The Chronicles of Why Humans Are Better Than Everyone Else.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was one of the first books that I read outside of a school setting. I found an old copy in our basement, and went on to enjoy the entire series. At that age, I loved it. It had lions, minotaurs, magic, and swords. What's not to love? Unfortunately, a few things about the text have begun to irk me as I've grown up. I think the in class discussions have touched on each of them in one way or another, but I will go over them anyway.

The first thing that I disliked is the anthropocentric nature of the premise. To a young boy, reading about a fellow schoolboy's ability to defeat minotaurs in battle and lead war councils in extremely attractive. To someone of my age, it is a bit far fetched. Now I know claiming impossibility in a fantasy text may seem silly, but I stand by my opinion. Fantasy does require a willing suspension of disbelief, and I am willing to do this. I can accept that these four schoolchildren found a mysterious world in the back of a wardrobe. I can accept that this world is full of centaurs, talking animals, and witches. What I can't believe is that this world full of magical creatures that possess strength, cunning, and wisdom beyond anything in an English schoolyard are just sitting around, pining away for anything human to come rescue them. The idea of genetic superiority was discussed in class, but it really bothers me. There is nothing that makes any of the Pevensies more competent than any creature in Narnia, much less every creature in Narnia. This is why I dislike the prophecy of the book. The idea that all these creatures are somehow incompetent because they are not "Adam's flesh and Adam's bone" is ridiculous.

Genetics aside, the best explanation that I can come up with for the success of the Pevensies, is the diverse personalities within their family. The four children allow Lewis to explore the world of Narnia in a way that does not make one character too well rounded. If Lewis had written one protagonist instead of four, he would not be able to have that one character enter the witch's castle, visit Mr. Tumnus and the Beavers, dance with wood nymphs, and lead a war council full of mythical creatures. That would cause the protagonist to be so ambiguous that the protagonist would not be relatable. This allows Lewis to present a protagonist, in the form of a family, that is able to be the most competent being in Narnia. This is the only way I can think of to explain the success of the Pevensies. To suggest that humans possess some sort of metaphysical intestinal fortitude or propensity for leadership just strokes the ego of our species and cheapens the book.