The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
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- For the film, see The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis. It was the first of The Chronicles of Narnia to be written, in 1950, and is the best known. However, chronologically in the series it comes second, after The Magician's Nephew which was written later. It has been adapted for television, radio and cinema.
A Walt Disney Pictures film, entitled The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was released on 9 December 2005.
Synopsis
Lucy and the Wardrobe
It is 1940. World War II has not long begun, and four children have been evacuated from London to the countryside because of the air-raids. The oldest of the four children is Peter (aged 14), followed by Susan (aged 12), Edmund (aged 10) and the youngest, Lucy, who is eight. They go to live with an elderly professor called Digory Kirke, who lives in a big house with his housekeeper Mrs Macready and his three servants.
One day, the four children are exploring the house when they find a nearly empty room. They all move on after a few seconds except for Lucy, who looks inside a wardrobe and finds a snowy wood. She walks into the wood and reaches a lamp-post. A faun suddenly appears and introduces himself as Mr. Tumnus. He has never met a human before and invites Lucy back to his cave for tea. After they have finished tea, Mr. Tumnus tells Lucy that Narnia was once a beautiful place with wonderful weather, but it all changed one day when the land succumbed to endless winter. He then begins to play a tune on his flute, lulling Lucy to sleep. Before she has a chance to fall asleep, however, Mr. Tumnus begins to cry. He confesses to being in the pay of the White Witch, who was responsible for Narnia's neverending winter, and that he'd been given orders that if he ever saw a Son of Adam or a Daughter of Eve in the forest, he was to hand them over to her. Mr. Tumnus quickly decides to do the right thing, and says that there is no way he could hand Lucy over to the Witch. He agrees to walk her back to the lamp-post and make sure that she returns home safely.
Edmund and the Wardrobe
When Lucy leaves the wardrobe, she realises that the other three children are just a few feet out of the room. They don't believe her story and she gets very upset. Edmund is especially spiteful to her about the whole business and keeps asking her if she's found any new countries in wardrobes. Peter and Susan try to persuade Lucy to admit that it was all a joke, but she sticks to her word that there is a country in the wardrobe.
A few days later, the children are playing a game of hide and seek when Edmund follows Lucy to the room with the wardrobe. He enters Narnia but can't find Lucy anywhere. He walks deeper and deeper into the wood until a horse-drawn sledge appears. It has two occupants. The first is a dwarf sitting on the front of the sledge, the second is a great tall lady with a dead-white face sitting on a high seat at the back. The lady introduces herself as the Queen of Narnia. She questions Edmund and gets him to admit that he is a human. Eventually she becomes friendly with him and with her magic wand gives him the food he would like to taste best in all the world — Turkish Delight.
The Queen is very inquisitive and gets Edmund to tell her that he has two sisters - one of them has been in Narnia before and had tea with a faun — and one brother. The fact that there are four children seems to interest the Queen. She promises to make him a Prince — and later a King — and give him more Turkish Delight when he returns to Narnia, but he must bring the others with him. She then bids farewell and Edmund walks back to the lamp-post.
Lucy suddenly appears and tells Edmund that she has been to see Mr. Tumnus, and that the White Witch has not done anything to him for protecting her. Edmund realises from Lucy's description that the White Witch is no other than the Queen of Narnia that he has just made friends with. But he is still determined to taste that Turkish Delight again more than anything else.
Back on This Side of the Door
When Edmund and Lucy find the other two children, Lucy tells them that they have both been in Narnia. Edmund then tells them that he and Lucy have been playing a game, pretending that the country in the wardrobe is real. Lucy gets upset and runs off. Peter is angry with Edmund for encouraging Lucy about the country in the wardrobe, which he still thinks is a hoax. Peter and Susan then decide to go and see the professor about Lucy's 'fictional' country in the wardrobe, and he tells them that there could well be such a place.
After that, Edmund stops teasing Lucy about the country in the wardrobe and all four children manage to enjoy themselves. For a while it looks as though the whole business with the wardrobe had come to an end. But that was not to be.
Back in Narnia
One day, the four children are exploring the house when they bump into Mrs Macready, who is showing some visitors around. They have been told to stay out of the way when visitors are being shown around the house, and make a run for the wardrobe. Mrs Macready is showing the visitors around the wardrobe room and the four children manage to hide in the wardrobe just in time to avoid being caught. They then notice light in the back of the wardrobe and walk towards it to find themselves in a snowy wood. Peter realises that they are in Narnia. Edmund then tells them that they should be heading towards the lamp-post and Peter, realizing that Edmund obviously knew of this place beforehand, is furious with him for implying that Lucy was telling lies.
Lucy then says that they should go and see Mr. Tumnus. But when they reach his cave they find him gone and the place ransacked. A note has been left behind. It is from Maugrim, Chief of the White Witch's Secret Police. Mr. Tumnus has been arrested and is awaiting his trial on charges of high treason, 'for comforting Her Majesty's enemies, harbouring spies, and - above all - fraternizing with humans'. Lucy realises that she is the human that Mr. Tumnus had been fraternizing with. She is determined to save him.
The children soon see a beaver and he calls for them to come closer. They soon realise that the beaver is good, and he urges them to speak as quietly as possible since the trees themselves are sentient and there are some that could be spies for the Witch. He gives Lucy a handkerchief (the one she gave to Mr. Tumnus when he was crying), and tells her that Mr. Tumnus gave him the handkerchief just before his arrest. They then go back to Mr. Beaver's house on the top of the river dam, where Mrs. Beaver is making their tea.
Mr. and Mrs. Beaver
After having tea in safety, Mr Beaver begins to tell the children that Aslan is on the move. Aslan is the great lion from across the sea who has not been to Narnia for many years. And now that he is coming, the White Witch's reign may be drawing to a close. Mr. Beaver also has the chance to tell the children about what has happened to Mr. Tumnus. He has, without a doubt, been taken away by the Secret Police to the White Witch's castle. Mr. Beaver is unsure about Mr. Tumnus's exact fate, but not many people taken in the castle ever come out again. The few people who have come out say that the courtyard, the stairways and the hall are full of statues; statues of people she has turned to stone.
Mr. Beaver then explains to the children that they will be going to meet Aslan at the Stone Table, which is a long walk from the house on top of the dam. He also tells them about a prophecy, which stated that when two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve sit on the Four Thrones at Cair Paravel (the capital of Narnia, down on the coast), then it will not only be the end of the White Witch's reign, but of her life. And that is why Mr. Beaver and the children had to be so cautious as they came along, for if the Witch had known about the four children then she'd have been more dangerous than ever.
Everyone had been listening so closely to what Mr. Beaver was saying that they had noticed nothing else for a long time. Then Lucy notices that Edmund has vanished. Everyone searches the small house for him and they run outside shouting his name, but he is nowhere to be seen. Mr. Beaver tells everyone that they will be going at once. Peter says that they should split into search parties and go off in different directions. Mr Beaver says there is no point looking for Edmund because they already know where he's gone. The three children don't understand what Mr Beaver means. He then explains that Edmund has gone to the White Witch. He asks if Edmund has ever been in this country before on his own, and Lucy says that he has. This convinces Mr Beaver that Edmund has met the White Witch and joined her side, as he had the look of someone who had been with the Witch. It was something that you could tell if you had lived long in Narnia, something about the eyes.
Mr Beaver then orders everyone to start packing their bags because there isn't a moment to lose.
The White Witch's House
Edmund had sneaked out of the Beaver's house while the conversation was in full swing and made his way to the White Witch's house. He first encounters Maugrim the wolf, Chief of Secret Police, and explains to him that he is the Son of Adam who had met the White Witch in the forest a few days earlier. Maugrim then returns and tells Edmund to come inside. Edmund then approaches the White Witch and she is furious with him for coming alone. He explains to her that he has brought his brother and sisters with him into Narnia and that they are down at the Beaver's house. He also tells her that Aslan has come to Narnia as well. The Witch is shocked and immediately orders one of her slave dwarves to prepare the sledge without bells - 'We'll creep up silently and burst upon them!' she comments to herself. She also orders Maugrim to take with him the swiftest of his wolves and head at once to the house of the Beavers, and to kill anyone he finds. If they are already gone, he must make all speed to the Stone Table and wait for her in hiding.
When the sledge is ready, Edmund joins the Witch and her dwarf on the long journey to the Stone Table. It lasts for hours and hours, all through the night.
The Spell Begins to Break
Meanwhile, the Beavers and the three children are preparing for their long walk to the Stone Table. It is dark by now, and they walk for several miles in the snow. Mr Beaver is careful to lead Mrs Beaver, Peter, Susan and Lucy on a route that the White Witch would not be able to reach on her sledge.
Maugrim and another wolf have reached the Beaver's house but find it empty. There are no tracks and the scent is cold, so Maugrim does not try and find the Beavers and the children. He and his sidekick make all speed for the Stone Table.
Mr Beaver leads his wife and the three children to a concealed large hole in the ground, which is a hiding place for beavers in bad times. They have something to eat and drink, and everyone is soon asleep.
In the early morning, a sledge is heard approaching. For a few tense moments, Mr. Beaver investigates and returns to say that there is no need for alarm. The reason for that reassurance is that the sledge is Father Christmas' who, with the Witch's spell losing power, is finally able to enter Narnia. He comes bearing gifts for the fugitives: a sword and shield for Peter, a bow and quiver and a hunting horn for Susan, a dagger and a vial of magic cordial that can immediately heal any injury for Lucy. Mr. Beaver's dam is now fully repaired, there is a new sewing machine back at the lodge for Mrs. Beaver, and a sumptuous breakfast is provided for the whole group to enjoy.
Meanwhile, Edmund begins to realize he has made a terrible mistake siding with the Queen when they encounter a group of creatures enjoying a feast provided by Father Christmas. When they refuse to deny the provider of the repast, the Queen vindictively turns them all to stone over Edmund's protests.
The Stone Table
The Beavers and the three children reach the Stone Table and by now there is no snow left at all. They meet Aslan and his people, and Aslan sends off a rescue party of animals including winged horses to go and rescue Edmund.
While Aslan is showing Peter the view of Cair Paravel, where he will be made High King, Susan suddenly starts blowing her horn. Peter rushes towards the Stone Table and finds people running around and screaming. A wolf is standing on the Stone Table and Peter begins to fight him with his sword. Peter finally manages to kill the wolf and is credited as 'Lord Peter Wolf's Bane' by Aslan.
The wolf killed by Peter was Maugrim, Chief of Secret Police. His sidekick flees the Stone Table and eventually finds the White Witch. He tells her that Maugrim has been killed by a Son of Adam who was at the Stone Table with Aslan. The White Witch then decides that there is no need for her to go to the Stone Table, and she sharpens her stone knife in preparation to kill Edmund.
Suddenly, Aslan's creatures appear and rescue Edmund. He is taken back to the Stone Table and, after a long private discussion with Aslan, is reconciled with his brother and sisters. Soon afterwards, the Witch's dwarf appears and asks Aslan's permission for the Witch to have safe conduct to talk to Aslan. Aslan agrees and a few minutes later the White Witch arrives, demanding the return of Edmund - claiming that he is a traitor and that the Deep Magic from the Dawn of Time means that all traitors are her property. Aslan then tells everyone that he will talk to the Witch alone. Minutes later he returns and announces that he has resettled the claim on Edmund's blood.
Deep Magic From the Dawn of Time
That night, Susan and Lucy notice that Aslan is missing from the encampment and go out to look for him. They find him nearby and walk with him until they reach the Stone Table. He orders them to hide nearby because it was not safe, and they soon see why. The White Witch and her people are standing around the Stone Table, and Aslan approaches them. He does not fight back as they humiliate and tie him to the Stone Table. The Witch finally kills Aslan after saying that she will go back on their deal and kill Edmund as well. Then the Witch and her army leave the Stone Table, convinced that they have achieved victory.
Deeper Magic from Before the Dawn of Time
Susan and Lucy remain at the Stone Table all night and during that time they notice hundreds of mice biting away at the cords which hold Aslan's dead body to the table. After dawn has broken, they hear a loud rumbling noise from by the table. They notice that the table has cracked in half and Aslan has gone. Lucy reckons that it is magic. A voice from behind her says 'Yes, more magic!'. It is Aslan, alive again.
In response to their surprised questions, he explains that if the Witch could only have seen "a little further back", then "she would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward."
The Great Battle
Aslan then takes Susan and Lucy on his back for a ride in the sky, and they finally land in the courtyard of the White Witch's castle. Aslan restores hundreds of statues, including Mr Tumnus. Another of the previously stricken, Giant Rumblebuffin, kicks open the gate to free all the prisoners and Aslan leads the group to where the lion's army is about to go to war with the White Witch and her army.
The White Witch begins to turn some of Aslan's ranks into stone while several others are wounded by the Witch's army. Realizing that the weapon has to be immediately neutralized, Edmund smashes the Witch's wand with his sword, just as she was about to turn one of Aslan's satyrs into stone. She then knocks Edmund unconscious with her severed wand, only to be chased away by several members of Aslan's army who arrive to join the battle.
Peter's army had been faltering against the Witch's troops, and was desperately in need of relief. When Aslan's fresh troops arrive, they see Peter and the Witch dueling furiously. As the reinforcements enter the battle, the great lion roars and flings himself on the witch, destroying her. Aslan and his army are jubilant, while the remnants of the White Witch's army either give themselves up or flee. With the battle concluded, Lucy attends to the wounded with the magic cordial with the gravely wounded Edmund being the first administered.
Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are later crowned kings and queens of Narnia at Cair Paravel and rule for many happy years.
The Hunting of the White Stag
The Pevensies have ruled for many happy years in Narnia and they all but forgot their previous lives before coming to the realm. One day, rumors spread that a white stag is on the loose in Narnia. If it is captured, then it will give a wish to anyone who catches it. The kings and queens are out on horseback one day when they spot it in the Wild Woods of the West. They eventually lose track of the stag and dismount their horses. The monarchs then pass the lamp-post which they had seen on entering Narnia many years before. They continue walking until they pass through the wardrobe and return to the spare room in the professor's house. In the transition, they are immediately restored to as they were when they last passed through the wardrobe, save the addition of their full memories of their years in Narnia. Mrs Macready is still outside with the visitors, and Peter realises that no more than a few minutes have passed since they went into the wardrobe.
The four children then tell the professor all about their adventures in Narnia. He tells them that they will not be able to get into Narnia through the wardrobe again, and this was proved correct.
Commentary
The story takes inspiration from the Gospel themes of betrayal, death, resurrection and redemption. The "Deep Magic from the Dawn of Time," and "Deeper Magic from Before the Dawn of Time" can be seen as similar to the Old and New Covenants of Christianity, respectively. There is a nod in the direction of the Trinity concept, with Aslan in the Christ-role and a passing reference to the "Emperor over Sea" as God the Father. The children form a disciple-group around Aslan, with Edmund as Judas and Peter the High King as St Peter. The two girls also follow Biblical precedent through being first to see the resurrected Aslan. In addition, there are various allusions to Christ's execution, including the humiliation prior to his death and the splitting of the curtain in the Temple, represented by the cracking of the stone table. The book is not intended to be a re-telling of Biblical stories in another form; it simply borrows ideas from them so as to illustrate basic conceptions of Christianity (and some other ideas as well — Platonic philosophy among them).
Modern perspectives
Though some may view the values in Lewis's books as being more traditional than modern or postmodern, the book, does however, remain popular with children and adults alike due to its values and good story line. At the end of this book, Lewis tells us that the four children grew to adulthood in Narnia, turning into a kind of Arthurian Camelot (complete with a semi-Shakespearean register), with their lives in England almost completely forgotten until they stumble back into the wardrobe, instantly shedding the years and turning back into schoolchildren. In Narnia, they had been on the verge of maturity, being courted by Narnian humans, and the subtext suggests that this was the reason they were ejected back into an earlier, more innocent stage of life. Some critics have suggested (from this and later material) that Lewis may have regarded some forms of sexual maturity as something of a fallen state, such as in "The Last Battle", when Susan is described with some disgust as having lost interest in Narnia and become more concerned with "lipstick, nylons and invitations". In later adventures in the Narnia series, the children do not visit for such a subjectively long time, returning home as soon as their immediate involvement is completed. The above quote also suggests Susan had left behind her religion as so many children do upon reaching their teenage years.
| The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis The World of Narnia | ||
| The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | Prince Caspian | The Voyage of the Dawn Treader The Silver Chair | The Horse and His Boy | The Magician's Nephew | The Last Battle | ||
| Books | Characters | Places |
de:Der König von Narnia it:Il leone, la strega e l'armadio ja:ライオンと魔女 nl:Het betoverde land achter de kleerkast sv:Häxan och lejonet pt:O Leão, A Feiticeira e o Guarda-Roupa
