Danyelle Catoe- The Environment of Narnia

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe had a particularly strong focus on the battle between good and evil. Lewis developed a stark contrast between the good and evil in the novel. He established this contrast using various mechanisms. He particularly used symbolism to stress the contrast between the “good” side and the “evil” side. Many authors use light and dark motifs; while Lewis employed some of these motifs, one of the most prominent contrasts between good and evil was the change in the environment.
The white witch, who came to represent the evil in the novel, had a very detrimental effect on Narnia. She corrupted many of the creatures, and even altered the surroundings of the country when she was in control. The entire landscape lost its vitality and life when the witch was reigning. When Narnia was plunged in to a perpetual winter, the weather was always cold. Additionally, not many plants are able to grow when there is an abundance of snow on the ground. Overtime, this inability to grow vegetation and food could have destroyed Narnia. Lewis obviously thought that evil had a large impact on the environment around us if it were permitted to control the world.
However, when one compares that to the affect that Aslan had on the environment, we are able to see the stark contrast that Lewis created. Aslan brought life to his surroundings. When he defeated the white witch, the entire landscape of Narnia changed. People didn’t have to be told about Aslan’s victory; they were able to experience it and see it evidenced all around them. This is also revealing about Lewis’ view of good in the world. Obviously, he valued the characteristics that he believed Aslan to represent. The changes in the environment are only one of the ways that the battle between good and evil was represented in the book, but it speaks powerfully and reveals a lot about how Lewis viewed the impact of good and evil on the world around us.