I’m sure I’m not alone in saying The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis was a staple of my childhood. So many of us grew up reading the series, watching the movies, or even pretending to be the characters. I remember being read the stories before bedtime as a little girl, and wishing I could be like Lucy and find a magical wardrobe that brought me great adventures. However, it has been many years since I read, watched, or even thought about the series- until recently.
This quarter I re-read the most well known book of the series, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, for the Disciplinary Research and Writing course I’m taking. I was so excited when I saw this title on the syllabus, and got an immediate wave of nostalgia. The familiarity of the characters and the world that C.S. Lewis created, felt like a warm hug. Over the past two weeks I got to slowly re-enter the magical world of Narnia and experience this story with a new adult perspective, and I was totally caught off guard by how emotional it made me!
As a child, you read this story like a kid’s book, focusing on the magic, the adventure, the animals, the kids, etc. But now, as an adult who is reading it like a work of literature, I was left in awe by the Christian symbolism and parallels to Christ through the character Aslan.
I am a Christian myself and have a strong relationship with God, so these parallels stood out to me greatly. I was amazed at all the details that I had missed as a kid. The idea that this great king of Narnia, this lion Aslan, is so mesmerizing that the children can’t even look at him is also such a wonderful depiction of Jesus. That he is both good and terrifying, and yet everyone felt a sense of peace in his presence.
After finishing the book, I immediately had to watch the movie adaptation I grew up watching. Between the music, acting, and overall imagery, movies always have a way of making me feel a story more. As I watched I saw again, all the same parallels between Aslan and Jesus.
I started to get a bit teary eyed during Aslan’s walk to the place where he will sacrifice himself to the White Witch. The strong but sad look in his eyes as he is headed to do what must be done was enough to get me choked up; but then we see Lucy and Susan who have followed behind to walk with him, not knowing what is to come! Aslan says that he would be glad of their company, and we see the three of them walk on together. I imagined Jesus in the same position, heading to his crucifixion, where he was mocked and abused.
My emotions continued to stir as Aslan resurrected in the morning, just like Christ. When the girls turn around, they see the stone table that he was killed on has broken down the middle, and Aslan is standing tall and strong. The cracking of the Stone Table is symbolic of the tearing of the Veil of the Temple of Jerusalem. The tearing of the veil represented how Jesus died for the sins of humanity and that God and Man were no longer separated, just like how Edmund was no longer separated from Aslan and his followers.
By the end of the movie, and the book for that matter, I had so many thoughts and feelings. I was just so incredibly impressed by C.S. Lewis’ ability to make a children’s story that has such deep themes and symbolism that any adult would find it a worthwhile read. And as for any other Christians, I highly recommend you read (or re-read) this classic novel for a fresh perspective and reminder of the gospel. One thing I know for sure- You’re never too old to return to Narnia!