The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The
Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
is a fantasy novel
for children by C. S. Lewis,
published by Geoffrey Bles in 1950.
It is the first published and best known of seven novels in The Chronicles of Narnia (1950–1956). Among all the author's books, it is also the
most widely held in libraries.[2] Although it was originally the first of The Chronicles
of Narnia, it is volume two in recent editions that are sequenced by the
stories' chronology. Like the other Chronicles, it was illustrated by Pauline
Baynes, and her work has been retained in
many later editions.[1][3]
Most
of the novel is set in Narnia, a land of talking animals and mythical creatures
that is ruled by the evil White
Witch. In the frame
story, four English children are
relocated to a large, old country house following a wartime
evacuation. The youngest, Lucy, visits Narnia
three times via the magic of a wardrobe in a spare room. Lucy's three siblings are with her on her
third visit to Narnia. In Narnia, the siblings seem fit to fulfill an old
prophecy and find themselves adventuring to save Narnia and their own lives.
The lion Aslan gives his life to save one of the children; he later rises from
the dead, vanquishes the White Witch, and crowns the children Kings and Queens
of Narnia.
Lewis
wrote the book for (and dedicated it to) his goddaughter, Lucy
Barfield. She was the daughter of Owen
Barfield, Lewis's friend, teacher, adviser
and trustee.[4] In 2003, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was
ranked ninth on the BBC's
The
Big Read poll.[5] Time magazine included the novel in its list of the 100 Best
Young-Adult Books of All Time.[6]
Plot summary
Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie are evacuated from London in 1940, to escape the
Blitz and sent to live with an old professor
(named in a later book as Digory
Kirke) at a large house in the English
countryside.
Soon
after arriving at the professor's house, the children are exploring the place
when Lucy enters a wardrobe that leads her into snowy woodland with a
lamp-post. Lucy meets Tumnus,
a faun who befriends her and informs her that she is in the land
of Narnia. He invites her to have tea with him at his cave. Eventually, he
reveals that he is in the pay of the White
Witch, a ruler who has kept Narnia frozen
in a perpetual winter and who has given out orders that any human found in
Narnia was to be captured and handed over to her. Tumnus then repents and
realises that he cannot hand Lucy over to the Witch. He guides Lucy back to the
lamppost. Once there, she returns to her own world by re-entering the wardrobe
and finds that only a few seconds have passed there during her absence. None of
her siblings believe her story about Narnia; upon inspection, the back of the
wardrobe appears solid and leads nowhere.
Lucy
enters the wardrobe again, and it again leads her into Narnia. This time,
Edmund follows Lucy and also enters Narnia, but is unable to find his sister.
Upon arriving in Narnia, Edmund encounters a great lady on a reindeer-drawn
sleigh. She introduces herself as the Queen of Narnia, and plies him with sweet
Turkish Delight.
She is keen to find out as much as possible about Edmund, and is particularly
interested in the fact that he has a brother and two sisters. She promises to
reward Edmund with more Turkish Delight if he brings his brother and sisters to
her house, and also promises to make him a prince and eventually King of
Narnia. She then departs and when Edmund reaches the lamp-post, Lucy catches up
with him. During their conversation about Narnia, Lucy tells Edmund that she
has been to visit Tumnus the faun, and that the White Witch has done nothing to
him for letting her go on her first visit. When Lucy describes the White Witch,
Edmund realises that the Witch is no other than the lady he has just made
friends with, but he remains quiet about his meeting with her. When they
returned to their own world, however, Edmund decides to make out that Lucy has
been telling lies about the country in the wardrobe, much to her dismay. Peter
is angry with Edmund for his supposed encouragement and jeering towards Lucy
over her "imaginary" country, and quickly agrees with Susan that they
need to speak to the professor, as they fear that Lucy is going mad. The
professor, however, suggests that Lucy's story may well be true - particularly
as Peter and Susan always saw her as the more honest sibling, and it is perfect
obvious in the professor's opinion that Lucy is not mad.
Soon
afterwards, all four children enter Narnia together while hiding in the
wardrobe from the housekeeper, Mrs. Macready, who was giving a tour of the
house to some visitors. Lucy leads the group to Tumnus's cave, only to find
that it has been ransacked and that the faun is under arrest on a charge of
treason against the Queen of Narnia (the White Witch), as mentioned in a letter
signed by Maugrim, chief of the White Witch's secret police. The children are
befriended by Mr. Beaver,
a talking animal who takes them to his home. He informs them that Tumnus was
last seen heading northwards - in the direction of the White Witch's castle -
after being arrested by the secret police. His exact fate is unknown, but few
people who have been taken into the castle have ever come out again - the
courtyard, stairway and hall are reportedly full of statues of Narnians she has
turned to stone. He and his wife tell the children about a prophecy that the
Witch's tyranny will end when "two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of
Eve" sit on the four thrones of Cair
Paravel, and that Narnia's true ruler — the
great lion Aslan — is at last arriving in Narnia, and they will be meeting
him tomorrow at the Stone Table.
Edmund
slips away to the Witch's castle. In the courtyard, he is surprised by the many
statues of Narnians the Witch has turned to stone. He first encounters Maugrim,
who allows him to enter the castle. The Witch is furious that Edmund has come
alone, and is angrier still to learn that Aslan — her enemy — has arrived in
Narnia. She prepares to head to the Stone Table with Edmund in tow and her
dwarf driving the sledge. She also orders Maugrim to take with him the swiftest
of his wolves and kill Edmund's siblings and the beavers, and to head to the
Stone Table if the children and beavers are already gone.
Meanwhile,
the children and the beavers notice Edmund's absence, and Mr Beaver was quick
to reach the conclusion that Edmund had gone to the White Witch. They prepare
for a long journey with the other children to meet Aslan. They finally reach a
hiding place after walking for several miles in order to get some sleep. They
are greeted the next morning by Father Christmas, who had been kept out of
Narnia by the Witch's magic - this is the first major sign that the Witch's
power is crumbling. By the time they have reached the Stone Table to meet
Aslan, the snow has melted and winter has ended.
Maugrim then approaches the camp and attempts to attack Susan, but
is killed by Peter. Aslan sends a rescue party for Edmund; it arrives just in
time to save him from the Witch, who had decided to kill him. The Witch parleys
with Aslan, invoking the "Deep Magic from the Dawn of Time" which
gives her the right to kill Edmund for his treason. Aslan then speaks to the
Witch alone, and on his return he announces that the Witch has renounced her
claim on Edmund's life. Aslan and his followers then move the encampment on
into the nearby forest.
That
evening, Susan and Lucy follow Aslan, who leads them to the Stone Table. They
watch from a distance as the Witch puts Aslan to death - as they had agreed in
their pact to spare Edmund. After the Witch and her followers depart to prepare
for battle against Aslan's followers, Susan and Lucy remain with Aslan's body.
In the morning, the girls find the Stone Table broken and Aslan restored to
life. Aslan explains that the "Deeper Magic from before the Dawn of
Time" has the power to reverse death if a willing victim takes the place
of a traitor. Aslan takes the girls to the Witch's house and revives the
Narnians that the Witch had turned to stone, including Tumnus and a giant named
Rumblebuffin. They join the Narnian forces battling the Witch's army. The
Narnian army prevails, and Aslan kills the Witch. The Pevensie children are
then crowned kings and queens of Narnia at Cair Paravel.
After
a long and happy reign, the adult Pevensies go on a hunt for the White Stag who
is said to grant the wishes of those who catch it. The four arrive at the
lamppost and, having forgotten about it, unintentionally return through the
wardrobe when they were looking for new adventures. When they return to
England, they are children again, with no time having passed since their
departure. They tell the story to the professor, who believes them and
reassures the children that they will return to Narnia one day when they least
expect it.
Main characters
- Lucy is the youngest of four siblings. In some respects, she is the primary protagonist of the story. She is the first to discover the land of Narnia, which she enters inadvertently when she steps into a wardrobe while exploring the Professor's house. When Lucy tells her three siblings about Narnia, they do not believe her: Peter and Susan think she is just playing a game, while Edmund persistently ridicules her. In Narnia, she is crowned Queen Lucy the Valiant.
- Edmund is the second-youngest of four siblings. He has a bad relationship with his brother and sisters. Edmund is known to be a liar, and often harasses Lucy. Lured by the White Witch's promise of power and an unlimited supply of magical treats, Edmund betrays his siblings. He later repents and helps defeat the White Witch. He is eventually crowned King Edmund the Just.
- Susan is the second-oldest sibling. She does not believe in Narnia until she actually goes there. She and Lucy accompany Aslan on the journey to the Stone Table, where he allows the Witch to take his life in place of Edmund's. Tending to Aslan's carcass, she removes a muzzle from him to restore his dignity and oversees a horde of mice who gnaw away his bonds. She then shares the joy of his resurrection and the endeavor to bring reinforcements to a critical battle. Susan is crowned Queen Susan the Gentle.
- Peter is the eldest sibling. He judiciously settles disputes between his younger brother and sisters, often rebuking Edmund for his attitude. Peter also disbelieves Lucy's stories about Narnia until he sees it for himself. He is hailed as a hero for the slaying of Maugrim and for his command in the battle to overthrow the White Witch. He is crowned High King of Narnia and dubbed King Peter the Magnificent.
- Aslan, a lion, is the rightful King of Narnia and other magic countries. He sacrifices himself to save Edmund, but is resurrected in time to aid the denizens of Narnia and the Pevensie children against the White Witch and her minions. As the "son of the Emperor beyond the sea" (an allusion to God the Father), Aslan is the all-powerful creator of Narnia. Lewis revealed that he wrote Aslan as a portrait, although not an allegorical portrait, of Christ.[7]
- The White Witch is the land's self-proclaimed queen and the primary antagonist of the story. Her spell on Narnia has made winter persist for a hundred years with no end in sight. When provoked, she turns creatures to stone with her wand. She fears the fulfillment of a prophecy that "two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve" (meaning two male humans and two female humans) will supplant her. She is usually referred to as "the White Witch", or just "the Witch". Her actual name, "Jadis," appears once in the notice left on Tumnus's door after his arrest. Lewis later wrote a prequel to include her back story and account for her presence in the Narnian world.
- The Professor is a kindly old gentleman who takes the children in when they are evacuated from London. He is the first to believe that Lucy did indeed visit a land called Narnia. He tries to convince the others logically that she did not make it up. After the children return from Narnia, he assures them that they will return one day. The book hints that he knows more of Narnia than he lets on (hints expanded upon in later books of the series).
- Tumnus, a faun, is the first individual Lucy (who calls him "Mr. Tumnus") meets in Narnia. Tumnus befriends Lucy, despite the White Witch's standing order to turn in any human he finds. He initially plans to obey the order but, after getting to like Lucy, he cannot bear to alert the Witch's forces. He instead escorts her back towards the safety of her own country. His good deed is later given away to the Witch by Edmund. The witch orders Tumnus arrested and turns him to stone, but he is later restored to life by Aslan.
- Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, two beavers, are friends of Tumnus. They play host to Peter, Susan and Lucy and lead them to Aslan.
Writing
Lewis
described the origin of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in an essay
titled "It All Began with a Picture":[8]
The Lion all began with a picture of a Faun carrying
an umbrella and parcels in a snowy wood. This picture had been in my mind since
I was about sixteen. Then one day, when I was about forty, I said to myself:
'Let's try to make a story about it.'
Shortly
before the Second World War many children were evacuated from London to the
English countryside to escape bomber attacks on London by Nazi Germany. On 2
September 1939 three school girls, Margaret, Mary and Katherine,[9][10] came to live at The
Kilns in Risinghurst, Lewis's home three miles east of Oxford city centre. Lewis later suggested that the experience gave
him a new appreciation of children and in late September[11]
he began a children's story on an odd sheet that has survived as part of
another manuscript:
This book is about four children whose names were Ann,
Martin, Rose and Peter. But it is most about Peter who was the youngest. They
all had to go away from London suddenly because of Air Raids, and because
Father, who was in the Army, had gone off to the War and Mother was doing some
kind of war work. They were sent to stay with a kind of relation of Mother's
who was a very old professor who lived all by himself in the country.[12]
How
much more of the story Lewis then wrote is uncertain. Roger Lancelyn Green thinks that he might even have completed it. In September
1947 Lewis wrote in a letter about stories for children: "I have tried one
myself but it was, by the unanimous verdict of my friends, so bad that I
destroyed it."[13]
The
plot element of entering a new world through the back of a wardrobe had
certainly entered Lewis's mind by 1946, when he used it to describe his first
encounter with really good poetry:
I did not in the least feel that I was getting in more
quantity or better quality a pleasure I had already known. It was more as if a
cupboard which one had hitherto valued as a place for hanging coats proved one
day, when you opened the door, to lead to the garden of the Hesperides ...[14]
In
August 1948, during a visit by an American writer, Chad Walsh, Lewis talked
vaguely about completing a children's book he had begun "in the tradition
of E.
Nesbit".[15] After this conversation not much happened until the
beginning of the next year. Then everything changed. In his essay "It All
Began With a Picture" Lewis continues: "At first I had very little
idea how the story would go. But then suddenly Aslan came bounding into it. I
think I had been having a good many dreams of lions about that time. Apart from
that, I don't know where the Lion came from or why he came. But once he was
there, he pulled the whole story together, and soon he pulled the six other
Narnian stories in after him."[16]
The
major ideas of the book echo lines Lewis had written fourteen years earlier in
his alliterative poem The Planets:
... Of wrath ended
And woes mended, of winter passed
And guilt forgiven, and good fortune
JOVE is master; and of jocund revel,
Laughter of ladies. The lion-hearted
... are Jove's children.[17]
This
resonance is a central component of the case, promoted chiefly by Oxford
University scholar Michael Ward,
for the seven Chronicles having been modelled upon the seven classical
astrological planets, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe upon Jupiter.[18]
On
10 March 1949 Roger Lancelyn Green dined with Lewis at Magdalen College. After the meal Lewis read two chapters from his new
children's story to Green. Lewis asked Green's opinion of the tale and Green
said that he thought it was good. The manuscript of The Lion, the Witch and
the Wardrobe was complete by the end of March 1949. Lucy Barfield received
it by the end of May.[19] When on 16 October 1950 Geoffrey Bles in London published
the first edition, three new "chronicles", Prince Caspian, The
Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Horse and His Boy, had also been
completed.
Illustrations
Lewis's
publisher, Geoffrey Bles, allowed him to choose the illustrator for the novel
and the Narnia series. Lewis chose Pauline
Baynes, possibly based on J. R. R.
Tolkien's recommendation. In December 1949,
Bles showed Lewis the first drawings for the novel, and Lewis sent Baynes a
note congratulating her, particularly on the level of detail. Lewis's
appreciation of the illustrations is evident in a letter he wrote to Baynes
after The Last Battle
won the Carnegie Medal for best children's book of 1956: "is it not rather
'our' medal? I'm sure the illustrations were taken into account as well as the
text".[20]
The
British edition of the novel had 43 illustrations; American editions generally
had fewer. The popular United States paperback edition published by Collier
between 1970 and 1994, which sold many millions, had only 17 illustrations, many
of them severely cropped from the originals, giving many readers in that
country a very different experience when reading the novel. All the
illustrations were restored for the 1994 worldwide HarperCollins edition,
although these illustrations lacked the clarity of early printings.[21]
Reception
Lewis
very much enjoyed writing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and
embarked on the sequel Prince
Caspian soon after finishing the first
novel. He completed the sequel by end of 1949, less than a year after finishing
the initial book. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe had few readers
during 1949 and was not published until late in 1950, so his initial enthusiasm
did not stem from favourable reception by the public.[22]
While
Lewis is known today on the strength of the Narnia stories as a highly
successful children's writer, the initial critical response was muted. At the
time it was fashionable for children's stories to be realistic; fantasy and
fairy tales were seen as indulgent, appropriate only for very young readers and
potentially harmful to older children, even hindering their ability to relate
to everyday life. Some reviewers considered the tale overtly moralistic or the
Christian elements over-stated—attempts to indoctrinate children. Others were
concerned that the many violent incidents might frighten children.[23]
Lewis's
publisher, Geoffrey Bles, feared that the Narnia tales would not sell, and
might damage Lewis's reputation and affect sales of his other books.
Nevertheless, the novel and its successors were highly popular with young
readers, and Lewis's publisher was soon eager to release further Narnia
stories.[24]
In
the United States a 2004 study found that The Lion was a common
read-aloud book for seventh-graders in schools in San Diego County, California.[25] In 2005 it was included on TIME's unranked list of the 100 best
English-language novels published since 1923.[26] Based on a 2007 online poll, the U.S. National Education
Association named it one of "Teachers' Top
100 Books for Children".[27] In 2012 it was ranked number five among all-time children's
novels in a survey published by School Library Journal, a monthly with primarily U.S. audience.[28]
A
2012 survey by the University of Worcester determined that it was the second most common book that UK
adults had read as children, after Alice's Adventures
in Wonderland. (Adults, perhaps limited to
parents, ranked Alice and The Lion fifth and sixth as books the
next generation should read, or their children should read during their
lifetimes.)[29]
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