The Mountains as Monsters: Silver Chair and Snowshoe Mountain

Catherine Porter

In Lewis’ The Silver Chair, Jill, Eustace, and Puddlegum journey through the land in pursuit of finding and returning the lost prince to Narnia. Jill is fearful of the mountains, as their shape resembles that of a monster. She fears that perhaps the mountains will begin attacking them. C.S. Lewis illustrates the vast power that nature has through the journey illustrated in The Silver Chair. Before I read the novel this semester, I spent a few days in Snowshoe, West Virginia skiing. The area had gotten a particularly heavy snow this winter, and had received an additional large snowfall the day prior to my arrival. I remember sitting on the ski lift and thinking how incredible the mountains truly are. However, I was not thinking simply of their beauty, but the power that the elements of nature possess. Therefore, I can see why Lewis would create a character that recognized the vastness of the mountains. I too see the monstrous characteristics.