Argument analysis of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in children's literature

¶ … Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Specifically it will discuss the symbolism of Narnia in the book -- what does Narnia symbolize? There are many ideas of what Narnia symbolizes in this book, but it seems the most common and accepted idea is that Narnia symbolizes Heaven and peace. Narnia is a cold land until the children release it from the grip of the White Witch, and then it becomes a perfect, dreamlike land where time has no meaning and life is wonderful. Narnia represents our ideas of heaven and how our lives will be once we arrive in the "promised land."

Narnia represents Heaven and eternal life for a number of reasons. First, when Lucy first returns from Narnia through the wardrobe door, the other children do not believe her, and do not believe it is possible to travel to another world through the wardrobe. Lucy says, "It's -- it's a magic wardrobe. There's a wood inside it, and it's snowing, and there's a Faun and a Witch and it's called Narnia; come and see" (Lewis 25). Lucy's siblings all believe she is making the entire thing up, and in fact, they begin to tease her, making her even more determined to prove that she has indeed visited a new and magical world. The quote illustrates Lucy's excitement at her discovery, but it also points to the symbolism that Lewis is using for Narnia. Many people do not believe in Heaven or the Promised Land, and those who do believe in it, are always at a disadvantage trying to prove that it does exist. Lucy is in the same predicament. She cannot take her brothers and sisters back to Narnia until the time is right, and so, they are disbelievers that Lucy is desperately trying to convince. They represent the disbelievers in society who do not believe in God and Heaven, and in the end, they discover that it really does exist, and Lucy was right all along. They accuse her of being "batty," just as non-believers accuse believers of being "crazy" or "irrational." Narnia is Heaven, and Lucy has been there. Now, she simply has to convince the others.

Another compelling example of the symbolism of Narnia is the White Witch and her relationship to Narnia. When Edmund first meets the White Witch, he sees her as a beautiful but somehow frightening woman. Lewis writes, "Her face was white -- not merely pale, but white like snow of paper or icing-sugar, except for her very red mouth. It was a beautiful face in other respects, but proud and cold and stern" (Lewis 31). Usually, white symbolizes purity, but here it symbolizes evil. The White Witch could be a form of Satan, and in the Bible, God drives Satan out of Heaven to form Hell. The White Witch is also driven out of Narnia, and as her power subsides and she begins to weaken, beauty and spring return to the land that had been permanently covered in snow and ice. When she leaves, Narnia returns to normal. The quote shows that she is evil and to be distrusted, just like Satan. Just like Satan, she must be driven out of Narnia for the country to become all that it can be. In addition, Aslan the lion helps defeat the Witch, and his character symbolizes Jesus Christ. Therefore, the story parallels the Bible again. God drives Satan out of Heaven, and his Son drives the Witch out of Narnia. Narnia is the Promised Land after the Witch is gone, and it becomes a country that no one wants to leave.

Finally, the most compelling evidence that Narnia is heaven comes from the ending of the novel, when the children have defeated the White Witch and become the rulers over the land. They remove all evil from the country and live happily for many years. Lewis writes, "So they lived in great joy and if they ever remembered their life in this world it was only as one remembers a dream" (Lewis 184). This quote fully illustrates Lewis' intent that Narnia was Heaven because it represents what we think our lives will be like when we die and ascend to Heaven. We will leave behind all the worries and fears that plague us on Earth. In Heaven, our lives on Earth will become dim memories, and the people we loved that went before us will surround us. There will be bountiful food and drink, and we will have important and interesting jobs to do. There will not be any strife, and the land will be beautiful and peaceful. Narnia is all these things after the children take it over and rid it of any remaining evil. The people of Narnia are peaceful and content, the land is beautiful, and there is always enough to eat and drink. Narnia is a model for other nations, too, and Heaven is a model that many people strive to reach here on Earth. They attempt to live their lives on Earth as they would like to lead them in Heaven. This is an underlying theme of the four children and their reign in Narnia, too. When they finally return to the "real" world, they have not aged at all, and it is like no time has passed. That is another reference to Narnia as Heaven, because in Heaven, no one ages and no one dies. The children's lives are different because of their experience in Narnia, and they live their lives differently on Earth because of their experiences. They have experienced the rapture of knowing God's Son and his home, and so, they will bring that experience back to Earth with them and lead better, more productive lives.