Christianity In The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe

It is through living a life filled with change and experience that Clive Staples Lewis was able to confidently proclaim, “Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a fire” (Quotable 223)? Without the events that led C.S. Lewis to this mindset, his famed novels would probably be nonexistent. The various aspects of Lewis’s life inspiring his works are especially prominent in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, an installment in his series The Chronicles of Narnia. These occurrences allowed Lewis to learn, mature, and grow as a person. Additionally, Lewis was able to draw from these experiences as vast inspiration for unique ideas and themes. An imaginative and free-thinking childhood, a collaborative friendship

with J.R.R. Tolkien, and a conversion to Christianity all influenced C.S. Lewis in writing The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
Childhood is a time to let imagination run free and to come up with “out-of-this-world” ideas. Lewis himself describes “I am a product of long corridors, empty sunlit rooms, upstairs indoor silences, attics explored in solitude . . . Also, of endless books” (Quotable 89). Growing up, Lewis and his brother, Warren, were constantly making up extravagant, fantastical stories. Reported in Novels for Students, in Lewis’s childhood home, nicknamed Little Lea, stood a black oak wardrobe constructed by Lewis's grandfather. Often, Lewis, Warren, and their cousin would climb into the pitch-black wardrobe to listen to Lewis's stories (“Lion” 152). Being of a child of two educated parents certainly aided in his childhood learning experience. According to Notable British Novelists, Lewis’s father was a lawyer and his mother was a writer and mathematician (“C.S. Lewis” 592). In addition, an endless home library and a freethinking childhood provided Lewis with the imagination to create his own stories.
Lewis’s imaginative childhood is directly evidenced in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Specifically, Lewis’s tale-telling adventures in the wardrobe his grandfather made directly mirror the land that Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy discover in the novel. Lucy is trying to hide in the wardrobe “but instead of feeling the hard, smooth wood of the floor of the wardrobe, she felt something soft and powdery and extremely cold” (Lewis 8). Both the fictional characters and the author sought creativity and excitement through their respective wardrobes. Additionally, Lewis grew up with much freedom in an expansive home. Due to few limitations, Lewis’s imagination prospered. One of the children, Peter, remarks “I tell you this is the sort of house where no one’s going to mind what we do” (Lewis 4). Furthermore, “it was the sort of house that you never seem to come to the end of, and it was full of unexpected places” (Lewis 6). In the novel, the four children are sent to live with an old professor during the air strikes of World War II. Without parents watching over their every move, the children have seemingly endless time to explore and the many empty rooms and corridors of the professor’s house without fear of being reprimanded. It is through this exploration that the children feast their imagination within the wardrobe. Drawing from his own experience, Lewis created a free-thinking, innovative environment for the children. Combined with some guidance from his colleague, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lewis transformed his inventive ideas into successful masterpieces.
J.R.R. Tolkien influenced both Lewis's writing and his lifestyle. The Inklings, a group of men including Lewis and Tolkien, met often and all helped each other in writing their material. However, Lewis and Tolkien also gathered on separate occasions to form a more influential companionship. Noted in Literary Companion: Readings on J. R. R. Tolkien, both authors used obtrusive narration and the “rhetoric of childhood” (27, 34-35). Using these techniques allowed the authors to speak directly to the characters or the readers in order to provide guidance in the story. Additionally, as reported in Modern Critical Views: J. R. R. Tolkien, both authors were unique for their simultaneous use and blending of science fiction with both philosophical and fantastical elements. These men were some of the first to successfully integrate philosophy and fantasy within a work (151). In addition, Lewis’s friendship with Tolkien showed in Lewis’s lifestyle choices. With Tolkien’s assistance and encouragement, C.S. Lewis expanded his writing repertoire and created his own voice.
A close friend of Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien’s influence is prevalent in Lewis’s work. Both were fond of obtrusive narration as it allowed them to guide their characters or speak directly to the reader. For example, “I hope no one who reads this book has been quite as miserable as Susan and Lucy were that night; but if you have been . . . “ (Lewis 158). In this reference, Lewis takes a break from telling the story to speak directly to the reader. Through this technique Lewis tries to make a connection or reach out to the reader so that they can relate to the characters. This adds believability and intimacy to the novel. Obtrusive narration is again evidenced in “this lasted longer than I could describe even if I wrote pages and pages about it. But I will skip on” (Lewis 114). Through collaborating with Tolkien, Lewis was able to perfect obtrusive narration and it became a unique part of his individual style. Furthermore, both integrated philosophical and fantastical elements within a work. This is presented in the novel through the fantastical Narnia combined with the philosophical questions of God and Jesus represented by Aslan. The theme or question of Christianity was influenced by Tolkien, who helped Lewis to convert from atheism to Christianity at the age of thirty-two.
After undergoing this spiritual transformation, C.S. Lewis wanted to share the gift of God with the world. However, Charles Moorman notes in Contemporary Literary Criticisms that Lewis wanted to complete this feat in an unforced and subtle way. His goal was to present Christianity from a non-Christian point of view. Furthermore, he aspired to lure people back to the Church and away from laboratories and science (324). Due to his religion, the power of good versus the power of evil was an extremely prevalent theme and focus in Lewis’s works according to Kathryn Ann Lindskoog. Lewis was also fond of the Christian idea that good, or Christ, always triumphs over evil (263). In 1 John 1:9, Jesus’ death grants forgiveness to the rest of the world, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (NIV). Similarly, Lewis often incorporated the idea that the “fall of man” ultimately brings good to others in his novels. It is this idea of self-sacrifice that thoroughly fascinated Lewis. However, Lewis was aware the people may be skeptical of his religion, as he once was. Because of this, his works sometimes incorporated elements of skepticism (Moorman 324). Converting to Christianity was a huge step in Lewis’s life and he wanted to subtly let his readers know about this fantastic gift.
Christianity became an integral part of Lewis’s beliefs and values, but this message was not one that he wished to be completely hidden.

Fond of using allusions and symbols, Lewis aimed to present his ideological ideas through a non-Christian point of view. In the second chapter of the novel, Mr. Tumnus, a Narnia resident, proclaims “But I’ve never seen a Son of Adam or a Daughter of Eve before” (Lewis 11). Adam and Eve, although religious figures, are not exclusive to Christianity. This gives Lewis an opportunity to briefly address and begin to integrate his beliefs from the onset of the novel. Later one of the children says to the professor “Well, sir, if things are real, they’re there all the time” (Lewis 49). Atheists often argue that God is not real because He is not “there all the time.” To counter, Christians believe He is there and is real, if one has faith and believes as evidenced in Joshua 1:9 “ . . . for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (NIV). Without a direct reference to God, Lewis is able to showcase his transformation to Christianity. While in Narnia, the children try to restore the power of good and overthrow the evil Queen’s reign. The power of good resides in Aslan, a lion. Residents describe this rule to the children by saying “Aslan . . . He’s the king. He’s the Lord . . . But the word has reached us that he has come back” (Lewis 78). In the Christian religion, Jesus is the king and the Lord. He is crucified and buried but eventually rises from the dead and resurrects and comes back to live on Earth. Both Aslan and Jesus lack struggle in their death. Although they may have has the power to overcome the gruesome event, they go peacefully. This is evidenced through “‘Bind him I say’ . . . he made no resistance at all” (Lewis 151). The lion is a symbolic portrayal of Jesus that allows Lewis to continue to address his strong Christian faith in an understated fashion. Christianity captivated Lewis at an older

age and he was eager to share his message with the world.
Lewis did not let one experience define his whole life. Through his life decisions, he was able to change and grow as a consequence. Having two knowledgeable parents who encouraged creativity gave Lewis a strong foundation, which was then further developed by a friendship and working relationship with J.R.R. Tolkien. As a result, Lewis made the important and influential life decision to convert to Christianity. These experiences transformed C.S. Lewis into the man he was and encouraged him to share his ideas with the world. Clive Staples Lewis flourished in his perfect, imaginative childhood; yet, it is through his relationship with J.R.R. Tolkien and his conversion to Christianity that he produced such distinguished novels. These influences allowed him to write the classic The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, thus culminating his two greatest pleasures: his strong Christian faith and his fond childhood memories of endless story-telling in his own wardrobe. C.S. Lewis’s final product encouraged other writers and screenplays to incorporate philosophical questions through a childish facade. Surely, children in generations to come will seek adventure and knowledge through Lewis’s masterpiece.