Monday, August 30, 2010
Who are the Four Children?
This question has been on my mind for some time and the more I've thought about it, the more this question has transformed into a sort of idea. Disregarding any evidence or facts that propose the characters of Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy are based off actual people from Lewis' life; I wonder if these children are pieces of Lewis himself? And maybe not even simply Lewis, what if these characters are representations of humanity in general? When I look at these four unique characters (Peter--the brave leader, Susan--hesitant and thoughtful, Edmond--misunderstood but redemptive, and Lucy--childlike and innocent), I see insights into human virtues and failings that we all carry within us. Don't we all wish to stand as Peter, courageous and just, a "High King of Narnia"? Or how many of us see the Susan within: when we first enter through that wardrobe into a strange, new world all we can think about is going back? Of course, Lucy and Edmond are probably the easiest to identify with. Lucy, so pure and innocent, always ready to believe in the good of Narnia and Aslan, even when those who are "older and more mature" may not have the good faith to lend their support. Personally, I can relate to Edmond the most. I can't recall how many times I've been swayed by temptation and strayed from the path into the "heart of winter" only to find that what I've been chasing after isn't lasting and only leaves me emptier than when it found me. Even after I've betrayed the trust of others, I find that the grace of God is enough and the sacrifice of Christ frees me from my sin. I guess when it comes down to it, I don't have a definite thought process on this one, but I'd really like to know who are the Two Sons of Adam and Two Daughters of Eve to you? Are they simply characters in a good story, or are they more? Are they representations of biblical values or other moral fibers, or something completely different? I think that one of the best parts of a story is the characters it creates for us to examine and place within our own realms of thinking and invention. Perhaps it's best to keep Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy as simply the Kings and Queens of Narnia, but I'd like to think that Lewis gave us these characters to do more than place them on the thrones at Cair Paravel.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Yes, these four children are indeed characters with character, if you know what I mean. I've always thought a lot about Edmund, too. It's interesting to note that his bad tendencies are on display even before he meets the witch. And after he fights the witch and is healed by Lucy, we read that he "had become his real old self again" and that the effects of that "horrid school" have disappeared. Here we see the idea that each of us deep down is a real self that's good, no matter how warped or "bent" we may be by sin.
ReplyDeleteWhat you've written also suggests a reply to those who object to Lewis's treatment of Susan. She is, after all, a character, and only one of the four. We shouldn't pick out any single child and use him or her as our sole basis for interpretation.