Hideous Strength- Melissa Faller

One of the most intriguing parts of the Hideous Strength was in Chapter 15. In Chapter 15 Mark was faced with a challenge. Mark was challenged with his faith. I particularly liked this part because of the way C.S. Lewis made Mark’s character so true to real life. In my experience and testimonies I have heard over the years, Christians like Mark are often faced with leaving something in which they consider important to them behind and accept Christ. I like this part of the book because it makes a real life situation that is so difficult, easy to relate too. Additionally, it also allows the reader to understand that sometimes the sacrifice that humans once though was so hard to make was nothing compared to what is gained when one makes that sacrifice. C.S. Lewis, again subtly hints at the greatness of being a Christian, but still manages to incorporate the real life obstacles and realism in his writing.

Breakdown of Uncle Andrew - Lindsay Conrad

I thought it would be interesting to talk a little bit about the characters as we spoke of them in class. I think each plays an essential role in the understanding of Lewis's theology. Uncle Andrew is the character I chose to break down. Though other characters seem to be complex in nature, he is rather simple-minded and cannot take it anything that he has not created himeslf. This makes a clear disconnect with the divine or with anything that could be deemed "impossible". He seems to be a character that would otherwise be considered "pagan". Andrew appears to be an investigator of the sacred, but a creature of the profane. He thinks his smarts got him into the other realms to adventure in new worlds, but his fear of anything unknown leaves him paralyzed and inefficient in the "real world" that Digory and Polly accidentally slip away from.
Uncle Andrew also is a character that cowers easily to power, but is also drawn to serving an all-knowing being of the world. This being was the witch who used him for everything he was worth. Though he is a peon, he may feel save under a person he has raised up on a pedestal. She couldn't save him from any real God or power such as Aslan, but he sure did seem willing to try.
He also seems to be the typical onlooker of the incredible. His utter disbelief keeps him from being able to understand the talking beasts and also gets him buried to be a type of tree for some time. He reminds me of the father in the parable where Jesus rebukes the disciples and the masses by saying that people are saved by faith. I can easily see Uncle Andrew, upon being rebuked by the divine speaking as the father with the demon-possessed son and saying, "I believe! Help ym disbelief".

Comparisons in Narnia

C.S. Lewis is known to use his writing and his stories while incorporating his own morals and beliefs. As a child, my parents would read me the Narnia series, but it wasn't until recently when I realized all of the Christian parallels to the story, particularly from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. The main characters, Aslan and the White Witch, seem to parallel the relationship between God and the devil from the Christian religion. C.S. Lewis is a converted Christian, and purposefully has included his beliefs in his writings

In the Christian tradition, God is the Creator of the universe as well as the Superior being that reigns over all things. In the Chronicles of Narnia, Aslan personifies the God character of the story by breathing life into existence in The Magician's Nephew and serving as the one true King of Narnia. Opposite of Aslan is the White Witch, a character that personifies the devil. The White Witch, similar to the devil in the Christian religion, lies, manipulates, and is very deceitful. Her behavior is evident throughout the story, especially in her first interactions with Edmund. She tempts him with turkish delight in order for him to confess what he knows about his brothers and sisters.

Aslan and the White Witch also parallel the battle of good v. evil from the Christian religion. Both claim to be the one ruler of Narnia, but only one can be the true leader. Throughout the story, we see that Aslan reigns as the true King, and the White Witch lies about who she is.

-Emily Williamson

Aslan-Melissa Faller

When I begin reading The Chronicles of Narnia I could not stop thinking about how perfect a lion is to represent Christ. A lion is a powerful animal. It is known for being the King of all of the other animals. The lion has authority over its terrain and when other such as hyenas attempts to remove the authority they do not succeed. In addition to being all powerful, the lions’ characteristics are stunning. Many people are drawn to the lion because of its strength and beauty. Like a lion, Christ is also the King. He is all powerful, and people are drawn to him sometimes out of pure curiosity. An example of this is seen in Mark 5, when a woman who had been sentenced to bleeding for 12 years, came up to Jesus in a large crowd and touched his cloak. She was instantly healed. People often sought after Jesus because of his individuality.
C.S. Lewis attributes Christ like characteristics to Aslan in addition to the lions’ innate similarities. Aslan is often seen as the peace maker of Narnia, he has a gentle and loving nature, but also can be dangerous. Perfectly representing how the writers of the bible write about Jesus Christ.

Space Trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet-Melissa Faller

C.S. Lewis’ space trilogies are books written beyond human experience. The books take place on other planets such as Mars and Venus. I find that writing Sci-Fi books in the 1930s was not only a brave move but that it was also very clever. When it comes to science it does not normally blend well with religion; however C.S. Lewis did an amazing job creating a fantasy world that could subtly speak the truth of a Christian narrative. One of may favorite parts of space trilogy is in the first book Out of the Silent Plant, in which Ransom has been kidnapped and is in the shuttle on his way to…well he doesn’t exactly know where. The normal human reaction to being kidnapped and discovering that he has been placed in a shuttle should be panic. Instead, of panicking Ransom, is amazed by his surroundings. Ransom is not upset about where he is but he is completely astonished by the beauty of outer space. At this moment he reflects back on the scientific term for outer space and disagrees with the title it has been given. He believes that nothing this beautiful and filled with this much wonder and glory should be called space. Ransom writes “No space was the wrong name. Older thinkers had been wiser when they had named it the heavens” (p.34). I enjoyed the way C.S. Lewis wrote this part. In an ideal situation if a person was really caught and brought to space he would be in a state of panic, however Ransom is so distracted by the beauty of space. To me this is a great way to illustrate the true beauty of space, and to emphasize that it should not be called space at all but rather heaven was truly genius. C.S. Lewis was able to subtly introduce to the reader the true beauty of Christianity.

Till We Have Faces-Melissa Faller

C.S. Lewis writes in Till We Have Faces about profane and sacred love. Lewis displays the profane and sacred through two sisters. One scene particularly exemplified profane and sacred love to me personally. It was the scene where the Eldest sister, Orual has reached the valley of the Gods to speak to her sister Psyche for the second time. Psyche greets her with excitement and love. Orual has decided to convince Psyche that she is living in delusion and that she is not really married to a God. Orual has convinced herself that there is no such thing as Gods and that the love Psyche is experiencing is not from a God, but rather it is from a felon or some other outcast. She feels that it is her duty to speak truth to her younger sister.
This particular scene speaks profane and sacred love to me for two different reasons. The first and more obvious of Orual representing profane love and Psyche representing sacred love. Secondly, C.S. Lewis does a great job capturing the worldly struggles with the sacred and profane. The profane love being selfish and self seeking. All Orual wanted was for Psyche to love her and to come home with her. She even entertained the idea that Psyche was telling the truth, and the consequences of bringing Psyche home, but she nothing matter except for what she wanted. Where as Psyche would do anything for her sister. She portrayed sacred love in her actions and attitude.
One specific part that intrigued me was how Psyche was convinced to turn the lamp on even though she knew in her heart that she was married to a God. I feel that C.S. Lewis was trying to show how often times our spiritual lives can be questioned and how easily we break from having sacred love and return to the profane. I feel that he was trying to emphasize human sin, especially when he banishes Psyche from the valley. It reminded me of when Adam and Eve where banished from the Garden of Eden for disobey God.

Rabadash: The Stubbornness of Man and Justice

By: Amy Stello

By far one of my most favorite moments in the Narnia series comes at the end of The Horse and His Boy. This time in the book, the reader knows all about Rabadash's evil plan to take over Archenland and then eventually capture Narnia and take Susan as his wife. Essentially he starts a war for his own selfish pride.

After the Narnians defeat Rabadash, the reader can see how many people Rabadash symbolizes. Man will go so far to protect his pride, even at the expense of his life. Rabadash could have accepted the mercy from his enemies and came at the Narnians with a humble perspective, asking forgiveness and setting things right, but instead he chooses to try and justify himself. Lewis knows exactly the kind of person he is characterizing. The people who get angry at others for their own failures and problems and refuse to see the logic or gain and self-perspective.

The other Narnian kings are willing to execute him and the readers can easily see why. Rabadash is clearly worthy of death, but Aslan is a wise leader. I think from a leadership perspective, Aslan is the perfect leader. He knows how to deal justice and mercy simultaneously. By turning Rabadash into, essentially, what he was on the inside is the perfect reconciliation between justice and mercy. It is especially humorous when Lewis goes into the history of Rabadash's life. Rabadash was trying to preserve his pride by not being rejected by Susan, but instead he gets defeated, rejected AND turned into a donkey. The people mock him behind his back and being stupid is equal to the phrase "being a second Rabadash" in his own country.

These little witticisms and clever ways of dealing justice are part of the reason that Lewis is one of my favorite authors. Not many writers have such a strong sense of common sense combined with idealistic fantasies. I also think this is why Lewis remains a classic writer even in modernity.