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Literary Essays on the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Literary Essays on the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Literary Essays on the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
In C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the main perspective was the struggle between good and evil. The main characters Edmund, Lucy, Peter and Susan are given choices in which they are to decide on whether they follow the right or the wrong paths in life as well as in Narnia. By choice, the children walked through the wardrobe into Narnia, only to find that they were destined to be there. They are given the quest to save Narnia from the clutches of the White Witch and save the land and its inhabitants from her evil spell. However, Edmund found it very difficult to push away from temptation by enjoying sweets with the White Witch and follow her evil ways.
When Aslan appears before the children, he gives the reassurance necessary to help complete their quest by teaching them to follow good ways and not evil. Aslan was represented as a lion, the king of the jungle, when in fact Lewis was using his fascination with religion and fantasy by introducing this character with the characteristics of Jesus Christ. His sacrifice for Edmund's sins and then the resurrection of the great lion and the persecution throughout the story was suggestive that the reference of Jesus Christ represented by this character was most certainly not a mistake.
I also felt as though the narrator was Lewis himself, because he came off as a kind, wise, elderly fellow somewhat suggestive like a grandfather figure. He allowed the curiosity of the children because he knew they were predestined to be there, especially if it was Lewis posing as the narrator. He wrote the book so he knew the destiny of these children. Although the book was well written, when reading a story, I find that breaks in the story take your mind away from the realistic perspective.
The other references that confused me was the time when Father Christmas gave the children their gifts and only Peter was allowed to use the weapon during the time of the big battle. Lucy and Susan were not to use theirs at all. Why were they given to them then? Lucy was given a healing potion and Susan was given a horn, I understand that, but why give characters weapons such as the bow and arrow given to Susan or the dagger given to Lucy if they are not to be used.
“Monty Python and the Holy Grail” is a satiric comedy about the quest of King Arthur. The movie starts out with Arthur, King of the Britons, looking for knights to sit with him at Camelot. He finds many knights including Sir Galahad the pure, Sir Lancelot the brave, the quiet Sir Bedevere, and Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir Lancelot. Through satire and parody of certain events in history (witch trials, the black plague) they find Camelot, but after literally a quick song and dance they decide that they do not want to go there. While walking away, God (who seems to be grumpy) come to them from a cloud and tells them to find the Holy Grail. They agree and begin their search. While they search for the Grail, scenes of the knight's tales appear and the reasons behind their names. Throughout their search, they meet interesting people and knights along the way. Most of the characters die; some through a killer rabbit (which they defeat with the holy hand grenade), others from not answering a question right from the bridge of Death, or die some other ridiculous way. In the end, King Arthur and Sir Bedevere are left and find the Castle Arrrghhh where the Holy Grail is. They are met by some French soldiers who taunted them earlier in the film and were not able to get into the castle. The movie ends with both King Arthur and Sir Bedevere being arrested for killing a real-life man who was a historian.
...c child who is an innocent and has no place in the world of the wicked. His troubled self’s resolution comes at the end after Edmund has spoken to Aslan, the true ruler and god of Narnia. Both Edmunds own initiative and, less directly, religion lead Edmund back to before he was spoiled by the school he went to and the enchantment of the witch’s candy. Lewis therefore is following the Romantic tradition of innocence as a part of childhood since it was not Edmund’s fault he performed the incorrect behavior and was drawn to the side of evil.
The characters in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe are symbolic of other characters featured in the Bible. Peter, the eldest child, became the “rock” everyone clung to. He waged the war against the white witch and he is a representation of the Apostle Peter. Susan, the second eldest child, is seen as the nonbeliever who must always have facts. She is a represe...
“Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality.” Clive Staples Lewis, known as C.S. Lewis, was a popular Irish author, famous for his Christian works, especially “The Chronicles of Narnia.” Throughout his novels, Lewis enlightened his readers with his views about faith. Although his novels were revolved around Christianity, Lewis was not always a believer. There were many things that influenced Lewis as a writer, but the most significant were his love of fantasy, his fascination with mythology, and his Christian beliefs.
Nowadays, children books are full field with morals and lesson to teach children how to behave and react in real life situations. A classic subject that teaches children is the rivalry between good and bad, where good defeats bad after a battle. An example of a children novel that explores in different ways the good versus the bad is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, written by C.S Lewis. The author of this novel uses literary elements to demonstrate the idea of good and evil, an example of which would be characterisation. Aslan and the White Witch embody the characteristics of the good and the evil, two of which are their physical and psychological descriptions and their actions in the novel.
“Not only was resurrected from death, but gives life back to the witch’s statues; he represents the good and is quite clearly a figure of Christ” (Source B). Aslan, a mighty lion was a symbol for Jesus Christ, there were many ways that C.S. Lewis uses Aslan to symbolize Jesus, including: Aslan’s death for others, his resurrection, how he brings others back to life as stated above. “The most important character in Narnia is Aslan. Aslan founded and rules the kingdom” (Source G). Just like Jesus Christ founded and rules over the world, Aslan rules over Narnia. Throughout the book Aslan’s name has a certain glow to it that is unlike other names.
In The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis introduces us to a great and powerful lion named Aslan. C.S. Lewis is quoted in saying, “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?”(Snyder and Baehr). Aslan is, according to Mr. Beaver in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, “He’s the Lord of the whole wood……………I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea” (Lewis 78-79 LWW). Aslan is interpreted in the series by many as a Jesus Christ-like figure. The actions that he does and the words that he says would confirm that interpretation for most people. In the very beginning of Narnia there was nothing, just darkness. Then Aslan appeared and created the whole world of Narnia; the plants, the water, and the animals. Also, Aslan picks two animals of the same species (one male and one female) and gives them the power to be talking animals (Lewis 104-125). In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, when Lucy and Edmund Pevensie have to go back to earth Aslan tells them that he will be there also. “It isn’t Narnia, you know,” sobbed Lucy. “It’s you. We shan’t meet you the...
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.
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.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, is the third book in the trilogy of J. K. Rowlings other Harry Potter books, though she is coming out with four more books in the coming years.
Before we delve into the temptation of LWW, let’s observe its prolegomena as found in The Magician’s Nephew: In the Genesis’ creation story, there are two rudiments of evil found—Adam and Eve’s direct disobedience to God's commandment (Gen 2-3), and the deception of the serpent (Gen 3). The Witch in The Magician's Nephew may be seen as a representation of the introduction of sin, but also, later in the story, as a figure representing the character of the serpent. This marks a move away from the theme of creation and a step towards the theme of temptation in the Narnia Chronicles. The theme of temptation is present in both the Bible and the Narnia Chronicles, and Lewis often models his presentations of temptation after stories and characters from the Bible. A good example of this is found ...
It is likely for one to assume that a classic piece of literature set in a fantasy oriented stage will have no merits to the youths of today. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, however, with its crafty of usage symbolism, displays its relevance to issues that often trouble teens. As the story progresses from a children’s tale to an epic, the main character Bilbo undergoes a series of development, his experiences often overlapping with ordinary people. Reading the Hobbit will provide teens with opportunities of exploring the importance of several common but serious topics. People may encounter many of the themes presented in the book elsewhere repeatedly, but it’s possible that they never appreciated the applications it might have on themselves. When teens read the Hobbit, they perceive it as a simple fiction of adventure. Under proper guiding, they will be able to recognize and utilize the lessons of the Hobbit, and improve their attitudes and ideas about life.
Many perceive The Lion King, Disney's most successful movie to date, as Disney's only original movie; the only movie not previously a fairy tale from one country or another. This, however, is not the case. While The Lion King seems not to be beased on a fairy tale, it is in fact strongly based on the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Disney writers cleverly conceal the basic character archetypes and simplified storyline in a children's tale of cute lions in Africa. To the seasoned reader, however, Hamlet comes screaming out of the screenplay as obviously as Hamlet performed onstage.
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.
In the Lion the Witch and Wardrobe, good vs. evil is teaching children the right from wrong in this book. Lewis uses the archetypes hero and villain very good throughout his novel to also portray right from wrong. His use of archetype the hero reminds readers that Aslan is the hero in his novel. He shows this by the many ways Aslan rescues and saves his people all throughout the novel. His use of archetype villain shows the readers that the White Witch is the villain in his