Narnia

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Recommended: The puritans of American literature

Morality is a driving force in many of the most successful literary works. Morality dictates human actions, and in a literary case, allows a reader to relate to a character. C.S. Lewis employs morality throughout the Chronicles of Narnia as a means to rally the reader behind a character. He is able to pull at the heartstrings of his audience and in doing so successfully entices them to celebrate in the children’s victories and scoff at the Witches cruelty.

Lewis did not intend for The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe to attempt to strike at moral standpoints. Lewis stated in an interview, “’I don’t like stories to have a moral: certainly not because I think children dislike a moral. Rather because I feel sure that the question: ‘What do modern children need?’ will not lead you to a good moral”’ (Sadler). However, his use of the innocence of children evokes the essence of purity and good. This purity conflicts with the cruelty and scorn displayed through the White Witches actions, resulting in her becoming an evil figure. The archetype of good vs. evil that writers use throughout literature has proven to be a successful means of striking intrigue in an audience. This combined with the magical setting employed by the mysterious Narnia allows Lewis’ work to be so interesting to readers through decades and generations.

Using the concept of good vs. evil, the children are definitively the good in this tale. They seek to help the struggling Narnians and wish to help Aslan rid Narnia of the White Witches evil. “Then at last Peter realised that it was up to him. He drew his sword and raised it to the salute and hastily saying to the others "Come on. Pull yourselves together," he advanced to the

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...e matures through the story. Upon his arrival in Narnia, he was ill tempered and had a very devilish personality. “…but Edmund could be spiteful, and on this occasion he was spiteful. He sneered and jeered at Lucy and kept on asking her if she'd found any other new countries in other cupboards all over the house” (Lewis 14). He wanted to be a “realistic” thinker, resulting in him thinking adversely from his siblings. This fit him into an “evil” moralistic standpoint. However, after he witnesses the cruelty of the Witch, he realizes that he does not think along the same lines as her and begins to shift moralistic viewpoints. After being saved by Aslan, he realizes that he has acted in a negative way and reverses his decision-making, resulting in his shift to “good”. “Edmund shook hands with each of the others and said to each of them in turn, ‘I'm sorry’ (Lewis 76).

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