Fiction and Religion in The Chronicles of Narnia

The Author
Clive Staples Lewis or C. S. Lewis is the author of the 7 book series The Chronicles
of Narnia. He was born on November 29th 1898 in Belfast as the younger of two sons.
Around the age of 4, the family dog called Jacksie got killed by a car and since then
Lewis wouldnt answer to any other name but Jacksie. Later on he accepted Jack and thats
how his family and friends would always call him.
Lewis has written his autobiography and has entitled it Surprised by Joy. During his
childhood Jack writes about himself as being "a product of long corridors, empty sunlit
rooms, upstairs indoor silences, attics explored in solitude, distant noises of gurgling cisterns
and pipes, and the noise of wind under the tiles. Also, of endless books."
Jack Lewis's childhood was "humdrum, prosaic happiness". He and his brother,
Warren were close friends and they would spend long hours drawing and writing together.
They created their own imaginary world, ruled by anthropomorphic animals, which they
called Boxen. Chronicling the adventures of the inhabitants would keep the brothers occupied
for years to come.
Jacks parents were Protestants and all four of them went to church every Sunday, but
the subjects discussed were more of a political matter rather than statements of faith: an every
week demonstration that Protestants were not Catholics. Thus, Lewis associated Christianity
with the endless political debate he had to attend to every Sunday. This disgust would last into
his adulthood.
Jack and Warrens lives changed dramatically after their mother died of cancer in
1908. Lewis writes in his autobiography that "all settled happiness, all that was tranquil and
reliable, disappeared from my life. The two brothers became more reliant on each other, but
the relationship with their father became increasingly distant.
Lewis was schooled by private tutors before he and his brother were sent to a boarding
school called Wynyard in Hertfordshire in 1908. He found this place to be a dreadful one
because lessons consisted of learning by rote or being left with a slate and made to do sums.
The headmaster was a cruel man that would flog pupils out of no specific reason and he was
also believed to be insane. It was here that Jack first tried, on his own, to be a Christian by
praying every night, but he was distracted by worries about whether he was praying correctly
or not and did not make too much progress.
Jack and Warren stayed there until Wynyard was closed down soon afterwards from
lack of pupils. Jack was transferred to Campbell College about a mile away from home, but

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Fiction and Religion in The Chronicles of Narnia

was soon withdrawn due to respiratory problems. He was sent to the health resort town of
Malvern in Worcestershire where he attended preparatory school Cherbourg House. Now Jack
had definitely abandoned his childhood Christian faith and had become an atheist, interested
in mythology and the occult. He later describes his young self as being very angry with God
for not existing. In 1913 he enrolled at Malvern College, but found it socially competitive.
As a teenager, Lewis discovered the music of Richard Wagner whose epic operas from
the Ring Cycle introduced him to Norse mythology. The ancient literature of Scandinavia
preserved in the Icelandic sagas caused momentary but intense feelings which Jack couldnt
describe at first. He later called them Joy and wrote that it seemed like a desire for another
world: the stab, the pang, the inconsolable longing. Jack then realised he had felt Joy
before and threw himself into studying Norse mythology hoping to experience it again. His
teenage writings moved away from the world of Boxen and adopted a different form of art:
epic poetry and opera trying to capture his new interest in Norse mythology and nature. This
occupation sustained him throughout his time at Malvern College which he otherwise found
very difficult because of the older pupils who bullied the younger ones, including him.
Soon, Lewis left the college to study privately with William Kirkpatrick, his fathers
former tutor. Kirkpatricks teachings are referred to as The Great Knock in Lewiss
autobiography because it instilled in him a love for Greek mythology alongside Greek, Latin,
a wider appreciation for literature and an exacting method of debate. These were young Jacks
happiest days as he could study his favourite subjects and write as he pleased.
In 1916, Lewis was awarded a scholarship to University College, Oxford and he went
on studying there. Because the First World War had begun, Jack felt he had to do his part even
though as an Irishman he wasnt obliged to. One year later, he signed up and was sent to the
front as an army officer. The trench warfare experience affected him profoundly, but a
friendship changed his life. Jack met Edward Moore, an Irishman with whom he shared a
room and they became friends. They made a mutual agreement that if one of them would be
killed, the other would take care of both their families. Edward was killed in action, while
Jack was sent home with shrapnel wounds. Edward had earlier introduced Jack to his mother,
Jane Moore, and a friendship quickly sprang up between the two. Jack was 18, while Mrs.
Moore was 45. The friendship with Mrs. Moore was particularly important to Jack while he
was recovering in hospital, as his father never visited and he suffered from depression and
homesickness. He saw a maternal figure in Mrs. Moore and would often refer to her as his
mother. She had a positive influence on him, teaching him generosity and giving the reclusive
scholar a taste of normal family life.
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Fiction and Religion in The Chronicles of Narnia

In 1920, Lewis received a First in Honour Moderations (Greek and Latin Literature),
in 1922, a First in Greats (Philosophy and Ancient History) and in 1923, a First in English. At
Oxford, Jack met J. R. R. Tolkein and together with others of common interests like Adam
Fox, Hugo Dyson, Charles Williams and Jacks brother Warren, they formed a writing club
called The Inklings. The group of young writers met during the 1930s at a pub called The
Eagle and Child. The purpose was to hear and criticise members writings in progress. Tolkein
and Dyson were two of Lewiss friends with whom he would often argue religion and
philosophy. In his autobiography Lewis writes about them: When I began teaching for the
English Faculty, I made two other friends, both Christians (these queer people seemed now to
pop up on every side) who were later to give me much help in getting over the last stile. They
were H.V.V. Dyson ... and J.R.R. Tolkien. Friendship with the latter marked the breakdown of
two old prejudices. At my first coming into the world I had been (implicitly) warned never to
trust a Papist, and at my first coming into the English Faculty (explicitly) never to trust
a philologist. Tolkien was both.
Lewis slowly turned from atheism to Christianity. He always claimed that his
conversion was logical and rational, not emotional, influenced as always by books and
friends. Lewis, eventually approached theism coming to believe in a universal spirit which he
did not yet call God. In his autobiography, Lewis sees this step as a game of chess between
him and God. After reading the Gospels, Jack was struck by the thought that they did not
sound like fiction as the writers seemed too unimaginative to have made the whole thing up;
the Gospels read more like reports rather than stories. On September 19 th 1931, Lewis, Dyson
and Tolkien took a night-time stroll and began a conversation about myth. They walked and
talked until morning. Tolkien convinced Jack that myths were God's way of preparing the
ground for the Christian story. The stories of resurrection throughout history were precursors
to Jesus's true resurrection: Christianity was the completion of all the mythology before it.
Dyson's contribution was to impress upon Jack how Christianity worked for the believer,
liberating them from their sins and helping them become better people. Jacks remaining
arguments were being demolished. He was about to be checkmated. The final stage in his
conversion took place three days later in rather unconventional surroundings. He and Warren
were travelling by motorcycle, heading towards the zoo. Jack noted that when we set out I
did not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and when we reached the zoo I did. Jack
also reinterpreted his moments of Joy, regarding the other world he longed for as Heaven
and God. After that, there were plenty of moments of Joy to come, but Jack wouldnt attach
the same importance to the trigger as he had once done.
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Fiction and Religion in The Chronicles of Narnia

After his conversion, Lewis started writing more on Christianity expressing his
feelings on the subject in his unique manner of combining metaphors and allegories. After
their fathers death in 1929, Warren and Jack inherited some money and together with Mrs.
Moore and her daughter, they moved into a new house in Oxford called The Kilns. At that
time, Jack taught at university and was busy writing his books on English literature. In 1937,
he wrote his first science fiction book called Out of the Silent Planet. It would later become
the first book from the Space Trilogy which dealt with the de-humanising trends in
contemporary science fiction. The second volume, Perelandra, presents a potential scenario
if Eve would have prevented the Fall of Man. The last volume, That Hideous Strength
develops the threats brought by science upon the human virtues. It was always Lewis's
intention to write the sort of books that he himself would want to read. He wrote the Space
Trilogy because there were not enough science fiction stories of the kind he wanted to read.
Right after the Second World War broke out, Jack wanted to do what he could to help
and he joined the Home Guard. Thus, the Kilns received several evacuees.
In 1940, The Problem of Pain was published. With this theodicy, Lewis tried to offer
an intellectual and Christian approach upon human suffering. In 1942, The Screwtape
Letters appeared on the market. This is a satirical Christian apologetics novel written in
epistolary style; the story takes the form of a series of letters written by a senior demon called
Screwtape to his nephew, Wormwood providing advice on methods of securing damnation to
a British man known as the Patient. Lewis gained lots of admirers with his writings and he
also gave a series of talks about Christianity on BBC radio between 1941 and 1944. His talks
were well received by the public and many converted to Christianity. Lewiss speeches were
published in a book called Mere Christianity.
Around these years, Lewiss literary output was considerable as he divided his time
between academic writing, apologetics and fiction. A debate with the British analytic
philosopher, Elizabeth Anscombe in 1948 regarding certain flawed arguments Lewis had
written in the 3rd chapter of Miracles made Lewis reconsider his role as an apologist and in
the years to come he restrained to writing childrens books after rewriting the specific chapter.
Later on, after Mrs. Moores death in 1951, Lewis corresponded for 2 years with Joy
Gresham, an American writer of Jewish background, a former communist and a convert from
atheism to Christianity. In 1952, she came to England. At first, Lewis regarded her as an
agreeable intellectual companion and a personal friend. His brother Warren states: For Jack
the attraction was at first undoubtedly intellectual. Joy was the only woman whom he had
met... who had a brain which matched his own in suppleness, in width of interest, and in
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analytical grasp, and above all in humour and a sense of fun". In 1956, Joys working license
expired and her only alternative was to go back to America, but Lewis decided to marry her so
she could stay. However, only the civil marriage was performed. Shortly afterwards, Joy was
diagnosed with terminal bone cancer and at that point Lewis realised he loved her and they
sought a Christian marriage. The ceremony was performed at her hospital bed in 1957. Her
condition improved and when she left the hospital she moved to the Kilns with Lewis. He
enjoyed more than 3 years with Joy before her cancer revived and claimed her life in 1960. In
Shadowlands, Lewis writes about his life alongside Joy.
Her death put Lewiss faith to the test, but he kept a record of his thoughts and feelings
throughout his grieving process. Eventually he made peace with God and kept his faith. He
published his thoughts as a Grief Observed under the pseudonym of N. W. Clerk to keep
readers from associating the book with him. But since his friends kept on recommending him
this book to help him deal with grief, he had to admit that it was his.
In 1961, Lewis suffered from inflammation of the kidneys which resulted in blood
poisoning. In 1963, he was diagnosed with final stage of renal failure and he died in his room
on November 22nd after he had collapsed. He never wanted his death to be too mediated and
he got it his way because on the same day President J. F. Kennedy was assassinated and the
author of Brave New World, Aldous Huxley, died.
Summary and Analysis
The Chronicles of Narnia are thought to be a Christian allegory which helps children
understand religious wisdom because of the storys similarity with the major biblical events.
The most convincing argument in favour of this statement is Aslans sacrifice; the Narnian
Jesus who inspires fear in his enemies and love in his friends dies for Edmund, the
representative of the human kind and then comes back to life.
Each of the seven books emphasizes one of the seven deadly sins: gluttony, luxury,
greed, sloth, pride, anger and envy.
Volume 1: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie are four young brothers who are evacuated
from the German raids on London and sent to a professors home in the countryside. While
exploring the house, Lucy stumbles across an impressive wardrobe and within it she finds the
world of Narnia. Eventually, all four children end up there and face the choice of which side
they would be: good or evil. Edmund involuntary betrays his family to the antagonist, the
White Witch, but Aslan, The Great Lion and representative figure of good saves the boy by

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sacrificing his life on The Stone Table. In his absence, Peter guides the rightful inhabitants of
Narnia, the mythological creatures and animals, into battle against the forces of evil. After his
resurrection, Aslan joins the battle to deliver the final strike and end the bloody conflict. After
that, the children were crowned kings and queens of Narnia and then Aslan left. Years past
and the Pevensie brothers grew up ruling Narnia with truth and grace. But one day, on a hunt
within the forests, they accidentally found the way out of Narnia and back in their own world.
They found out that their adventures in Narnia had barely lasted a second in their own world
and they were children again.
In this volume, Lewis portrays the deadly sin of gluttony making Edmund its victim.
Because it is a childrens story, Lewis blames the White Witch for Edmunds sin when he
betrays his brother and sisters to receive more Turkish Delight with which she had enchanted
him. Aslans sacrifice to forgive Edmunds treason and save his life is a symbol for Jesus
Christs sacrifice to save mankind.
Volume 2: Prince Caspian
The four Pevensie children are summoned into Narnia by Susans horn which she had
left behind the day they stepped out of Narnia. Prince Caspian has called for their help and
Narnia, the way the children left it, was no more. About 100 years had passed, their castle was
in ruins and the country was divided into Old Narnia which still had the mythological
creatures and New Narnia which was ruled by people and Caspians evil uncle Miraz. Caspian
had run off into Old Narnia and he had attempted to rebuild the army while the children went
to seek Aslan because all the enchanted spirits and forces of nature had retreated in a deep
sleep. When Aslan returns, his roar awakens Narnia and the battle takes place between Miraz
and Peter with the victory of the latter. In the end, Aslan opens a door in the air to send the
people from New Narnia into the Pevensie childrens world where they belonged. The four
former kings and queens of Narnia also go home.
In the second volume, king Miraz stands for the sin of luxury because he murdered his
way to power and material riches. In the end, Miraz is killed in a fair battle because he did not
want to retreat and pass his power to the rightful owner.
Volume 3: The Voyage on the Dawn Treader
Since Peter and Susan were not allowed to return to Narnia, only Lucy and Edmund
were to return one last time. On their 3rd trip, they accidentally brought their annoying cousin,
Eustace with them. They met Prince Caspian on his ship named the Dawn Treader and the
children learned that only one year had passed since the defeat of Miraz. Now Caspian had set
out to find his fathers lost friends which Miraz had banished and Edmund and Lucy were
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there to help. They sailed east towards the Country of Aslan and until they reached the last
sea, they visited many islands and found the people who they were looking for either dead or
deeply enchanted. Lucy, Edmund and Eustace had to go on alone to the very end of the world
where they met Aslan who opened a door for them into their own world.
Greed is emphasized in this story as Eustace discovers a hidden treasure. He tries to
steal as much of it as he can and due to his greed and ignorance he transforms into a dragon.
Only Aslan is able to peel away the layers of dragon skin through a painful process revealing
the boy underneath them; this reminds the reader of conversion. Until the end of this novel,
Eustace changes from an odious and sceptic boy to a better person. Lewis deepens the
spiritual experience of his characters by making Aslan harder to find. Faith now enters into
the equation - believe without seeing. This is best embodied by the mouse Reepicheep, who is
determined to find Aslan's Country, even if he has to swim to the end of the world to do so.
Volume 4: The Silver Chair
Eustace returns to Narnia accompanied by his friend, Jill. Aslan gives them four signs
by which they must guide their search for the kidnapped prince of Narnia, Rilian. After an
adventurous journey to the north, the children find the lost prince being held captive in a
magical chair by the Lady of the Green Kirtle. She transforms into a poisonous snake but is
killed by Eustace. On their return, Aslan congratulates them for restoring peace in Narnia and
he sends them home.
The deadly sin tackled in this novel is sloth as Jill and Eustace barely manage to
achieve their mission after forgetting and failing to recognize the signs given by Aslan. In the
end they manage to make things right. Because they wanted to save Narnia so much, they got
over their sloth and succeeded.
Besides the deadly sin, this novel, alongside The Horse and his Boy also plays an
important part in revealing some of Aslans wilder aspects; as Mr. Beaver had said in the
first novel, he is not a tame lion. When Jill and Eustace first arrive in Aslans Country, Jill
accidentally pushes her friend off a cliff. For this grave mischief, even though he had saved
Eustace, Aslan comes between the thirsty Jill and the stream and even though he tells her he
had eaten people and empires he encourages her to come and drink. This illustrates how the
fear of the Lord should not prevent the Christians from coming to Him. When Jill despairs
about forgetting the signs, Aslan exhorts her to take courage by saying: I will not always be
scolding. This illustrates the fact that Gods correction is from love, not austerity.

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Volume 5: The Horse and His Boy
The plot of this book takes place only in Narnia in the time of the four Pevensie kings
and queens. This world has three countries, Narnia and its ally, Archland and their enemy,
Calormene. Shasta is a boy who was adopted by a Calormene fisherman who neglected him
and later on tried to sell him to a lord. When the two were negotiating the price, Shasta
discovered that the lords horse was a talking beast of Narnia and they both escape. On their
journey to Narnia they learn that the Calormenes were preparing to attack the neighbouring
country, Archland and they arrive just in time to warn Archlands king Lune to prepare for
battle. Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy are briefly mentioned here because they only help
Archlands army. The Calormenes are defeated and Shasta is discovered to be the long lost
son of King Lune and he becomes King of Archland.
This volume shows Rabadash, the king of Calormen, Shasta and his horse as very
proud characters. After their adventures, Shasta and his horse realized how useless was for
them to be proud of themselves especially when they were almost killed because of a quarrel.
But Rabadash was by far an extreme example of pride and because he did not want to give up
his sin even in a visibly humiliating situation, Aslan transformed him into a ridiculous donkey.
Another of Aslans correction in this volume may seem a little brutal, but since Shasta
was in a race against time and at one point he nearly abandoned his journey, Aslan chased him
until he was out of danger. He guided him on to his destiny and explanations would come
later on.
Volume 6: The Magicians Nephew
Digory and Polly are two children who lived in London. As they try to explore the
neighbouring empty house next door, they accidentally end up in the study of Digorys uncle,
Andrew. The two children discover Uncle Andrews invented rings which take them to The
Wood Between The Worlds which had small pools of water that represented gateways to other
worlds. After they visit the dead world of Charn and accidentally revive the evil queen Jadis
they discover Narnia, an empty world in the begining. They witnessed the creation of Narnia
as Aslan sang and everything around him took shape and sprang to life. Jadis, who followed
the children into Narnia, ran away deep into this new world to build up her evil forces in order
to destroy Narnia. Aslan sent Polly and Digory to retrieve an enchanted apple that would
protect Narnia from Jadis and they succeed. Digory, whose mother was very sick at home,
was allowed to take an apple in order to heal her. Upon their return into their own world,
Digory managed to heal his mother and he planted the seeds of the apple which sprang into a
beautiful tree. When the tree was torn down by a storm, Digory made it into a wardrobe.
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Digory is a character which, in this novel, has made a few mistakes due to anger. This
sin made him awake Jadis as he and Polly argued whether or not to do so. Because of his
quick temper, Digory also offended others including Polly and his uncle. In the end, he
notices his mistakes and changes his character. In The Last Battle he is described as a man
[] whose face was full of wisdom. Jadis is also a quick tempered character and when her
wrath is described, Digorys anger is shaded. Apart from her actions, Uncle Andrew also
refers to her as having a devilish temper thus Lewis associates anger with the forces of evil.
Volume 7: The Last Battle
One of the talking beasts of Narnia, an ape called Shift dresses his donkey companion,
Puzzle with the skin of a lion and because many years had passed since Aslans last visit, Shift
attempted to rule Narnia by fooling everyone that Puzzle was Aslan. Shift stirs many conflicts
between Narnia and Calormene and many innocent people and animals get killed. Eustace and
Jill are summoned to help restore the peace, but there was little they could do. When times
seemed worse, Aslan came and opened a door in the air. Old Narnia soon ended and Aslan
took his last followers to his Country. All kings and queens who ever ruled Narnia appeared
including Digory, Polly, Peter, Edmund and Lucy and they were reunited with Eustace and
Jill.
The final volume illustrates envy through the character of Shift, the ape, as he craves
the authority of Aslan in order for him to rule the world. His envy is the one that brings
destruction to the world of Narnia, causing the rightful inhabitants of Narnia to loose their
faith in Aslan because of Shifts confusing words. Lewis ends his last Narnia story by giving
the readers an imaginative foretaste of what heaven is like.
The Chronicles
Many teachers and editors see the chronicles as a well of wisdom in which every small
detail has a great significance. Thus, over the years they have tried hard to crack a code which
held all these spiritual treasures hidden, or so they thought.
Matt Brennan associates every significant scene and potential symbol from The
Magicians Nephew and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with events from the Bible
in his essay called The Lion, the Witch and the Allegory: An Analysis of Selected Narnia
Chronicles. He says that Lewiss goal was to rewrite the Bibles most important events in a
way that children could easily understand its wisdom. That is why, Brennan thinks, Lewis
used children as characters who explore Narnia to make it easier for the young reader to relate
with them. Matt is convinced this is an allegory because he finds many examples: Aslan

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created the Talking Beasts and ordinary animals of his world from dirt just like the book of
Genesis describes the creation of Man, Aslan addresses the human children by the names of
Son of Adam and Daughter of Eve, temptation is scattered throughout the childrens
adventures and many other such examples. Matt claims that Lewis also gives an explanation
so as why not everyone believes in God in The Magicians Nephew by describing Uncle
Andrews reaction to Aslan: <<I must have imagined it. I've been lettin my nerves get out of
order. Who ever heard of a lion singing?>> And the longer and more beautifully the Lion
sang, the harder Uncle Andrew tried to make himself believe that he could hear nothing but
roaring. Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you
very often succeed. He praises Lewis for his unique gift to simplify complex narratives and
craft beautiful childrens fantasies.
In Children of the Light, Rev. G. Bradford Hall states that these chronicles of
Narnia reflect an ancient way of presenting truth through stories - using allegory. Allegorical
stories help us see, through ordinary events, another higher level of truth. In this tale, the
earthly lion, Aslan, represents the heavenly resurrected Christ who brings hope and life and
light into the world. What the children of Narnia discover, to their dismay, is that everyone
has a choice... to see and respond to that light or to sit in self-imposed darkness unwilling to
see the beauty which surrounds them, to smell the violets held under their nose or eat of
delights of God's table set before them. In the last part of this quote the author refers to the
scene from The Last Battle in which the dwarfs sitting in a circle in the middle of the sunny
meadow of Heaven refuse to see the nature around them and think they are still in the dirty
and dark stable.
In contrast with the writers of the essays mentioned above, C. S. Lewis has something
else to say about his Narnian world which needs no further comment. He was quoted in an
essay collection called Of This and Other Worlds edited by Walter Hooper: Some people
seem to think that I began by asking myself how I could say something about Christianity to
children; then fixed on the fairy tale as an instrument, then collected information about child
psychology and decided what age group I'd write for; then drew up a list of basic Christian
truths and hammered out 'allegories' to embody them. This is all pure moonshine. I couldn't
write in that way. It all began with images; a faun carrying an umbrella, a queen on a sledge,
a magnificent lion. At first there wasn't anything Christian about them; that element pushed
itself in of its own accord. In Walter Hoopers C. S. Lewis: A Companion and Guide the
author quotes Lewis again: You are mistaken when you think that everything in the books
'represents' something in this world. Things do that in The Pilgrim's Progress [a 1678
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allegory by John Bunyan] but I'm not writing in that way. I did not say to myself 'Let us
represent Jesus as He really is in our world by a Lion in Narnia': I said, 'Let us suppose that
there were a land like Narnia and that the Son of God, as he became a Man in our world,
became a Lion there, and then imagine what would happen. Also, he found the rest of the
needed inspiration in his beloved mythology and life experience.
Conclusion
Lewis has done a most remarkable thing: by combining his childhoods fascination for
animals and fiction with his love for Christianity he has created harmony between Truth and
reality. His creations are unique in English literature because of three characteristics: his
writing style, the subjects he approached and the way he put religion and fiction to work on
the same objective.
Studying Lewiss subjects of interest and his life has been a pleasurable activity as I
found out many aspects of his life and I have learned from his experience. This, in turn, has
turned out to be a thrilling and useful exploration as I found answers to many life mysteries
and new questions were raised.

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