and the noise of wind under the tiles. Also, of

endless books." 1

One of the single most important events in Lewis’s life occurred in 1908,

with the death of his mother. In “Surprised by Joy”, he put it this way: “With

my mother's death all settled happiness, all that was tranquil and reliable,

disappeared from my life. There was to be much fun, many pleasures, many

stabs of joy; but no more of the old security.” At the same time, his father

Albert Lewis withdrew and decided to send both him and his brother Warren

to a boarding school in England. Warren later said, "With his uncanny flair

for making the wrong decision, my father had given us helpless children into

the hands of a madman." (In fact, the headmaster of the school was soon after

declared insane and the school closed.) These, along with a heightened

interesting in mythology and the occult, were the main reasons that Lewis

soon abandoned the Christianity his mother had taught him and became an

atheist.

Many years, degrees and a world war later, Lewis moved to Oxford and

began work at Magdalen College. Here he became part of a literary discussion

1 Lewis, C.S; Mariner Books; “Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life”; 1955; page 17
4
group called “The Inklings”. Among the members were Lewis himself, J.R.R.

Tolkien, Charles Williams and Lewis's brother Warren. Several of these

members were Christians, although some were atheist and some

anthroposophists, and some were close friends of Lewis; like his colleague

J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien, along with G.K. Chesterton’s “The Everlasting Man”

and several other books, played a very influential role in the conversion of

“the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England”2, as Lewis described

himself.

After his conversion

to Christianity, C.S. Lewis

became a strong advocate for

Christianity. Notable apologetic

works include “Mere

Christianity”, “Problem of Pain”

and “Miracles”, as well as the

fictional “Screwtape Letters”.

“The Chronicles of Narnia” were

some of the last works he wrote;

the last book in the series—“The Last Battle”—published a mere ten years

before his death in 1963.

2 Lewis, C.S; Mariner Books; “Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life”; 1955; page 28-29
5
An Introduction to “The Chronicles of Narnia”

Each of the books found in the Narnia-series have their own ‘taste’ and

atmosphere. The books have separate plots and characters, to some degree,

but there is still a strong connection between them. Not all of them are set in

Narnia—one is set in the middle of the sea, and some take place in

surrounding nations like Calormen and Archenland—but they are all

interconnected.

The first book, “The Magician’s Nephew”, founds Narnia and describes

its origin; laying a platform for the rest of

“The Chronicles of Narnia” and introducing

readers to some of the main characters. The

story revolves around the children Digory and

Polly, who use magic rings made by Digory’s

magician uncle. The book especially sheds

light on the conflict of “The Lion, The Witch

and The Wardrobe”, as we are introduced to

Aslan—the all-powerful lion creator of Narnia

—and the evil witch Jadis.

The most important book in the series; “The Lion, The Witch and The

Wardrobe”, was written before the other books but is the second book in
6
Narnia’s timeline. The story is about four siblings; Lucy, Edmund, Susan and

Peter Pevensie; who leave London during the Blitz and come to a house in the

countryside. What they don’t

know is that the house belongs

to Digory—the boy from the

first book—and that in the

house is a magical wardrobe.

Lucy, the youngest, stumbles

into it and the others are soon

to follow. From the wardrobe

they are brought into a country during a terrible reign of winter. Here they are

brought face to face with treachery, redemption and the greatest battles of all.

And finally, they are crowned as kings and queens of Narnia.

The third book; “The

Horse and His Boy”, is the

only book not set in Narnia.

It tells the story of a boy

named Shasta and his horse

Bree, who set out on an

exciting journey from the

dreadful land of Calormen

to the safe but bewildering

Narnia. Their trip takes them past scary tombs, dangerous deserts and
7
petrifying mountains, which forces young Shasta to conquer his fears. In the

end, Shasta discovers he is actually the King of Archenland’s lost son, and is

reconciled with his family.

“Prince Caspian”, the fourth book, magically takes the Pevensie-children from

a railroad station to the ruins of their Narnian castle Cair Paravel. But all is

not well in Narnia: the country is torn apart by civil war and invasion, and the

evil Calormene conqueror Miraz keeps the country in an iron fist. With the

help of Aslan and the four Pevensies, it becomes Miraz’ nephew Prince

Caspian’s task to take back the country and restore peace.

“The Voyage of the Dawn

Treader” is the fifth book in the series.

It is a seafaring adventure where the

two youngest Pevensie-children, as

well as their annoying cousin Eustace

and the recent king, King Caspian X,

are the main characters. They are sent

into Narnia through a magical painting

that suddenly becomes alive, and are

rescued by King Caspian’s ship, the Dawn Treader. Together they travel to the

islands to the east of Narnia—the Lone Islands—in order to look for the seven

most trusted friends of King Caspian’s father.

8
 We meet King Caspian X again in the sixth book; “The Silver Chair”.

This time, Caspian’s son Rilan has disappeared, and Eustace and his friend

Jill come to his rescue. They must face stone-throwing giants, huge cannibals

and more, but eventually rescue him from the clench of an evil witch.

The seventh and last book in the series is “The Last Battle”, and is, as

the title suggests, about the last battle of

Narnia. A donkey and an ape try to

deceive the people of Narnia (and

Calormen) by putting on a lion’s skin

and telling them that Aslan and the

terrible Calormene deity Tash are

essentially the same. In this book all the

English children who had been to Narnia

returned—Digory and Polly; Peter,

Susan, Edmund, and Lucy; Eustace and

Jill. Without knowing it they were sent to

Narnia after dying in a train crash, and so when Narnia ceases to exist the

children receive eternal life in Aslan’s Country (though perhaps more

accurately called the Christian ‘Heaven’ as portrayed by Plato)—along with

their parents and all the other Narnians.

9
Characters and Symbols of Narnia and Surrounding Countries

Compared to other fantasy books, the character gallery found in Narnia

is quite typical, yet very atypical. You find boys (sons of Adam) and girls

(daughters of Eve), animals (both the ‘speaking’ and ‘mute’ kinds) and

mythological beings that are something of a mix; part animal and part

human. However, the most interesting part of Narnian characters, as

compared to those in other fantasy works, is their symbolic properties.

Nearly every character in “The Chronicles of Narnia” is a symbol, and

nearly all symbols are characters. Therefore, in order to understand the

religious properties of the series, it is important to study the individual

characters. Some are good, some bad and some a little of both.

Some of the first and most important characters we meet in the series

are the Pevensies from “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”. They are four

children with four personalities, four personal timelines and four different

ways of relating to a world of good and evil.

The oldest of the children is Peter. He is a loyal and devoted big

brother who tries his best to protect his siblings and to act like a responsible

young adult. Peter is mature—more so than his siblings—as he was the one to

support his three siblings through their father going away to war. The
10
character of Peter is a parallell to Saint Peter,

one of Christ’s disciples and the first church

leader in history. This grandeur and

greatness is reflected in his formal title; King

Peter the Magnificent.

Susan is the oldest of the two sisters,

but second in line after Peter. She is bold,

adventurous and very beautiful. Susan is also the sensible one, and always

strives to be more mature and more like the adults of her world. This vanity

eventually becomes her downfall. In the last book readers learn that Susan

isn’t entering Heaven with them, as she is interested in “nothing nowadays

except nylons and lipstick and invitations.”3 Susan is frightened that people

will think her silly for believing in Narnia, and soon stops believing in it

entirely. C.S. Lewis has faced much criticism for the way he portrayed Susan

(and in the end gave her eternal damnation for her choices). JK Rowling

stated in an interview that "There comes a point where Susan, who was the

older girl, is lost to Narnia because she becomes interested in lipstick. She's

become irreligious basically because she found sex. I have a big problem with

that." However, as this paper will later show, Lewis never meant to say that

sex was evil or that sensibility was a vice (rather on the contrary), but rather

made her outward actions reflect an attitude that is vain, conceited and
3Lewis, C.S.; “The Chronicles of Narnia”; Harper Entertainment (An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers);
2008; page 761
11
prideful. Susan becomes Queen Susan the Gentle, and quite rightfully so—she

is the mother-figure who always tries to make everyone comfortable and safe.

Edmund, or Ed, is the youngest brother. Edmund first steps into Narnia

together with Lucy, where he meets the White Witch. She tempts him to come

to her castle, and he ends up betraying his brother and sisters, as well as all of

Narnia,—for enchanted sweets. He is soon rescued, but not without a claim on

his life: He has broken the law, and must die. However, Aslan—the High King

of Narnia—takes the punishment on himself and Edmund is forgiven. Soon,

Edmund is crowned King Edmund the just: he has now learned the price of

justice and can be trusted to act and judge fairly. Also, Edmund initially feels

that Peter treats him like a child, and is quite insecure and immature at times.

But soon he learns to be the bigger person, and shows great courage and

strength. Edmund goes from being a cowardous and immature boy to

becoming a true King of Narnia.

Lucy is the youngest of the four children. She is sensitive, innocent and

compassionate, but also very brave. She is the first to find Narnia and the first

to see Aslan, and is very close to him. In cases where the other children think

Aslan is far away, Lucy knows he is close by. In many ways, Lucy is the real

hero of the story and unquestionably the most prominent and morally mature

character in the narrator’s eyes. She is not without fault, however, and has her

own battles with insecurity as her older sister is smarter, more beautiful and
12
more mature, and the one everyone admires. But Lucy overcomes, unlike her

sister who gives in to her own vanity. She is crowned Queen Lucy the Valiant,

as she is the only one who dares to trust Aslan completely. In Narnia, bravery

does not mean foolishly risking your life, but rather admitting you cannot win

battles in your own strength—yet still doing your best.

Eustace Scrubb is the Pevensies's cousin, and a rather intolerable lad.

The author puts it this way, in what has become

one of the most beloved opening lines ever

written: “There was a boy called Eustace Clarence

Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.”4 We first meet

Eustace in “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”;

where he, Lucy and Edmund are taken to Narnia

through a magical painting in his house. Eustace

acts like a spoiled brat for most of his first trip to

Narnia, asking for a British consul in the middle of Narnia and showing grave

disrespect to the King and his men. However, on Dragon Island Eustace

discovers an enchanted treasure and is turned into a dragon. This experience,

and the way his cousins and the other Narnians treat him, leads to a total

transformation of character. Eustace now becomes more humble, and starts

enjoying Narnia like the others.

4 Lewis, C.S.; “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”; Harper Collins; 1980; page 3
13
 Jill Pole is a less important character, but significant nonetheless. Not

much is known about her. She and Eustace attend the same school—

Experiment House—a school experimenting with progressive pedagogy,

which includes an eradication of discipline. She was thus, like many others,

bullied at her school by a group of mean children referred to as Them, and if

she needed to cry she would take refuge behind the gym. It is here Eustace

finds her at the beginning of “The Silver Chair”. Jill has a more incremental

change of character than Eustace, but she still goes from being someone who

is miserable in the modern world to doing fantastic things in Narnia. At the

end of “The Silver Chair”, Aslan and Caspian come back to England with

Eustace and Jill to chasten the bullies and give the school the upheaval it

needs. Jill's experiences in Narnia make her much better able to contend with

the adversities that face her, including apparently overcoming her

claustrophobia, and she and Eustace remain close friends during the time

prior to their return to Narnia in “The Last Battle”.

Digory Kirke, or Professor Kirke, is another returning figure in the

books. As a child, Digory is present at the creation of Narnia, where Aslan

sings the world into being with notes “deep enough to be the voice of the earth

herself” and evil enters it. We meet him again in the second book; “The Lion

the Witch and The Wardrobe”, where he has become a sharp white-haired

logician. He has not, however, abandoned the child in him, but rather uses

logic to protect it. In the two books Professor Kirke participates, he is a

14
supportive character who encourages the children to explore Narnia and acts

as a wise protector while they do. It might also be interesting that his name is

derived from a middle English word for “church”. This parallel shows that

Lewis considered the church to

be the utmost upholder of

reason. Digory Kirke is very

much a symbol of the author,

and both his childhood and

adult life reflect Lewis’s own

life: For instance, the two

professors were born only a year

apart; the author in 1889 and Professor Kirke in 1888. Also, in “The

Magician’s Nephew”, Digory’s mother is dying—just like Lewis’s mother did

when the author was ten. When he is older, it is evident that Professor Kirke

“borrows” some of his logic from Lewis: After Lucy first walks into Narnia and

tells the other children about it, they disbelieve her, causing her to run into

the Professor crying. He asks the oldest siblings; “How do you know that your

sister's story is not true?”5 He then explains that there are only three logical

possibilities: either Lucy is lying, she has gone mad, or she is telling the truth

(and since she is prone to neither of the first two, one must logically assume

she is being truthful). This is a style of argumentation Lewis is famous for, in

particular in regard to the death and resurrection of Christ, and it goes under

5 Lewis, C.S.; “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe”; First Collier Books Edition; 1970; page 43
15
the name of “Lewis’s Trilemma”6. Finally, Professor Kirke has an elderly

housekeeper who is very reminiscent of Janie Moore; an elderly woman Lewis

lived with during his Oxford years. You find professor Kirke in the shadows

making sure that all is well; like a writer looking through the pages of his

novel altering its course where need be.

Most Narnians, or citizens of Narnia, are mythological creatures. This

includes fauns, centaurs, dwarves, dryads, speaking beavers and sword-

fighting mice. Forests, fields, lakes and mountains are filled with magical

creatures, bonfires that mysteriously light up during summer nights and

sounds swirling through the air like in a dream. Everything in Narnia is

magical—and every living thing is very alive.

One of these characters, one that “The Lion, The Witch and The

Wardrobe” lends particular focus to, is the faun Tumnus. Fauns are an

element from Greco-Roman mythology, otherwise known as Pan or Faunus.

We first meet Mr. Tumnus on his way through a wintery forest, where he and

Lucy run into each other (or, technically, come close enough to see each other

and are so spooked they run in opposite directions). He invites Lucy in for a

cup of tea, and then tries to kidnap her and turn her in to the White Witch.

6 “Lewis’s trilemma”; Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis%27s_trilemma; April 24, 2011, 7:50pm

16
However; his conscience, as

well as the memories of his

father, who died for Narnia,

makes him change his mind

and rescue Lucy. But it is now

too late, as they are already

seen, and Tumnus is soon

imprisoned and turned into one of the White Witch’s stone statues. Mr.

Tumnus, as well as the other Narnians, is Lewis’s Narnian version of a ‘proper

Christian’: Tumnus is imperfect and makes mistakes, but changes his ways.

Tumnus then joins Aslan’s army, to find that Aslan has forgiven and accepted

him.

Another very significant and endearing Narnian is Reepicheep, a talking

mouse. He carries a rapier and wears a red plume tucked in his golden circlet.

Despite his feeble size he is an experienced warrior, utterly fearless and

faultlessly courteous, particularly to noble ladies. He is also disputatious and

quick to defend his honor from witticisms and crude remarks. Reepicheep is a

very Quixotic figure; endlessly noble and courtly.

The most important character in the Narnia books, the character

everything else revolves around in one way or another—the very symbol of

goodness—is Aslan. Aslan is a lion, and the most powerful figure in all the
17
Narnian world. He is the high king, he is the epitome of both mercy and

justice, he is mystical and wild—and he is good.

When the four Pevensie-children first hear Aslan’s name, they

immediately experience powerful sensations they cannot understand. Peter,

Susan and Lucy experience an inexplicable delight, but Edmund, who has just

betrayed his siblings, is mysteriously horrified. As the children learn more

about Aslan, the mysticism surrounding his name grows and they are drawn

to him without really knowing why. Aslan is the saviour-figure who makes all

wrongs right. He is awe-inspiring and a little frightening, yet unquestionably

benevolent and kind. In all of Narnia his power is unmatchable and his

goodness unlimited. Like one of the Narnians, Mr Beaver, says toward the

end of “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe”; “Safe? Who said anything

about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.” 7 We

see this again in “The Horse and His Boy”, where Aslan acts on what is best

for the main characters, and not at all what the want. In the resolution of the

book, when Shasta talks about how many lions he met on his trip to Narnia,

Aslan says “I was the lion.” And as Shasta gaped with open mouth and said

nothing, the Voice continued. “I was the lion who forced you to join with

Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was

the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who

gave the Horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should

7 Lewis, C.S.; “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe”; First Collier Books Edition; 1970; page 75-76
18
reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who

pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore

where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you.” 8 It is made clear that

Aslan does not always do what others want him to do, but always does what is

best for them.

Furthermore, Aslan is a very clear symbol of Jesus Christ as he is found

in the Christian religion. Perhaps the most specific example of this parallel is

the event in ”The Lion, The Witch and The

Wardrobe” where Aslan gives his life for the

traitor Edmund, and comes back to life the

next day—a clear allusion to the biblical

story of Christ's death and resurrection.

Aslan is the savior and the Stone Table the

cross on which he dies. The next morning,

Aslan meets Susan and Lucy, like Jesus met

the women on the day of the resurrection9.

Also, ‘Aslan’ is a Turkish word for ‘lion’, and in The Bible one finds Jesus

referred to as ‘the Lion of Judah’10. Aslan is the son of the Emperor-Beyond-

The-Sea; representing the Father in the Christian Trinity. He, or they, live

8Lewis, C.S.; “The Chronicles of Narnia”; Harper Entertainment (An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers);
2008; page 281
9 Luke 24:1-12
10 John 19:17-18, Luke 23:32-3
19
beyond the ocean, in ‘Aslan’s Country’ (another word for the ‘Heaven’ of the

Christian tradition—although the place carries more similarities to Platonic

thought than it does to Biblical metaphors). Aslan even tells the children

themselves about his dual identity in “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”. The

youngest children have to leave Narnia for good, and tell Aslan how much

they’ll miss him. Aslan replies; “There I have another name. You must learn

to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to

Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.” 11

The parallel between Aslan and Christ could not be much more obvious.

Narnia is sustained and upheld by something called ‘Deep Magic’; a

supernatural (in the true sense of the word) law that is before, above, under,

inside and beyond everything else; even time itself. If it is broken, all of

Narnia will perish in fire and water. It is not focused on a great deal, apart

from in “The Lion, The With and the Wardrobe” where the White Witch uses

Deep Magic to demand the traitor Edmund be killed. However, Aslan

mentions that there is an even deeper magic at work, which says that when

someone who is completely innocent is killed instead of a traitor, death itself

will start working backwards and the stone table (representing deep magic).

This is could be seen as a parallel to Christianity’s idea of a universal law

demanding the death of all transgressors12, and that demand being satisfied

Lewis, C.S.; “The Chronicles of Narnia”; Harper Entertainment (An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers);
11

2008; page 541

12 Romans 6:23
20
through Aslan’s death—much like paying a ransom13 . The difference between

the two magics is not something that applies well to Lewis’s thoughts about

this world, but the idea of a moral law that governs everything is one of his

strongest arguments for theism, and the chief reason for Christ’s supposed

death and resurrection. Therefore it seems that Aslan is the fulfillment of

Deep Magic in the same way as Christ is portrayed as the fulfillment of the

Jewish law.14

Another symbol, and mythological character, who deserves mention in

this context is—to everyone’s surprise—Father Christmas. Father Christmas

only appears once, yet his gifts affect the entire story. Right as spring arrives

in Narnia, because of Aslan’s arrival, he meets the Pevensies and gives them

each a magic gift: sword and shield for Peter; bow and arrows, and a horn, for

Susan; and a bottle of healing cordial, and a small dagger, for Lucy. Edmund

didn’t receive a gift, as he was ‘socializing’ with the White Witch (i.e. confined

to her prison) at the time. Each gift fits their personalities, with Peter being

the brave warrior, Susan the mature one with perspective and Lucy the

compassionate girl with a heart the size of a small country. In this way, Father

Christmas is a symbol of the Holy Spirit in the Christian trinity. Thus, you

have Aslan as the son, Christ; The Emperor-Across-The Sea, another name

13 1 Timothy 2:3-6
14 Matthew 5:17
21
for God the Father and Father Christmas representing the Holy Spirit. These

three figures are the main symbols of goodness in Narnia.

Evil, like goodness, is portrayed in a number of different ways. The

clearest personification of evil is The White Witch, or Jadis. Jadis is half-

giant and half-jinn, and therefore is terrible, beautiful, and very tall. She

comes from the world of Charn, an old and dying world where everything was

very magical; where sorcerers and sorceresses were everywhere and flying

carpets were common means of transportation. (Here, Lewis has stolen from

several other writers and works—most

notably George MacDonald’s “Lilith”, in

which Jadis’s sister is a character.)15

Jadis follows Digory and Polly into

Narnia after they wake her up from a

deep sleep and her own world dies. She

then eventually takes power of Narnia, and by the time the Pevensie-children

arrive Narnia has been held in a century-long winter under her rule. Her grip

around Narnia is one of iron, reminiscent of that in a communist dictatorship.

Jadis is pure evil—manipulative, deceiving and unable of doing good. In fact,

Jadis is the Narnian version of the devil.

15 “Lilith (novel)”; Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilith_(novel); May 1, 2011, 11:40pm

22
 The second way that evil is portrayed is through the Calormene god

Tash. Tash is depicted as having many arms and a bird-like appearance.

Tash's religion is the only formal religion found in the Narnia-universe and he

is the only being referred to by characters as a god. The books mention

temples built in honour of Tash, and Calormenes are regularly seen using

ritual phrases like 'Tash the inexorable, the irresistible' and 'Tash preserve

us'. Rather than being worshipped lovingly, like Aslan, Tash is feared by his

followers and regarded as cruel, terrible and monstrous. If Jadis is the devil,

Tash is an idol. It is stated that he has his own country, like Aslan. A

murderous beast that matched the description of the god Tash is also present

at the Battle of Stable Hill (even though it is never explicitly stated that it is

Tash, or that Tash is real). The very word “Tash” means “stone” in Turkish,

just like “Aslan” means “lion”. The contrast between the two reflects the

concept of the Judeo-Christian deity being the only living god.16 A god of

Calormen—a country much like Turkey—it is natural that Tash be seen as a

parallel to Allah as presented in the Muslim faith.

With characters, symbols and plots that match the Christian gospel so

closely, it is obvious that the main message in “The Chronicles of Narnia” is

Christianity. The values found in Narnia are therefore largely the same as the

virtues of C.S. Lewis’s own theology—a conglomerate of courage, humility,

redemption, discipline, justice, trust, forgiveness, joy and adventure. Courage

16 Deuteronomy 4:35
23
and valiance are particularly pointed at, as they are characteristics needed for

every challenge the characters are

presented with. C.S. Lewis wrote

for an audience that had just lived

through a world war, and he

himself fought in one. Therefore it

is difficult to know whether the

battles of Narnia were more

influenced by current times or the writer’s own experience—and perhaps a

little of both. Either way, with the immediate popularity of the series, it seems

readers could relate to it.

“The Chronicles of Narnia”: A Christian Allegory or Mythological

Playground?

Some of the main criticism which “The Chronicles of Narnia” have faced

pivots on the point of Lewis having set out to write a Christian allegory. While

there is great merit to that chain of thought—namely that there is a strong

Christian element in the story—it is categorically false and easily disprovable.

Lewis, himself a professor in English Medieval literature, had a very strict

definition of ‘allegory’. In his definition, an allegory is a symbol or figurative

representation of a deeper, typically abstract, idea. Lewis himself stated that

“if Aslan represented the immaterial Deity, he would be an allegorical figure.

24
In reality however he is an invention giving an imaginary answer to the

question, ‘What might Christ become like if there really were a world like

Narnia and He chose to be incarnate and die and rise again in that world as

He actually has done in ours?’ This is not allegory at all.” 17 Lewis did not see

himself writing an allegory, along the lines of Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress”,

but rather a supposition.

One of the more interesting feats in “The Chronicles of Narnia”, and

something a number of Christians have been offended by, is the author’s use

of mythological symbols and creatures. He takes features from Roman, Greek,

Arabic, Norse and English mythology, as well as Judeo-Christian symbols and

symbols driven from popular Western metaphors, and mixes them together in

a new setting. Lewis loved myths and stories all his life, and held several

degrees in the subject. But why did he include them in Narnia, and more

importantly, why did he mix them? Perhaps Lewis himself can shed some

light on the subject. In his apologetic work “Mere Christianity”, he says the

following: “He sent the human race what I call good dreams: I mean those

queer stories scattered all through the heathen religions about a god who dies

and comes to life again and, by his death, has somehow given new life to

men.”18 Based on this, it is evident that Lewis sees myths as strands of truth,

spread across history, acting like pointers to what he considers the greatest

17 Root, Jerry; Martindale, Wayne; Tyndale House Publishers; “The Quotable Lewis”; 1990; page 59
18 Lewis, C. S.; “Mere Christianity”; HarperCollins 2001; page 50
25
story of all; the Christian Gospel. In that context it makes perfect sense to

blend various mythologies, different as they may be, as they each shed light

on the greater tale—the same tale “The Chronicles of Narnia” tries to tell. It

almost seems the Narnia-universe is something like C.S. Lewis’s sand box of

how mythology can reflect ideas from orthodox Christianity.

Considering what he said about allegory and mythology, it does indeed

seem that C.S. Lewis intended to retell The Bible, or certainly many central

values and stories from it, in a different context. This would not be the first

time he created a dramatic piece in order to make the public see Christian

doctrine from a different angle, with books like the “Screwtape Letters”19 and

the “Space Trilogy”20. In this line of reasoning, “The Magician's Nephew” is a

parallel to Genesis, and retells a classic creation myth as well as explain how

evil entered Narnia. “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” tells the story of

the crucifixion and resurrection from the Gospels. “Prince Caspian” is about

the restoration of the true religion after corruption, and could be seen as a

parallel to the story of King David in the Old Testament. “The Horse and His

Boy”, the only book that is set outside Narnia, is a representation of how

Lewis thinks those outside the Christian tradition and upbringing can be

redeemed and go to heaven. These ideas are found in the letters of Paul in the

19“The Screwtape Letters” is a satirical Christian novel, written in the form of letters between a senior demon
and his nephew, so as to advise him on securing the damnation of an English man.
20The “Space Trilogy” (or the “Cosmic Trilogy” or “Ransom Trilogy”) is a series of three science fiction novels
written by C.S. Lewis before “The Chronicles of Narnia”. The books are “Out of the Silent Planet”,
“Perelandra” and “That Hideous Strength”.
26
New Testament, especially Galatians. “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” is

about virtue, moral character and how one should live (and can thus be

viewed as a dramatic rendering of the Pauline letters) and “The Silver Chair”

revolves around the ongoing war

with the powers of darkness, a

recurring theme throughout both

“The Chronicles of Narnia” and the

Bible. Finally; “The Last Battle” is

the Narnian version of Revelation;

with the coming of the Antichrist,

the end of the world and the last

judgement.21 In this respect, the most central story is that in “The Lion, the

Witch and the Wardrobe”, with “The Magician’s Nephew” and “The Last

Battle” signifying the beginning and the end of Narnia itself—just like the

Gospels are the most central part of the Bible, and Genesis and Revelation

pertain to the creation and downfall of our world. Together, the books make

up most of what Christianity entails. All these factors put together, “The

Chronicles of Narnia” clearly seems an attempt to educate children about

Christianity—in a way, a literary Sunday School, only more exciting.

21This ‘list’ is elaborated upon from a list Lewis wrote in a letter to a young fan named Anne Jenkins. (More
information on the letter is found in “CS Lewis letter tells tales of Narnia”; BBC; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/
uk_news/northern_ireland/5078462.stm; April 21, 2011.)
27
Misogyny, Ethnocentrism and Religious Overtones: Criticisms and

Controversies

There is little doubt that “The Chronicles of Narnia” have faced much

criticism, both from contemporary and later writers. There are a number of

reasons for this, but the main factor seems to be religion. Considering the

explicitly religious overtones of Narnia, it is not difficult to see why atheist

and agnostics object to it. Especially in an age of postmodernism like today’s,

where authority and moral absolutism are questioned, such resentment is

inevitable. One opponent—fantasy writer and atheist Philip Pullman—has

been especially vocal, and has even been quoted as saying “I hate the Narnia

books...with a passion.” He even wrote a children’s book reminiscent of “The

Chronicles of Narnia”, except with the message that God is an evil

mastermind controlling the earth—quite a different message from that of

Lewis.

Yet interestingly, not all the criticism is due to a postmodern mindset or

antiauthoritarian philosophies. One of the books’ early opponents was Lewis’s

colleague and close friend J.R.R. Tolkien; the author of “The Lord of the

Rings”. He said “It is sad that 'Narnia' and all that part of C.S.L.'s work should

remain outside the range of my sympathy, as much of my work was outside

his.” Tolkien was also a professor, and one who delved much further into the

worlds he created. In particular, Tolkien felt that Lewis should not have
28
mixed various mythologies the way he did, as fantasy worlds worked best

when their mythologies were self-enclosed. Tolkien argued that encountering

figures from different traditions in the same story would break the spell of the

fairy tale. This disagreement might well have contributed to the gradual

withering of their friendship which occurred when Lewis—a middle-aged

bachelor—married Joy Gresham. A married man, Lewis could understandably

not spend so much time discussing literature and drinking beer at the local

pub, and Tolkien did not appreciate it. In fact, largely because of these factors,

their friendship became staler and gradually withered.

Another interesting feat in this respect is the fact that many Christians,

in particular modern evangelicals, take offense with the mythological nature

of the series. They feel that Lewis’s approach to mythology and pagan

philosophy is unorthodox and heretical. Claims that “Lewis believed in the

power and use of spells” and “Narnia is inhabited (…) by mythological

creatures (…) from pagan cults of demonic idolatry”22 appear more frequently

than one might think. This criticism is also frequently raised regarding J.K.

Rowling’s “Harry Potter” and J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” series,

two works often compared to “The Chronicles of Narnia”. However, this

seems to be criticism spoken mainly by those unfamiliar with Lewis’s (and

Tolkien’s) views on mythology as a source of truth. It also hardly represents

the views of most educated, mainstream Christians.

22Sorenson, David; Heaven Is Open.com; “Narnia: divine or demonic?” http://www.heavenisopen.com/
narnia.html; 2008
29
 There are in particular two areas of criticism that do not revolve around

religion—namely racism and sexism. The controversy around racism is based

mainly on the way Calormen is presented, and the controversy around sexism

based on the character of Susan and her fate. However, while racial- and

gender equality and are both good and upstanding things to defend, the

validity of the claims against the books is questionable.

The charges of racism against the books are largely accusations that

Lewis depicted the Middle-East and its religions unfairly. This was done by

writing about a country (Calormen) with some similarities to the region and

making it a terrible and evil place. Newspaper editor Kyrie O’Connor says in

an article that “you don't have to be a bluestocking of political correctness to

find some of this fantasy anti-Arab, or anti-Eastern or anti-Ottoman” and that

“there are moments you'd like to stuff this story back into its closet.” 23

However, is Calormen really such a controversial literary feat? First, one must

always remember that in stories like this, nothing is really the way it really is

in our world—despite large similarities. The real world is not flat or black-

and-white, but Narnia and the surrounding countries are not necessarily

reflections of those in the real world. Furthermore, all differences and

disagreements are amplified and accentuated to make the world easier for

23O’Connor, Kyrie; Seattle Post Intelligencer (Hearst Newspapers); “Lewis’ Prejudices Tarnish Fifth ‘Narnia’
book”; http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/Lewis-prejudices-tarnish-fifth-Narnia-book-1188939.php;
December 2, 2005
30
children to understand. Narnia and the surrounding countries is not a direct

reflection of our world, but rather a world created for children, with heroes

and villains and good and bad. Still, O’Connor has a point, especially when

she says that Lewis “was writing in a time when educated Brits were hardly

horrified by stereotypical depictions of viziers and Saracens and dark-

faced slavers.” 24 Lewis wrote to an audience that was very different from

today—a society with a great deal of social conservatism, intellectual

ethnocentrism and post-war nationalism. It is also important to note that

Lewis was not himself a racist, as reflected in his choice to let a Calormene

soldier go to heaven. All of these are factors to consider when asking whether

the books display racist tendencies or not.

The second controversy,

regarding sexism and misogyny, seems

one with substantially less substance.

In the books, Susan is the only one of

the siblings who do not join their

parents in ‘Heaven’, and one of the

other girls says “She's interested in

nothing nowadays except nylons and

lipstick and invitations. She always was

24O’Connor, Kyrie; Seattle Post Intelligencer (Hearst Newspapers); “Lewis’ Prejudices Tarnish Fifth ‘Narnia’
book”; http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/Lewis-prejudices-tarnish-fifth-Narnia-book-1188939.php;
December 2, 2005
31
a jolly sight too keen on being grown-up.” Critic Philip Pullman comments

that “Susan, like Cinderella, is undergoing a transition from one phase of her

life to another. Lewis didn't approve of that. He didn't like women in general,

or sexuality at all, at least at the stage in his life when he wrote the Narnia

books. He was frightened and appalled at the notion of wanting to grow up.” 25

However, this hardly seems a fair criticism. In an essay about how to write

children’s books, Lewis says: “To be concerned about being grown up, to

admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being

childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. (…) But to

carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being

adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy

tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so.

Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away

childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very

grown up.”26 According to this chain of thought, Susan was not too grown-up

but rather too childish, worrying about how grown-up she was. And besides,

Lucy—a girl—might well be the biggest hero in all the books, and Jill Pole also

becomes a very prominent female figure. However unlike Susan, they never

reject play and adventure. The love of magic, excitement and adventure that

Susan abandons is actually one of the most essential values in the entire

series. One must therefore draw the conclusion that what Lewis disliked

25Pullman, Philip; The Cumberland River Lamppost; “The Darkside of Narnia”; http://www.crlamppost.org/
darkside.htm; September 2, 2001
26 Lewis, C.S.; Oxford University Press; “On Three Ways of Writing for Children”; 1952; page 3
32
about Susan was not her gender. Bringing forth claims of sexism simply

shows one has not understood the very essence of the books.

One might rightfully think that Lewis wrote a series for children to help

them understand Christianity. However, this is not all the books are, nor does

it mean they can’t be enjoyed. As always when reading about criticisms, one

must keep the target group—in this case

children—in mind. And this is where the

fault lines become evident. Children are

very rarely bothered by the books, their

critics are nearly always adults. Frankly, it

seems that while much of the criticism

against “The Chronicles of Narnia” is valid,

plenty is based on misunderstandings and malice. Most children understand

what being “too grown up” means, and it is therefore unlikely that many

would take offense at it. And even fewer children would take offense at the

mixed mythologies or the element of magic on their own. In fact, most

children love the books because of, not despite, the sense of magic and the

appreciation of children. The only ‘real’ problem the books face in today’s

context is their Christian overtones. While it is important to note that these

books are far from “neutral”, could it be that their quality should be

determined by the readers and not merely naysayers and critics?

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Conclusion

It is difficult, nay, impossible, to judge how others should treat or view a

literary work. This is especially the case for “The Chronicles of Narnia”, where

both a positive and negative answer will be considered politically incorrect.

Perhaps critics are right when they say the books should not be as popular as

they are, considering their overt message. Or perhaps fans have a point when

they claim the books bring forth positive values like chivalry, heroism and

virtue, and that for secular readers the Christianity in them is easily ignored.

Some claim this is a false dichotomy; that it is possible to maintain a liberal

worldview and love Narnia. Yet, this conclusion, however tolerant and

accepting, is still incomplete. For an atheist who grew up in a fundamentalist,

conservative Christian family, the message in “The Chronicles of Narnia” will

probably be very difficult to swallow. However, a secular agnostic without

much knowledge of Christianity might not even notice the influence. This is

why it is so difficult to judge whether people should read “The Chronicles of

Narnia” as a children’s book—not because the books are poorly written, or

because they have little literary value, but because people react differently to

them depending on their own perspectives and experiences. Really, as it turns

out, it all depends on the reader’s relation to Christianity.

Still, one option remains. Today, the books are known primarily as children’s

literature, and treated as such by secular and religious media alike. In both
34
places, this usually leads to a disclaimer of the books’ religious content, and

more often than not they are falsely given the label “Christian allegory”. There

is a simple way to solve this: To treat the books as they were intended to.

Lewis never expected the books to acquire such massive success, having only

had moderate success prior to writing the series. And Lewis certainly never

treated them as anything else than they were; a Christian supposition. So why

is it impossible to treat the books not as Dickens’s “Oliver Twist” or Defoe’s

“Robinson Crusoe” but as Milton’s “Paradise Lost” or Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s

Progress”? Could one not treat “The Chronicles of Narnia” as Christian

classics? The answer to this is yes. And, frankly, this is probably the most

honest approach—for all parties involved. That way, critics are given less

reason for agitation and annoyance while fans of the books can still enjoy

them. It is important to remember that the religious influence in the books

say nothing of their literary quality—it does not make them inherently bad

nor inherently good. It is also important to remember the many people who

have read “The Chronicles of Narnia” and fallen in love with them, regardless

of religion. They are proof that it is possible to ignore the controversial bits

and still love the books. And finally, each person must choose how he or she

will choose to read it, and whether they enjoy it or not. Either way, “The

Chronicles of Narnia” will continue to bewilder children of all age groups for

years to come.

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