Danyelle Catoe- Lucy as the incorruptible character

As I was reading through the Narnia series, Lucy’s character always seemed to represent some kind of incorruptible character. In my mind, she represented the innocent, almost naïve, child. As I was writing my short story, I wanted to capture this innocence by comparing Lucy’s character to Edmund’s. I had always secretly wished that Lucy had met the white witch first; to me it seemed obvious that Lucy would not have been dissuaded by the witch’s charm or beauty, but would have stood firm and opposed the witch.
Throughout the Narnia series, Lucy always seems to have an optimistic outlook on life. Even when she was downcast, she never seemed to really sink that low. Her attitude always improved shortly. Thus, at least in my mind, Lucy came to represent some kind of incorruptible character. No matter what happened, or what she was tempted with, she remained loyal to Aslan, and to the greater good.
However, this innocence and incorruptibility never seemed to be a weakness of Lucy’s. It somehow seemed to work to her advantage. Her unwavering faith in the greater good was not shattered in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In most contemporary novels, any child-like innocence seems to be conveyed as a faulty characteristic, or a weakness to be exploited. But in Lewis’ novels, it almost seems to be a characteristic to aspire to. Lucy’s innocence awakens a craving within us to share in her wide-eyed innocence and belief in the greater good. However, it also leads the reader to question if this outlook on life is really practical in today’s society. Is one able to function productively in society while still maintaining a hope in the greater good of human nature? Or is one forced to adopt a more “honest” view of human nature? Is it more beneficial to hope for the greater good, but prepare for the worst?
Even though the Narnia series is marketed towards children, the novels contain numerous truths about human nature. Even by comparing the personalities of the children, readers are exposed to a variety of qualities that are found in those around us, or even in ourselves. One is forced to question which qualities we would like to display to others, as well as evaluate which qualities are most beneficial to us.