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Stepping Through the Wardrobe

© Susan Jensen

Although C.S. Lewis is well known for many things, it is his Chronicles of Narnia that stick out in the minds of many readers, especially children. While his other writings are philosophical and thought-provoking, the Narnia series is magical and fun. I read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as a child and, remembering its magic, picked it up again as an adult.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a wonderfully imaginative tale. Stepping out of one's own dreary world into a place full of excitement and adventure is a dream all of us share. And what could be easier than stepping into a wardrobe and emerging into the snow-covered Narnian landscape! It is not surprising that fauns, beavers and other talking animals seem to make better company than our siblings and our spouses, and that a couple of hours spent in Narnia seem like only seconds in our human time frame. For these reasons, I have to say that reading the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was as enthralling as a child as it was as an adult.

One of the most charming aspects of the tale, for me anyway, was the narrator. Although some may find him intrusive, I felt as if my saintly old grandfather was telling me a bedtime story. I heard him insert his own little cautions and morals, which made him seem all the more grandfatherly.

It has been suggested by many that the tale is not just a magical story told by an aging grandfather, but a powerful allegory. Evidence certainly exists for this and I have no doubt that the story is, in some ways, allegorical. However, it seems to be a fairy tale first and an allegory second. For instance, the great lion Aslan is often seen as symbolic of Christ. C.S. Lewis said this is true, but added, "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 was a land like Narnia and the Son of God, as He became a Man in our world, became a Lion there, and then imagine what would happen.'" So, it seems that Lewis' purpose was first to tell an engaging story and second to instruct.

There are many web sites dedicated to C.S. Lewis and his works. Perhaps the best source that I found for general information on him is the Into the Wardrobe site at http://cslewis.DrZeus.net. The site is very well done and includes an extensive FAQ sheet, an album of photographs and illustrations, papers on Lewis and his works, sound clips, a chat room, message board and much more. It's an interesting site to explore; it's almost as much fun as stepping through the wardrobe into the magical land of Narnia.

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