In one of our first discussions of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe we raised the question as to why Lewis would create a story with four protagonists as opposed to the usual one. When I first read this story as a fourth or fifth grader I noticed this oddity and reasoned (because after all ten year olds are great with logic) that it must be because each of the children - Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy - represent desirable virtues and less than desirable sins. Of course, my thoughts then were much less sophisticated and to be honest I didn't dwell for more than a few minutes at most on this topic, but none the less I think my ten year old self had a good point.
Looking back on this line of thought I think it is a justifiable conclusion albeit it isn't the only one. Assuming this line of thought, Peter I think would represent courage of bravery. He is after all the one that becomes High King and leads the loyalists of Narnia into the final battle against the White Witch. His corresponding sin or the "danger" of only having one virtuous aspect would a critical spirit or possibly a lack of humility. Peter is always the first to begin chastising Edmund for his mistakes or the first to join in if the conversation starts with someone else and it takes Aslan himself to say that Edmund is fully redeemed for Peter to see the error of his ways.
Susan would then represent wisdom and a lack of faith. I know we mentioned in class that neither Lucy or Susan are given much credit in the way of valuable qualities other than beauty, gentleness, and kindness, but I would like to point out that it is Lucy that remembers to leave the wardrobe door open, while Edmund lets it shut; and it is Susan that is one of the first to look for solutions to saving Edmund and to suggest using the coats in the wardrobe to keep warm while Peter and Edmund helplessly shiver in the snow. There are other points throughout the series that Susan proves to have at least the desire to gain knowledge if she does not already possess great wisdom. However, Susan is also the one that has the most difficult time believing in Narnia and *SPOILER ALERT* is the only one of the children to not return to Narnia in the final book and in Prince Caspian she is the one that is most adamant about Aslan not actually being there.
Correspondingly, Edmund represents a force for Justice and an inclination of ambition gone astray. In his case muck like Peter, Edmund found his virtue after his sin. While ambition is not always a bad thing and in fact can be a very good thing if Like Edmund you are willing to quite literally sacrifice your family and friends for a royal position you might be in trouble. And I think because his terrible mistake that was not entirely his fault happened so early in the series, Edmund now more mature and understanding is sympathetic to any and all creatures in Narnia and in our world that has messed up in one way or another.
Finally, Lucy arguably the most virtuous and innocent of the four stands for loyalty or faith and jealousy. I won't spend too much time discussing Lucy because I think her virtuous are pretty obvious, she is the first to find Narnia and once she does she concludes that it is inherently a good place and refuses to hear otherwise from Edmund (granted she is right). Lucy is also always the first to follow Aslan and is able to see him even when others cannot. Now, her sin of jealousy is not as prominent but it is still there. In the beginning of the book Lucy is clearly muffed that her older siblings listen to Edmund and not her. In fact she spends several days in quite a dreary mood and refuses to speak to Edmund if I remember correctly. Lastly, in the following books it is mentioned that Lucy wishes she were as beautiful as Susan and almost succumbs to her jealousy of Susan before a roar from Aslan snaps her out of it.
Now that I have written this all out it looks like I have just tried to sort Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy into the Hogwarts Houses. I promise that's not what I meant to do but now that I've done it I can't unsee it. Maybe Lewis and Rowling were trying to say the same thing? I don't know someone smarter needs to answer that question.
No comments:
Post a Comment