Anne Taylor Robertson, Narnia 1

During the course of reading the Chronicles of Narnia, some questions have been raised in my mind about greater ideas. One that I find throughout the books that continues to be compelling to me is the idea of the fear. The reason why I have found this idea so fascinating is because it resonates so deeply in my own life. When the Pevensie children are on their adventures in Narnia, they are frequently afraid. Similarly, when Digory and Polly are on their very first adventures in Narnia, they have a constant fear of the unknown. In The Horse and His Boy, the children as well as the two horses have to avoid the threat of being kidnapped. The theme continues throughout the rest of the books as well. One thing that I think is important to note is that they always feel safe when they are in with Aslan. They consistently feel secure, and are able to experience joy and fullness in his presence.
As a child, I always felt safe when my parents were around. There was no need to worry about anything because they could take care of everything. I knew I would be fed three times a day, I knew I would be safe from harm because they were invincible, and I knew that they loved me. As I grew older, these feelings of security began to fade. I think this is part of growing up and is very normal. I also think that it is rather sad, and we begin to attempt to control every aspect of our lives, because if we don’t have control, everything will collapse. This is especially true in the lives of college students. We live on our own and for the most part, are responsible for satisfying our basic needs. We buy groceries, and when we run out of food and money, we may have to skip a meal. We don’t live in a home that is safe from the fear of outside threats and crime, and as far as being loved, we have to seek out people and build relationships rather than having people automatically love us (because we are their children). Essentially, we are responsible for meeting all of our own needs and being in control at all times.
In Narnia, I think Lewis makes a point of highlighting natural human fears so that they may be explored and eventually relieved. He offers us hope and safety in the character of Aslan, and brings out human characteristics in the children- common fears that people of all ages and backgrounds experience.