Analysis of One Work

The second of The Chronicle of Narnia series, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (Lewis), filled with ever-surprising fantasy and a treasure box of childhood innocence prove by far one of C.S. Lewis’ most beloved works. Audiences of readers of all ages and walks of life have either read then reread this book or have seen the film crowned with the same title. Lewis’s life epitomized in this infamous work leads the reader through the known world to the unknown. Whimsical characters tell their story of good versus evil and the inevitable reality that good will always win. Giving grace and praise to the Lord throughout the novel, especially in the character of the lion, Aslan, children are nudged in the direction of staying innocent while choosing the right path. This character reintroduces particular Bible stories to the children who travel into Narnia (Brennan). Wanting a book for a young child to begin their library, this novel suggestively wins over another secular fantasy. According to Matt Brennan, Lewis strategically uses children as his main characters, mostly as a young person reads they are more apt to follow and imagine as they themselves would. With the use of animals as well, the talking animals become more interesting than an account of a historical, ancient story from Jerusalem in the Bible a few thousand years ago (Brennan). Proven a genius of his time and an example of the Christian faith, C.S. Lewis left behind a legacy that has been remembered and a library of works that are cherished and will be for years to come.

Brennan, Matt. Into the Wardrobe- a C.S. Lewis website. 1994-2010. 23 April 2010.
http://cslewis.drzeus.net/papers/lionwitchallegory.html

Lewis, C.S. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. New York: C.S. Lewis Pte Ltd. 1950. Print.

Summary of Major Works

From a fantasy world inhabited by frogs to a land before there was sin… C.S. Lewis’ works are without a doubt diverse. Transforming his childhood imagination into a work read and reread by millions of children and adults all over the world, it is to say that Lewis had a knack for the precociously entertaining. Beginning with Boxen Land as a child, the tale features an imaginary world of creatures and their royalty in society (Gormley 12). Other interesting works pertaining mainly with animals are the Chronicles of Narnia series. The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe came about from the dreaming of Lewis and his younger brother during playtime (Gormley 12). Multiple elements of this novel display the environment in which Lewis lived, mainly in his mind and incredible imagination. His first vision of this wonderland happened at sixteen during a dream of a “faun (a man with goat legs) carrying a parasol in the snowy woods” (Markos). Through the wardrobe existed not only in this tale, but the inspiration (the wardrobe) stood in his house as well (Gormley 12).
A novel written for adults, his first in fact, entitled the Space Trilogy dealt with a world of inhabitants before the fall of humanity (Markos). A world without sin, what bliss.
Other works, more deep in nature, such as Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters, gave an approach to apologetics as Lewis saw them. Radio broadcasts during WWI were the inspiration for Mere Christianity (Edwards) while The Screwtape Letters told of a world of darkness and uncertainty (Robledo).
All reads by C.S. Lewis show to be timeless in our “world” and other “worlds” the same.

Dr. Bruce L. Edwards. “C.S. Lewis: A Modest Literary Biography and Bibliography”.
15 April 2010.
http://www.personal.bgsu.edu

Gormley, Beatrice. C.S. Lewis: Christian and Storyteller. Michigan: Eerdmans Books for Young
Readers, 1998. Print.

Louis Markos. “The Life and Writings of C.S. Lewis”. 2 February 2010.
http://www.teach12.com

Ryan Robledo. SFFWorld.com. “Space Trilogy by CS Lewis”. 1997-2009. 15 April 2010.
http://www.sffworld.com/brev/si214p0.html

Major Themes, Influences and Artistic Style

Lewis’ works contained a variety of themes mainly inconspicuous to the reader initially. The defense of traditional Christianity became his main focus, but not all had a religious subject. Lewis’ mythical and magical interests affected many writings as well. For example, Lewis wrote mainly about a fantastical world, alike to the world he created with his brother as they played; orchestrated by their imaginations (Gormley 24). Writing to appeal to the “common man” (religionfacts) the intertwining themes that arose most frequently in his style of writing were those on the topic of eternity and humanity’s place in the cosmos. Having such an incarnational (About.Com) theme as mentioned previous, Lewis’ favorite pieces pertaining to children allowed him to indulge his literary expertise.
Multiple factors attributed to the influences in which Lewis interlaced in his stories, most all of which were his childhood experiences and places of residence. Boarding school, being one of the parts of the Narnia series, originated from Lewis’ personal experiences, whether good or bad (Gormley 24) and projected such happenstance on the children from the novels. Reading influenced his mind greatly, in order to allow his imagination become whatever he wanted to be.
Writing generally in English prose (C.S. Lewis Chronicles), C.S. Lewis, though intellectually learned on many areas such as politics, showed to his readers, young or aged, his gentle and generous spirit in wishing the very best for his readers by his words.


1. “About.Com.” C.S. Lewis: Christian Apologist & Novelist: Christianity, Narnia. 3 April 2010
http://atheism.about.com/od/cslewisnarnia.

2. Gormley, Beatrice. C.S. Lewis: Christian and Storyteller. Michigan: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 1998. Print.

3. Religion Facts. “C.S. Lewis (1898-1963)”. 2004-2009. 3 April 2010.
http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/people/lewis.htm

4. Stroud C. Robert. “C.S. Lewis Chronicles.” 3 April 2010.
http://www.scriptoriumnovum.com/l.html.

Career

An Irish-born British novelist, C.S. Lewis began to find fame for his academics, medievalist style thinking, literary criticism and Christian apologetics (Edwards). As previously mentioned, Mr. Lewis taught at Oxford University, where he made quite a number of famous friends; his closest friend, being J.R.R. Tolkien (Gormley 95). Tolkien became the one who coaxed Lewis into a lifestyle of Christianity once again (Chronology). They went for a walk near the Whipsnade Zoo and Lewis recalls, “I did not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and when we reached the zoo I did (Chronology). Wartime radio broadcast on the subject of Christianity brought Lewis country-wide acclaim as well in 1952(Chronology). Along with Tolkien, Charles William, Owen Barfield, Dr. Robert Havard, Weville Coghill, Lewis himself and his brother Warren plus many others comprised what was known as the “Inklings”, an Oxford literary group (Edwards). While we can all imagine what intelligence these men threw around in a discussion at “The Eagle and Child”, a local pub, most likely some of their legendary works came from such discussions of life and politics of all natures. Although, Lewis found himself in the presence of masterminds of the written word, he would on occasion act as tutor to some other up-and-coming scholars, namely; poet John Betjeman, critic Kenneth Tyman, Mystic Bede Griffiths and Sufi scholar Martin Lings. May 20, 1925, Lewis was elected a Fellow of Magdalene College, Oxford tutor of English Language and Literature, where he taught for 29 years until he left in 1954 (Chronology).
For his brilliance and sincerity in his outrageously political thinking, Lewis was awarded the Carnegie Award for his book, The Last Battle. This award is the highest honor for children’s literature in the United Kingdom. By the end of his life, Lewis was offered the CBE (Commander of the British Empire) by Winston Churchill in 1951; it is unclear as to why Lewis did not accept the offer. Multiple other recognitions were awarded him, such as publications in religious newspapers and various honorary doctor degrees from Universities (Chronology).
The most significant moment of his life aside from finding God, would be in 1956, when he married the love of his life, Joy. Yet soon they were separated when Joy passed away due to a struggle with terminal cancer soon after their union.
Being referred to as a prolific and popular author, each of his criticism, fiction and religious essays remain in print today while also being reprinted with a variety of covers and collections (Edwards). Because of his library of works, other books have attributed their inspiration to C.S. Lewis. “It must be said that Lewis's own works remain the most reliable source and insightful interpreter of this original thinker and personality” (Edwards). In so saying, all others who make their works alike to Lewis’ only come short of the true essence of the late C.S. Lewis.
November 22, 1963, Clive Staples Lewis died one week before his 65th birthday, the same day as President John F. Kennedy's assassination. Buried next to his brother who passed in 1973, their grave markers read, “Men must endure their going hence”, a quote attributed to their late father after the death of their mother (Internet 2).


Gormley, Beatrice. C.S. Lewis: Christian and Storyteller. Michigan: Eerdmans Books for Young
Readers, 1998. Print.
1. Dr. Bruce L. Edwards. “C.S. Lewis: A Modest Literary Biography and Bibliography”.
13 March 2010.
http://www.personal.bgsu.edu
2. “Chronology of the Life of C.S. Lewis.” C.S. Lewis Foundation. 2009. 13 March 2010
http://www.cslewis.org

Childhood & Later Life

Okay, Mr. Lewis. Let’s explain to everyone how brilliant you were. You knew more than most, didn’t you??? C.S. Lewis, given name Clive Staples Lewis, from a young age aspired to be a great poet. Born November 29, 1898 this time period was known for excellent works of literature. From the age of three or four, Lewis found little boredom with life. His brother & himself entertained themselves by drawing pictures of ships. Where they lived in Belfast, Ireland- a ship yard was near & the boys sketched out the intricate details of the ships. Now, the age of 6 or 7, well learned in French & Latin, Lewis & his brother, Warren (Warnie) developed their own private world, to which Lewis’ (Jack), contribution was a medieval “country, peopled by talking creatures, called “Animal Land” (Gormley 3). By this age, Jack wrote a 3 act play entitled The King’s Ring (Gormley 4) which encompassed all the fantastical imaginations similar to the Boxen land.

Lewis’ vivid imagination also haunted “all my dreams were horrible-insects & size of small ponies which closed in upon me, etc.” (Gormley 5) A gifted storyteller, Lewis, Warnie & their cousin would hide inside a great oak wardrobe which their grandfather carved & Lewis would tell stories. (Life) What does this make you think of? Their mom & dad didn’t like fantasy; they didn’t like to “listen to horns of elfland” (Gormley 5) as Lewis put it.

Now on to the issue of Christianity & Lewis beliefs. At an early age, Lewis remembers attending church by force, while sitting exasperated & finding the sermons “uninspiring” (Life) Later in life after years of philosophical learning bout Greek and Latin literature, classical philosophy and English language and literature (Life), he begins to change his mind. A determined atheist, Lewis believed that “God did not exist, he was angry at God for not existing & angry with Him for creating a world” (Gormley 30). “A young man who wishes to remain a sound atheist cannot be too careful of his reading” (brainyquotes). His conversion was not instantaneous. “He thought it was a logical and rational idea, not emotional” (Life) “His influences came from books and few close friends” (brainyquotes). C.S. Lewis’ conversion to Christianity occurred while teaching at Oxford University. His love for books and myths were still evident in his life as they were from his childhood. Soon after his conversion, he obtained the overwhelming feeling to evangelize and not long after this idea, “he thought about combining religious enthusiasm with his imagination in his works of Christian fiction” (brainyquotes) His Christian faith became the most important thing in his life. “Christianity was a matter life & death- eternal life & eternal death; real hell & demons, a real heaven & angels. God was not some vague, distant Supreme Being, more like a magnificent lion, like Aslan in the Narnia book series- breathing right in your face.” (Gormley vii) “A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell” (brainyquotes).





1. C.S. Lewis. 25 February 2010. www.brainyquotes.com

Gormley, Beatrice. C.S. Lewis: Christian and Storyteller. Michigan: Eerdmans Books for Young
Readers, 1998. Print.

2. Life and Writings of C.S. Lewis. 2010. The Teaching Company, LLC. 25 February 2010
http://www.teach12.com/ttcx/coursedesclong2.aspx?cid=297