Good and Evil in The Chronicles of Narnia: Theological Themes in the Fiction of C. S. Lewis

Earl Palmer

Evil is not portrayed as a formless, mindless force, or as simply human avarice or human wrath. Nor does Lewis see it as a natural disaster, like earthquakes or fire. Lewis accepts the Biblical portrayal of evil as a moral, cosmic, personal will against the will of God.

C. S. Lewis was a theologian as well The Chronicles real-world story, that depiction of a as a storyteller. The moment we dare Three grand themes are present crisis and of its harm to the charac­ to say, "I believe," or endeavor to in every one of Lewis's Chronicles, ters is at the heart of every adventure explain to someone what we believe, and each is theological in the way it and every scene of danger. we are then doing theology. Clive looks at the possibility of the exist­ The third grand theme is the Staples Lewis played that role in just ence of God. portrayal of the good that emerges in about everything he wrote---evenin The first theme is the affirmation the story. Even in a pessimistic tale, his personal correspondence. of life seen in Lewis's respect for the where tragedy is the end line of the When asked why he wrote earth itself and for the human beings final chapter, there nevertheless children's stories, Lewis answered, who become characters in the story. must be a counterpoint of good that "I turned to fairy tales, because that The characters are made in God's stands in contrast against the seemed to be the form that certain image and are given freedom to wrongness that seems to win because ideas and images in my mind choose, in small and large ways, just of the author's artistic decision. seemed to demand, as a man might as God has freedomto choose. Great In every great story these turn to fugues because the musical stories respect that goodness in cre­ three themes need to appear, phrases in his head seemed to him ation. Without that fundamental re­ and this means that a battle of to be good fugal subjects. When I spect, there would be no possibili­ epic consequences between good wrote Lion I had no notion of writing ties for a story where love happens, and evil is under way. When or for heartbreak and crises to hap­ we read The Chronicles of Narnia, the others. Writing children's stories the seven stories that C. S. Lewis pen. It is this first ground rule that modified my habits of composition. wrote for us, we find that the It imposed strict limitson my vocabu­ makes all adventure (or even roman­ contain all three of these grand lary; it excluded erotic love; it cut tic) stories possible. themes. They begin with the down reflective and analytical pas­ The second theme in every great innocence of children exploring an sages; it led me to produce chapters story is the understanding and real­ old house and then, because of a of nearly equal length for conve­ istic portrayal of the crises of bad game of hideand seek, the youngest nience in reading aloud. All those choices and harmful decisions. of the children stumbles into a won­ restrictions did me great good." Whether the story is a fantasy or a drous, beautiful new world of snow,

Radix 14 a glowing larnppost, a friendly Faun, and an act of protective kindness toward this little girl Lucy by that Faun named Mr. Tumnus. She meets up with a strange kind of goodness, but soon in the story when herbrother Edmund enters that charmed world, the second theme ap­ pears. It is not the problems of youth getting lost in a forest, but of something more omi­ nous and threatening. The children meet up with a grave danger-with evil. The expert storyteller that Lewis is gradually draws us along with the four English children into that danger in Narnia. What is it they find? First they find the beauty of Narnia, but soon a second theme unfolds: the reality of evil. Evil is not portrayed as a formless, mindless force, or as simply human avarice or human wrath. Nor does Lewis see it as a natural disaster, like earthquakes or fire. Levvis accepts the Biblical portrayal of evil as a moral, cosmic, persona1 will against the will of God. Cos­ mic (that is to say, spiritual) and moral (not just natural, as in tornadoes), it is per- sonal will intentionally against Lewis used an image of coldness and A second way in which evil is the will of God." C. S. Lewis in the ice to refer to the devil, whereas it is portrayed by Lewis in these novels 1960 preface to Screwtape Letters says: common to think of the devil with is its role in the winter Queen as the "Now; if by the 'devil' you mean the language of fire. Even in Dante one who is the tempter. Evil tempts a power opposite to God and like the devil is encased in ice. So per­ by deception. In The Silver Chair, in God, self-existed for all eternity, the haps Lewis was influencedby Dante. one incredible scene the Emerald answer is certainly no. God has no In The Magici.an's NepherD, the deplor­ Queen tempts the children, trying to opposite ... the proper question is able world is cold, and in The Lion, make them think that what they whether I believe in devils. I do. That the Witch and the Wardrobe, when the knew in the above ground world as is to say, I believe in angels, and I children firstcome into Narnia,they the real sun is not the sun. Rather believe that some of these, by the learn that for many, many years it the sphere she holds and sways be­ abuse of their free will, have become has been winter without Clu-istmas, fore them is the real sun. She tempts enemies of God." and everything is cold. When we them by deception. In The Last Battle, We need to ask what character think about that coldness we find we have the most blatant temptation, istics of evil are portrayed by Lewis. that it makes things work well for where a donkey has a lion's skin put In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe the winter Queen. Her castle is a vast over him by his master. This false and in The Magician's Nephew, ice sculpture. Sleighs work well on Aslan is marched before the people evil is cold. It is interesting that the cold snow. who are directed to bow and to wor-

Radix 15 of the Rings by J. R. R. ship him. Tolkien, the Harry Potter Evil tempts with desire. series by J. K. Rowling, or The first temptation in The even a book like The Shack? Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Should we encourage youth is when the winter Queen to read books that feature tempts Edmund with Turkish the battle between good and Delight. He gets a taste of it evil in the territory of hu­ man imagination? Yes, I be­ with one delicious piece that lieve that they are a part of magically appears but he never a healthy diet of every gets any more. His desire is reader, including children. made intense because of the There are always age- memory of that one taste. In appropriate questions but The Screwtape Letters, Lewis children who are deprived portrays temptation as "an of healthy fantasy will ever increasing appetite for nevertheless still be fascinated with fantasy. The an ever decreasing pleasure." key is not to ask if fantasy Edmund hears the promise of should be in their reading more Turkish Delight, but he diet, but rather what kind never receives it. of fantasy, good or bad. There is also the temptation to The third theme is also virtue. This temptation is perhaps evil and the true reality of good. present in the stories of C.S. Lewis. the most subtle of all. We see that in Evil is portrayed by Lewis as Lewis believed in the existence of The Magician's Nephew. Digory was powerful, but not permanently pow­ ultimate good, and that became sent on a mission byAsian to bring erful. This is an important and con­ the major theme in a11 of his him an apple froma hidden garden tinuous theme. There is a cumulative writings. The sense of ultimate power and growth of power in That good is present in the "space in the north of Namia. At that gar­ trilogy" -Perelandra, Out of the den he is tempted by the witch Jadis Hideous Strength. Evil gets stronger Silent Planet, and That Hideous to take the apple and not to bring it and stronger over Mark, a young sci­ Strength- a more hidden sense. In toAslan. entist who falls more and more un­ Tolkien's marvelous trilogy, the He is told by the witch that, were der its control. We watch how, in ultimate good is also hidden he to keep the apple, it would help single steps, evil gathers momentum. yet present. In The Chronicles of his mother get well. The witch tells But in the end, evil suffers from inner Narnia, Lewis dared to show him, "If you'll take the apple, it will collapse. In That Hideous Strength, the ultimate good as really knowable cure your mother." So Digory is marvelous surprise happens at the by mere men and women, boys tempted to distrust Asian in order banquet, when chaos begins to de­ and girls. The hiddenness and velop: a new tower of Babel, then the the mysterious element of ultimate to help his mother. Each of these good is still present, but he dares to horror of confusion, and the inner temptations becomes a part of portray good in profoundly Lewis's whole portrayal. collapse of cruelty in the end. It's knowable, personal terms, yet Evil is also portrayedas the de­ what ha pp ens to evil. In The preserving the mystery and the stroyer. Weseethat in The Lion, The Chronicles of Narnia, evil is powerful wonder. Good becomes specific and Witchand the Wardrobe, when Lucy butAslan is more powerful, and evil concrete in the great lion,Aslan. comes back to Mr. Tumnus's house is finally judged. Rabadash is We see it in the description of and findsthat it has been destroyed, judged-judged redemptively, but Aslan in The Silver Chair, when Jill and later when Edmund discovers judged.And, finally,in The Last Battle, first seesAslan: "It lay with its head that Mr. Tumnus has been turned Tash is defeated. raised and its two forepaws out in into stone. The apostle Paul said it in Ro­ front of it, like the lions in Trafalgar mans 5, "Where sin increased, the Square. She knew at once that it had In every great story the heroes seen her. For its eyes looked and other characters must fight grace of God increased more." The straight into hers for a moment against evil, fall under its spell, or best adventure stories in their own and then turned away-as if it combinations of both. We see this way are a commentary on that sen­ knew her quite well and didn't in Perelandra, where the deadly tence. think much of her. battle between Ransom and Weston One question always has to be 11 'If I run away it will be after me becomes a good/bad struggle down faced. Should we read stories of the in a moment,' thought Jill. 'A nd if I into the nethermost parts of the marvelous that dare to portray the go on, I'll run right into its mouth.' earth, with the final victory of Ran­ reality of the crisis of evil? In think­ Anyway, she couldn't have moved if som. In That Hideous Strength, we ing of the fantasy elements of stories she had tried, and she couldn't take also see the battle between hideous like TheChronicles of Narnia or TheLord her eyes off it. How long this lasted,

Radix 16 she could not be sure; it seemed like Evil is portrayed by act of redemption is never repeated. hours. And the thirst became so bad Aslan dies once; he doesn't die over that she almost felt she would not and over again. And from then on, mind being eaten by the lion if Lewis as powerfut everything builds on that singular only she could be sure of getting a redemption. A little later, Eustace mouthful of water first. but not permanently becomes a dragon and has a painful "'If you're· thirsty, you may need to be de-dragoned. It is Aslan drink."' powerful. This is who de-dragons him. Only Aslan That was the voice of Aslan, the can do it. ultimate good in The Chronicles So we know Aslan by what he of Narnia. Aslan is the "son of the an important and does.We learn of the gift of healing Emperor beyond the Sea." grace as Eustace tells Edmund what Notice how we meet this profound, continuous theme. it was like to be de-dragoned: personal good. At first, we are "I took all these scales off.Aslan unaware that a meeting is to take said to me, 'Undress.' And I tried to place.Aslan calls people into Narnia undress to get into that pool of wa­ and there's always a sense of ter, and I kept taking offscales after surprise and wonder an excitement scales after scales of dragon. And I when they actually met him. are signs that Aslan is moving in the looked around and there I was. I Aslan is encountered first East. When he is moving, the winter could repent, but I couldn't get all through the words of others begins to thaw. The beautiful thing the dragon off. And finally Aslan about him. That's just like we about the thaw is that when it first said, 'Lie down.' So I lay down. And first meet Christ, by words said comes, the sledge has a terrible time then he took his great claw ...and it about hm. The Scriptures are moving. Finally, it ends up in pure hurt ... I felt like he was putting his words about Christ. Perhaps mud and slush and guck, and that's claw all the way through to my heart. somebody tells you about him. a sign that Aslan's there. He can be And he ripped off the dragon. And Remember in TI-ze Lion, the Witch and uncomfortable to have around. there I was like a peeled onion un­ the Wardrobe, Mr. m d Mrs. Beaver Tl1en, of course, in ttteITLOSt de­ derrteath." tell the cflildre11 about Aslan. finitive way we discover who Aslan That's the language of Lewis. And then it slips out that Aslan is is by what he does. Here C. 5. Lewis "And he took me, and I was sure a lion. Who would want to meet smarting...and he took me a a lion? ,,,Is he quite safe?" Susan is irl agreement vvith the theologia:ri Karl Barth.Barth argues that we can­ boy again, and he threw me in asks. And then comes on of the the wa­ter." There isn't a word great lines of C. 5. Lewis, when Mr. not divide the words of Jesus from the work of Jesus, They're insepa­ spoken, Aslan does something. Beaver says, "'Sae? ... Who said Redemption by Aslan is not a rable. Lewis portraysthe same thing anything about safe? 'Course l1e ivord spoken but an event that isn't safe. But he's good."' in his stories: the words and the occurs. Jesus Christ died for us. Aslan is not a tame lion. He's not work are inseparable. We know What ultimate good is and what safe, but he's good. So here they Aslan by what he does: the creation ultimate good does are now meet him first through what others of Narnia itself. In The Magician's united in Lewis's theology. say about him. Nephew, Aslan sings, and while he Now,finally, Edmund (and In The Lion, the Witch and the sings, the world of Narnia comes into we) discover who Aslan is. Wardrobe, the children next meet being. This may be a portrayal of Lewis portrays his healing grace in him by signs that they miss at Genesis 1 when "God said, 'Let there Horse and His Boy, where the boy first, or don't understand. This is be light. 111 Lewis changed the speech Shasta is alone on a mountain one of the subtle, important to a song. As Aslan walks and sings, pass "and being very tired and themes in The Chronicles, that there Narnia grows into existence. having nothing inside him, he felt are signs about Aslan that people Second, we learn who Aslan is so sorry for himself that tears miss. You remember the first sign; by what he does in redemption. He rolled do'v'.rn his cheeks. It is then everybody misses it until they doesn't speak the word of forgive­ that he encoun­ters a large lion, read The Magician's Nephew. That ness to Edmund who is the traitor; and at first is very frightened. is the lamppost. Five novels later feeling very sorry for him­self. Then he takes Edmund's place.And in all you realize why the lamppost is he encounters a large lion and at there. It's a sign hidden though of The Chronicles of Narniathe most first he is very frightened. But, in a present: a sign of evil and a sign of terrifying scene is that moment when Large Voice, the lion says, "Tell good. Aslan surrenders himself to the vvin­ me your sorrows.'' Shasta The second sign in The Lion the ter witch in place of Edmund.A vic­ recounts his ordeals, including Witch and the Wardrobe is the rnyste- tory seems to be v✓on against this being chased by liorls. rious thaw. The slush and the mud humiliated lion. In Lewis's story that " 'I do not call you unfortunate,'

Radix 17 said the Large Voice. derstanding of the Christian " 'Don't you think it was life, our freedom is not bad luck to meet so many li­ swallowed up or blurred or ons?' said Shasta. over­whelmed by Christ's " 'There was only one lion,' authority. We see this very said the Voice. important theme all through " 'What on earth do you The Serewtape Letters. The mean? I've just told you there enemy writes of God: "He were at least two the firstnight, will not ravish, he will not and-' [here Aslan interrupts cancel out this creature. He him]. wants their free decision, " 'There was only one: but their free choice." Christian he was swift of foot.' faith is a "may," it is not a " 'How do you know?' "must" in Lewis. "'I was the lion.' We see this in the novels, "As Shasta gaped with too. It means that our decisions open mouth and said nothing, are vital. Lewis is not in the the lion's Large Voice contin­ vague theological world of ued. 'I was the lion who forced universalism. For him, it's you to join with Aravis. I was the cat Magician's Nephew, we discover who terribly important that we make who comforted you among the that professor is. decisions, which means that we houses of the dead. I was the lion I have often thought that if I were have a journey to discover who who drove the jackals from you going to teach a course on evange­ Aslan is. Notice that it' s uniquely while you slept. I was the lion who lism, one of the most helpful portray­ our discovery. When Shasta als of what an evangelist should be wanted to know about Aravis's gave the Horses the new strength of scratches, Aslan said, '1 tell no on fear for the last mile so that you like is the professor and the way he any story but his own." We're all should reach King Lune in time.' .. . relates to those children. He knows inquisitive, and we want to know " 'Who are you?' asked Shasta. that Aslan must finally answer our everybody else's story. But we " 'Myself,' said the Voice, very questions and prove himself, but the won't fnd it out from Aslan. deep and low so that the earth professor helps the children keep This is a New Testament shook." their minds open and keep asking theme too. Peter won' t find out That is Aslan, who makes him­ questions. from Jesus what role John should self known. Lewis has broken new In all the novels, Aslan himself play. "You follow me,' Jesus says. That's just another way of ground: he has dared to portray ulti­ is the one who must assure us and saying that our freedom and mate good as kpowable. must "qualify" us. In The Last Battle, uniqueness and dignity are A fourth major theme might be it is Aslan who finally calls those preserved for us. described as the "dynamics of dis­ who enter the small doorway Far­ But our decisions are vital. In covery," referring to the faith-and­ ther up and Farther in. Only Asian 17w Magician's Nephe:w, Digory is grace tension: the dynamics of faith. can de-dragon Eustace and tum him given a mission by AsIan, but Aslan In Lewis's novels our freedom and back into a boy. does not command him to do the our doubt are never either ridiculed In the dynamics of belief, the mission unless he agrees, and he or ignored. Faith develops by thing that's important to see is that does agree. In The Silver Chair, just gradual steps in every case. We see each faith journey takes time. It's a after Jill has her encounter with gradual, growing discovery of who Aslan, she also is given a this in Shasta. mission. She is offered four things That same sort of dynamic dis­ Aslan is, and it is Aslan who has the to remember as an assurance, and covery appears in most of the char­ final word. she accepts the mission. acters. In Prince Caspian, the meeting A fifth major theme in C. S. The Christian life is an with Aslan takes time. Lewis seemed Lewis's fiction is what may be de­ experience made up of a mixture of to see discipleship as a thousand scribed as the "way of discipleship." ups and downs. For Lewis, the single steps. He knew this from his So far we've looked at his teaching Christian church moves through own life, and it is portrayed in his about evil, about ultimate good, history in obedience and in novels. Also, in every case Lewis about faith, and now we'll look at disobedience, in understanding his teaching about the lifelong im­ and misunderstanding what's been points out the role that others play said to it. That's actually how Karl in aiding us. In The Lion, the Witch plications of it all. Barth described the Christian and the Wardrobe, of course, it's that How are we to understand the church, but C. S. Lewis could inquisitive and funny-looking pro­ way of discipleship? What does it have said it, too. fessor. And when we finallyread T71e mean to follow Aslan? In Lewis's un- Here I want to make an impor-

Radix 18 tant point about Lewis and his they're blundering into all kinds of characters: There are no superheroes In The Chronicles dangers ahead. When they firstmeet in Lewis's fiction. Every hero is the evil queen, they think she's beau­ flawed. If you've read only The of Narnia, Lewis tiful. It took Puddleglum with his Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and realism and his crankiness to keep rince Caspian, 11 P you might say, Ah, dared to show Jill and Eustace balanced. but what about Lucy?" Lucy is That's the Christian church. about the closest to a superhero in Lewis needed his brother, W. H. The Chronides of Narnia, but by the ultimate good as Lewis, and in a strange sort of way time we get to The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, she too reveals her his dad, too. His father was a disap­ character flaws when she is too really knowable by pointment to him, but three of the quick to write off friends who disap­ most beautiful letters in the Letters of pointed her. But just in time she mere men and C. S. Lewis are letters he wrote to his hears the growl of AsIan. There is brother when their father died, when ambiguity, complexity, about every he realized that even though his fa­ single character, and I respect this women, boys and girls. ther had been in some ways absent realism that we see in Lewis. His for him, his father also made a great view of the Christian life, of mark on his life. Lewis needed Christian sanctification, is as people. The Christian needs people: growth in Christ taking time. we need the church. That's a great Lewis is in agreement with the theme in these stories. apostle Paul's autobiographical The Chronicles ofNamia also teach statement in Romans 7. Every there is to be a marvelous autumn us that although mission is crucial, single character disappoints fair and spring feast: "Come to the it is not ultimate. That's an impor­ you in The Chronicles of Narnia. In feast. You are special guests." What tant theological concept to get hold The Screwtape Letters, you see that they don't know is that they're to be of. Just as evil's power is strong but Lewis feels that way about the the feast. not ultimate, so our mission is cru­ people who make up the church. It was Puddleglum the Marsh­ The "patient" comes to church cial but not ultimate. Our sins don't wiggle who didn't want to go to that do ultimate mischief. They don't de­ in1mediately after becoming a feast in the first place who objected. Christian. As he walks into the stroy the story or the grand mission. church building and looks And they say-, "Oh, 3rou':te so r1ega­ Asian is stillabie to cope. lJigory and around he sees just that collection tive, a wet blanket on everything. Polly are the biggest examples of fail­ of neighbors he's been avoiding Come on and enjoy yourself." But in urein The Chronicles ofNarnia.In the all week. Marvelous! We're a the kitchen they discover froma talk­ deplorable world, horror of horrors, part of the Church as the body of ative cook that they're on the menu. they ring the bell and start everything Christ because Christ calls us here, Jill and Eustace need Puddleglum off in a bad direction. And then they not because we have so much in because of his realism and, in the bring Jadis into the innocent world common with each other. No, great temptation scene with the Em­ of Narnia, almost as an Adam and we're all in trouble; we all live our erald Queen, if it weren't for Eve story. But, even that sin, ringing life with ups and downs. Puddleglum they would have all that bell-which they should never Here we see a related theme in been in the gravest danger. He put have done-even that is not the last Lewis's stories. The Christian life is his foot in the fire, and the bad smell lived alongside and in fellowship word. of burnt Marsh-wiggle cleared their Our failures when they occur with other Christians There are no heads.They needed him. But Lone Rangers. Jill and Eustace in The (and they do occur) are not the last Puddleglum needed them too. word. The last word belongs to Silver Chair, even with their earnest The young prince Rilian has sincerity, don't pay much attention Aslan. Lewis saw that clearly. If you been lost for many years; and every­ and I could get hold of this, it would to detail. They can't even keep track one knows he's lost; he's trapped of three of the four signs they were to set us free in our Christian disciple­ remember. Then they meet a cranky somewhere. Puddleglum's been sit­ ship. We have terribly important character named Puddleglum. ting by his fireplace; and he's never things to do in the world, and we Puddleglum-the apparently nega­ gone after him. He is gloomy and sad shouldn't fail our task. But when we tive, pessimistic, and in the end, about the lost prince. It took Jill and fail, our failuresare not the last word. beloved Puddleglum. Eustace to come along, impetuous Another central theme is that These unlikely co-workers need enough to want to look for Prince Aslan always keeps his own author­ each other. Jill and Eustace are at first Rilian. Because of them, Puddleglum ity, even when we wish it were dif­ optimistic and enthusiastic-when becon1es irtvolved in the search. ferent. He keeps his authority even they hear from a beautiful lady that They don't know the dangers and Continued on page 29

Radix 19 Continued from page 19 when it upsets us, as when Shasta wants to know why Aravis was scratched. I don't blame him for wanting to know: he's upset. As a Th� Rat1ix agazine matter of fact, during the chase scene he stood up and drove the lion back PoetryCon est Shasta is a pretty tough kid when you get right down to it. And so he wanted to know why the lion scratched his girlfriend, whom he's . going to marry later. But Aslan won't . - ·•, . :..·. - .-,./,-.. ·. - . ':... . Se.gin� SE!ptember 15and ends November tell him. He wants to know it, but he . doesn't needto know it, so therefore 1 � �p,�,9 .: ..-:. . . a distinction is drawn. Aslan doesn't always give us what we _if;J;��-:.. ,tr� want, but he gives us what we need. ;-·�-�lt�·!.� J The authority of Aslan is preserved. 4t.tdS�iii��ttH�a,r.n,�c;,tio .eax, Marilyn McEntyre, Even when we can't understand -:a"r1�flµ¢f$t1��,(. · ·•· , . . > . · • . . · what's happening, his authority stands. The most moving example is in Cost per eritl'.y: $25which include a Radix subscription the last of the novels, The Last Battle. (or· 2on_tinuation fc>rcurrentsubscri ers). It's the story in which everybody seems to lose. All the way through The pri;zm:rwillbe:$200 first, $100 econd, and $50 third, the story we're wondering, "When which will run in a special ''Poetry I sue" of the magazine is Aslan going to come?" But the ad­ in Spring 2010.Three rnore poe swill "place" and be venture becomes sadder and sadder published in subsequent issues of the magazine. because Aslan does not come. The battlegets harder. The tenor First, ernail_ us the poems you wish to submit at radixmag intensifies. The deception becomes @aol.qom.Then mat! us the $25 ollar submission fee: more complete, but he doesn't come. Radix Magazine, P.0: Box 4307, Berkeley CA, 94704. Finally, death itself confronts us at We vyillnot be able. to consider or turn any hard copies the small doorway. And then we s�nt to us. No more.than three po ms should be entered meet him, by surprise. He is there. with one submission fee. At that marvelous scene, as Aslan surprises everyone, he calls in people we didn't expect to see. He surprises us all by calling in the For more information on Ra ·x magazine, go to stars. He's Lord of it all. He keeps www.radixmagazine.com. his authority to the end and beyond.

Earl Palmer is the author of many books including Salvation by Surprise. He is Preaching Pastor of National Presybterian Church in Washington D.C. and directs Earl Palmer Ministries.

Painter Andrew Knaupp loves to cre­ ate art that is true to a story. To view more of Andrew's work go to www.artbyandrewk.com.

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