Post Colonialism In The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

1433 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Features of postcolonial literature in contrast to colonial literature

Another important aspect of Post Colonial theory is to bring marginalized characters into focus and detract from the blatant “othering” found in their Eurocentric culture. Many Narnians are forced to undergo service for the White Witch in order to survive the long winters, and some even relish in the privileges they receive from the Queen. Thus, imperialism is as much a militarily enforced occupation as much as it is a controlled social and cultural occupation (Said, 1113). Those under the control of the Witch are described as predatory creatures like wolves, malicious dwarves, “Ogres with monstrous teeth, and wolves, and bull-headed men; spirits of evil trees and poisonous plants” (Lewis, 88). As those who enjoy being under the Queen are described …show more content…

The story, characters, and locations are part of an intricate system that produces hidden insights regarding colonialism. The White Witch’s reign almost directly parallels that of a “outsider, white, European” colonizer who oppresses the natives (Narnians) and greedily obtains their land and wealth. Her magic was used to create an eternal winter, sets the atmosphere of pessimism for the oppressed Narnians. Meanwhile, the Pevensie children’s journey and Aslan leadership give them hope and strength to defeat the evil White Witch. The manner in which the author treats the hierarchy of othering within Narnia is also interesting as it disrupts the actual Narnian hierarchy set by the White Witch. Those who she favors are depicted as monsters by the author, and those not under her control are depicted as sensible and friendly. Additionally, looking at the spatial locations throughout the novel have proven correlations with the functionality of space within European and Non-European relations. Colonialism, after all, deals with the greed of land and resources which has to displace and de-privilege natives in order for the European outsiders to gain. Even domestic and international conflicts coincide and interlace, albeit cleanly in this particular novel, without it being obvious. Therefore, C.S. Lewis creates a striking way to view colonialism and tyranny without it being too obvious and while still functioning primarily within the fantasy genre. As Venturino notes, one must try to look at the hidden margins within a text to find the post colonialist view (280). This creates a number of questions, discourses, and a new way of understanding the story in whole regardless of

Show More
Related

  • Literary Analysis Of Chloe Hooper's 'The Tall Man'

    1246 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hooper urges the reader to accept that in the context of colonial Australia, Aboriginals faced such extreme oppression that they resorted to summoning spirits to doom their cruel white colonisers. She recounts a walk to a cave in Cape York, where she intentionally selects paintings depicting destructive images of white colonisers being “doomed”, highlighting the rifles which the white troopers brandished. The marginalised Aboriginals resigned to using “purri purri” (sorcery) against the police, which emphasises the idea that in this context, the Aboriginals felt so oppressed that they resorted to conjuring spirits for protection. Hooper describes a painting in which under a white man’s shirt, “he was reptilian”, and the adjective “reptilian” allows the audience to understand that in this context, the Aboriginals felt so threatened that they had to draw the trooper as a snake. In Aboriginal culture, the snake symbolises protection of the land of Aboriginal people, whom believed that a man would be harmed if the symbol was drawn upon him. My understanding of the oppression in which Aboriginal Australians faced in colonial Australia invoked feelings of anger and disgust, and reinforced pre-existing attitudes I have on discrimination and the corrupt police

    Read More

  • Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson

    1245 Words  | 3 Pages

    The fundamental characteristic of magical realism is its duality, which enables the reader to experience both the character’s past and the present. In the novel, Monkey Beach, Eden Robinson uses this literary device to address the the trauma and mistreatment of the Haisla community in Canada by unveiling the intimate memories of the protagonist, Lisamarie, and the resulting consequences of this oppression. Monkey Beach illustrates how abuse in the past leads to another form of self-medication in the future - a neverending, vicious cycle for the members of the Haisla community. Many characters in Monkey Beach are scarred from childhood sexual abuse and family neglect, and resort to drug and alcohol abuse as a coping mechanism. These appalling memories are an account of the impact of colonization on the Haisla territory which continues to haunt the Aboriginal community throughout generations.

    Read More

  • Oppression of Imperialism in Poisonwood Bible and Heart of Darkness

    1448 Words  | 3 Pages

    Imperialism has been a constant oppressive force upon societies dating back hundreds of years. Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, illustrates this oppression by providing an instance of its occurrence in the Congo of Africa, while simultaneously setting the stage for The Poisonwood Bible, which is essentially the continuation of the story. The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver, demonstrates how the Congo is still affected by modern circumstances and ideology. Conrad’s novella acts as a sort of precursor to the events later depicted in Kingsolver’s novel, and this very connection between the stories illustrates the perpetual oppression of imperialism. This oppression is shown through the characterization of the pivotal characters of each respective text.

    Read More

  • The Lion King: Journey of an Epic Hero

    1079 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although the movie The Lion King is often times viewed as nothing more than a child-based movie, in actuality, it contains a much deeper meaning. It is a movie that not only displays the hardships of maturation, and the perplexities associated with growing, but it is also a movie that deals with the search for one's identity and responsibility. As said by director Julie Taymor, "In addition to being a tale about a boy's personal growth, the `Lion King' dramatizes the ritual of the `Circle of Life'." Throughout The Lion King, Simba must endeavor through the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth to take his place in the circle of life, as king of the pridelands.

    Read More

  • The Corruption and Redemption of Edmund Pevensie in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

    987 Words  | 2 Pages

    The youngest Pevensie brother, Edmund, is the mischievous child among his siblings in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He is a representation of the possibility of what can go wrong when a child is not properly taught and does not follow set boundaries. Edmund’s subversion of set standards is the cause of a great deal of the troubles the Pevensies face in Narnia. For example, when he goes to the White Witch’s castle instead of listening to the others when they say Aslan is the true leader. In order to redeem himself, he must first be renewed and return to an earlier state. He is not allowed to stay indignant, but is reformed when he learns that Aslan is really the true ruler, and Jadis is not. He is allowed to do so because of his status as a child who is still developing. Edmund’s corruption and later redemption show that he is not really wicked, but has an innate goodness.

    Read More

  • Oppression In A Small Place

    692 Words  | 2 Pages

    She points out how white tourists think that the establishments and systems left behind from colonization are things that the natives should be thankful for. White tourists think that the natives “are not responsible for what you have; you owe them nothing; in fact, you did them a big favour, and you can provide one hundred examples.” (10) Ironically, while they seem to think that the natives should be thankful for certain remnants of colonization, white tourists refuse to take responsibility for the actions of their ancestors that caused former colonies to be in the state they are in now. In thinking that the “West got rich not from the free …and then undervalued labour” (10), but instead through the “ingenuity of small shopkeepers in Sheffield and Yorkshire and Lancashire, or wherever”, white tourists refuse to acknowledge that it was the oppression of these former colonies that led to the growth of their own race whilst attributing to the decline of these colonies. In believing in their own superiority and refusing to acknowledge this, white tourists continue to willingly take part in a system that oppresses natives of formerly colonized islands because they see no wrong in doing

    Read More

  • The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

    1317 Words  | 3 Pages

    Through the use of Christian symbolism, conflicts, and imagery, C. S. Lewis implements his religious background into his literary works.

    Read More

  • Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness

    1271 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the present era of decolonization, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness presents one of fictions strongest accounts of British imperialism. Conrad’s attitude towards imperialism and race has been the subject of much literary and historical debate. Many literary critics view Conrad as accepting blindly the arrogant attitude of the white male European and condemn Conrad to be a racist and imperialists. The other side vehemently defends Conrad, perceiving the novel to be an attack on imperialism and the colonial experience. Understanding the two viewpoints side by side provides a unique understanding that leads to a commonality that both share; the novel simply presents a criticism of colonialists in Africa. The novel merely portrays a fictional account of British imperialism in the African jungle, where fiction offers maximum entertainment it lacks in focus. The novel is not a critique of European colonialism and imperialism, but rather a presentation of colonialism and the theme of darkness throughout the novel sheds a negative light on the selfishness of humanity and the system that was taking advantage of the native peoples. In Joseph Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness, Conrad presents a criticism of British imperial colonization not for the purpose of taking sides, but with aims of bettering the system that was in place during Conrad’s experience in the African Congo. Conrad uses the character of Marlow and his original justification of imperialism so long as it was efficient and unselfish that was later transformed when the reality of colonialism displayed the selfishness of man, to show that colonialism throughout history displaces the needs of the mother country over the colonized peoples and is thus always selfish.

    Read More

  • Narnia

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Racism and Other Themes in Disney´s Pocahontas

    825 Words  | 2 Pages

    Disney’s intentions were more than to captivate young children. They were ultimately to retell the original story of Pocahontas and the settlers and to address social issues of lifestyle and acceptance depending on race and the way they are being treated, proving that marriage isn’t all that important and addressing familial gender roles in society based on having a mother figure. Since 1995, the story of Pocahontas serves to entertain the young minds of children, but none the less the messages for seen in the movie, are mentioned to stress the issues of a series of systems in which maintain the imbalance of power among society’s social organization.

    Read More

  • The Chronicles of Narnia and The Bible

    1849 Words  | 4 Pages

    Fiction has always been used as a way to relay different types of messages throughout time. In many cases authors use fiction to make political commentary, use stories to bring out the major flaws that society has, as well as a way to spread different types of beliefs or ideals. C.S. Lewis’s used his work, “The Chronicles of Narnia”, to reiterate the messages of the Bible to those who might have gotten lost during their lifetime. Though his whole series was full of connections the book that have the most prevalent connections are The Magician’s Nephew and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In both there are places that are very similar to and very different books in the Bible. Taking into context when Lewis wrote this series is extremely important to see what some of his motivations might have been. These stories were started soon after World War II had ended. These stories were a way to teach the next generation some of the morals that the Bible was teaching. By creating these fantastical stories Lewis was able to make connections to help bridge the learning gap between the two generations. Also by using children as a target audience Lewis was able to remind adults as well, instead of being ignored because of the recent war. Lewis was able to address these lessons and morals in a way that both taught the children the way of the Bible, as well as to put a new spin on old tales so that adults were able to come back to religion, after losing some faith during the brutal war.

    Read More

  • C. S. Lewis

    1490 Words  | 3 Pages

    Few authors have been able to demonstrate the incredible scope of different genres that Clive Staples Lewis, better known as C.S. Lewis, wrote in his career. Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind upon hearing his name is the mythical land of Narnia. Narnia is the fictional world that the widely popular series “The Chronicles of Narnia” takes place in. This series, enjoyed by adults and children alike, hosts talking animals, a God-like lion, an ice queen bearing many similarities to the Devil, and many other things. This series, like most of Lewis’ other works, is essentially a metaphor for the story of the Gospel as well as lessons for living a Christian life. In much of his writing, Lewis made an excellent and relatable argument for Christianity by his ability to write captivating stories relating to many aspects of Christian life.

    Read More

  • An Analysis of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

    1088 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Narnia Chronicles have already established themselves as timeless works of literature. They appeal to both the atheists and the God-fearing, to both the uneducated and to scholars; to children and adults. An understanding of the Biblical allegory in these books is not essential to their appreciation. A critical analysis of these works, however, does allow the reader to more fully appreciate Lewis' unique gift to simplify complex narratives and craft beautiful children's fantasies. This, in turn, allows the reader to gain both a deeper understanding of Lewis as a skilled creative writer, and a deeper satisfaction of his art. To be able to appreciate C.S. Lewis as such an artisan can only add to one's enjoyment of his works.

    Read More

  • High Fantasy: The Games of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

    1334 Words  | 3 Pages

    This article outlines the life of C.S. Lewis and his writings on Christianity and Chronicles of Narnia. The piece describes the effect Lewis had on his religious readers and highlights his life story, including his inspiration for his novels. Jardin wanted to draw attention to the positive effect Lewis had on the world.

    Read More

  • The World Beyond the Wardrobe

    1280 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...egory, challenged the reader with complex themes and employed a plethora of mythical creatures is the reason for the success of the series. However, another reason for the popularity of the books has not yet been mentioned. Their acclaim comes from the way they illustrate the real world through Aslan. “It is as if Aslan offers a mirror in which we see ourselves as we really are. Or a light which reveals what we are really like, no matter how uncomfortable this may be” (McGrath). Lewis magically surpassed the barrier between fantasy and reality so that the reader finds parts of himself reflected in the books. The enchantment of Narnia leaps off the pages so that the morals and characters remain with the reader long after the book has closed. Somehow, Narnia is as tangible as planet earth in the mind of the reader. That is the true charm of The Chronicles of Narnia.

    Read More

More about Post Colonialism In The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

Open Document