Tolkien Tuesday: Reading "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: Chapters 1-4"
The second book in "The Chronicles of Narnia" is even more enchanting than its predecessor, in large part because of the presence of the remarkable Pevensie children.
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Welcome to Tolkien Tuesdays, where I talk about various things that I love about the lore and writings of Tolkien, whether in a chapter reading or a character study or an essay or even writings about other, related authors (such as C.S. Lewis). I hope you enjoy reading these ruminations as much as I enjoy writing them and, if you have a moment, I’d love it if you’d subscribe to this newsletter. It’s free, but there are paid options, as well, if you’re of a mind to support a struggling writer. Either way, thank you for joining me!
Of all of the books in The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is without a doubt my favorite. This is hardly unique to me, of course, but as soon as I started this re-read I thought to myself, “This is why people fall in love with this series. This is why it continues to enchant readers even after so many decades. This is the sort of quietly epic fairy tale that Lewis was positioned to write, and as I read the first four chapters I kept thinking to myself: yes, this is why I fell in love with fantasy all of those years ago.
There’s something whimsical and charming about the opening pages of this book, as the Pevensie children are sent into the English countryside to escape from the ravages of the Second World War. In just a few short pages, Lewis immediately juxtaposes the magic and wonder of the story to come with the menace of the modern world. And yet, at the same time, he also establishes a mirroring, too, for just as the Allies have to fight against the belligerent and pernicious forces of the Axis in our world, so the Pevensie children will also find themselves tasked with opposing the White Witch who, like her counterparts in our world, believes that it is her right to dominate all of those who she deems inferior (which is to say, everyone).
Indeed, very shortly after Lucy arrives, it becomes clear that not all is well with Narnia. In the centuries since she first came to the land, Jadis has managed to not only survive but also bring the entire realm under her dominion. For those who reading the books in chronological order, it’s hard not to feel a shiver of recognition when Tumnus speaks of the White Witch for, even before she arrives in her sleigh, we can’t help but be aware of just who it is that has taken over Narnia and laid it under a spell of eternal winter. Likewise, it’s tempting to just reach into the pages and shake some sense into Edmund, since even a child, even one as petulant as he is, should surely recognize that this particular figure is bad news, indeed.
At the same time, one can’t help but be drawn to this formidable woman in all of her pale, statuesque beauty. I know I waxed lyrical about how drawn I was to her in The Magician’s Nephew, and that is even more the case here. Everything about her, from the way that she’s described to the amount of power that she now clearly wields in Narnia, casts a spell on us as much as it does on Edmund. After all, the last we saw of her, back at the end of The Magician’s Nephew, she was at least somewhat humbled, though clearly still primed to make a comeback. Now, she has done so and, though she might clearly be evil, one also admires her sheer tenacity.
Lucy makes for a lovely protagonist, with all of the innocence and wide-eyed wonder that we could expect. Unlike her siblings, who are either too “mature” (Peter and Susan) or too petulant (Edmund), she genuinely seems to have a sense of adventure, which is precisely what leads her to go into the wardrobe in the first place. While it may be going too far to say that she has a deep spiritual connection to this piece of furniture and the world into which it leads, I also don’t think this is too far off the mark.
Edmund, on the other hand, couldn’t be more different. From the moment we meet him it’s clear that, to put it quite bluntly, he’s quite a little shit, which explains why he’s so easily led astray by the White Witch. Say what you will about this formidable sorceress, but she is undoubtedly quite skilled when it comes to understanding human nature and exploiting the weaknesses of others and, given that Edmund is weak-willed even by human standards, it’s hardly a surprise that he immediately falls under her sway. After all, it’s not every young person who would essentially sell their soul for Turkish delight (which isn’t as bad as some people say it is, by the way).
Standing somewhat between the two of them is Mister Tumnus, the delightful faun that Lucy encounters during her first trip to Narnia. Lewis expertly immerses us in the strange, whimsical world that he inhabits and, for all that he has clearly allied himself with the White Witch, he has a conscience that keeps him from falling utterly into evil. A lesser creature than he is would have just gone ahead with his original plan to turn Lucy in to the Witch, particularly since not doing so is almost certain to have very severe consequences. Lucy, however, is one of those characters who just seems to change the very world the moment that she enters it. Narnia will never be the same, and it will certainly be much better for her arrival.
It’s obviously quite easy to enjoy The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe without having read The Magician’s Nephew–that’s how I encountered it all those years ago–but there’s something even better about having read the prequel and leaping right into the action of the original novel. We now have a better idea of just how this world works, and the knowledge of what Narnia was when it was first created makes Jadis’ conquest of it all the more poignant and even devastating. We know, even if Lucy and the others do not, just how beautiful this land was before the White Witch made it her icy domain, and it’s for this reason that we want them to succeed.
That’s all for this installment. Join me next week as we continue our journey through one of the true classics of children’s fantasy literature!