Opening
Bibliographic Information:
The
Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia Series) / by
C. S. Lewis
ISBN-13:
9780064471046 / HarperCollins Publishers
p. 224 / $6.99 (Barnes & Noble)
1950
Body of Content
Summary: In
this novel – the first in the series written by the author, but the second
chronologically in the series – Lewis tells the story of four young siblings –
of Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter – who stay in a mansion in the English
countryside – in order to avoid the city bombing during WWII. In this mansion, they soon discover a magical
wardrobe that leads to an even more magical kingdom. They encounter various talking animals – a
fawn, some beavers, etc. – who tell them that their kingdom is under the spell
of the White Witch – stuck in a perpetual winter – but that the siblings’
arrival could change the events of their world.
The animals long for the return of their true king, Aslan – and when he
does return – the children must face the prospects of all that they have heard
of this magical place.
Critique: C. S.
Lewis’ tale is basically an allegory for the death of Jesus Christ – with Aslan
the Lion as the messianic translation.
According to this Narnia
novel, Aslan’s death acts as a sacrifice – corresponding to the atonement model
dealing with substitutionary atonement.
Theologians have long asked the question – “how” exactly is Jesus’ death
meaningful? Various explanations – or
“atonement models” – have been submitted over the centuries by scholars and
theologians to articulate doctrines attached to the personhood of Jesus Christ.
What is interesting is that Lewis chooses the
“substitutionary atonement” model – which in itself is the view popular within
the last few centuries – and overall, provides a very Western way of looking at
the issues – but it is not the only explanation given – nor is it the dominant
view throughout church history.
I wonder what the Chronicles
of Narnia would look like – particularly how the story of the Witch vs.
Aslan would play out differently – or what the outcomes of the children’s lives
would look like – if Lewis had chosen another atonement model as the basis for
his work – if he had chosen the “Christus Victor” model – or the “Ransom Theory”
– or the “Satisfaction Theory” – or the more recently lobbied “Betrayal Model”.
All of these models could work within the Narnia story –
but doing so would require different approaches to character development, a
different literary climax, and subsequently an altered denouement. While such a proposal – of altering the basis
for a work – seems a little far-fetched, the novel’s chief purpose is to
explain the meaning of Aslan. Lewis
takes – what I would call the safe route – by electing to use the
substitutionary model. A more creative
and clever rendition could have occurred if the novel utilized some of the
other atonement models. This is not a
fault of Lewis’ work – but at the least, I wish to expose a basic assumption on
Lewis’ part – that, for him, the substitutionary model is chief.
Teaser: Four British youngsters
enter a land of fantasy and magic – and they find themselves at the heart of an
ancient struggle.
Information about the Author: C. S. Lewis was an English
author and professor at Oxford – teaching classes dealing with literature –
particularly those dealing with medieval literature and mythologies. The famed author was also friends with J.R.R.
Tolkien, as they both taught at the same university. Lewis credits Tolkien as a key person in his
conversion to Christianity.
Lewis’ works include many apologetic and religious books,
including Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, A Grief Observed, The
Space Trilogy, The Great Divorce, along with seven entries into the Narnia canon.
Supplemental Material
Genre: Christian Fiction /
Fantasy
Curriculum Ties: Religion
– allegory, mythology
Booktalking Ideas: 1) Can
four brave, young souls sway the outcome of an epic battle between good and
evil? 2) What role does the story’s setting during WWII affect other aspects of
the storytelling process?
Reading Level: The Narnia books follow the
“two under rule” – where a library collection should also have resources that
fit two years below the marketed range.
And in this manner, the book is likely read by 12-15 year-old teens.
Challenge Issues and Defense: The religious, allegorical
content could offend some parents – particular if held in a public school. The best defense is to have a wide range of
fantasy titles – from various worldviews – including the Golden Compass book from His
Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman – which basically, by the author’s
own admission, is an allegory for atheism.
Personal Reasons for Inclusion: The
book represents a lighter title within the fantasy genre.
Last Thoughts
References: n/a
Listening to (Music):
Artist – Hans Zimmer / Album – “The Dark Knight (Movie
Soundtrack)”
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