Dragaera

[Fwd: Re: A question re: Beginning Fantasy for Youth]

Tue Nov 26 21:59:51 PST 2002

On Tue, Nov 26, 2002 at 10:16:31PM -0500, James and Mary Burbidge wrote:

> it.  He wrote a true allegory (_Pilgrim's Regress_).  The Narnia books
> do not have the defining characteristic of an allegory -- they do not
> carry through two or more layers of continuous story using one set of
> representations.
> 
> They don't even have allegorical elements.  They are set in a multiverse
> in which Christianity is true; Aslan does not allegorically stand for
> God the Son -- he _is_ God the Son, straight out, although the identity
> is not shoved in one's face.
 
They're to some extent re-tellings of Christian tales.  I was really shocked
when I did re-read the books.  In _Wardrobe_ you have the Witch claiming
Edmond's life under the Law -- the Emperor's own law, as written on the stone
table (tablets, anyone?)  Aslan doesn't roar and fight; he acknowledges the
claim, and offers himself up for Edmond's sin...

The Black Dwarfs seemed uncomfortably like Jews to me, and that was reinforced
when I hit _The Last Battle_, where they keep on denying Aslan even in Heaven
itself, which they don't see.

All the humans of the world of Narnia, of course, are actually Sons and
Daughters of Adam and Eve.

There are other examples, but it's been a while.

'allegory' might not be the right word, but it seems like there should be a
word.  'allegory' seems to have been drafted in popular discourse.  I've read
real allegories are very rare; maybe that's why the word got drafted...

-xx- Damien X-)