Narnia

I love the land of Narnia.  I would go there, if I could only find the right wardrobe to go through.

The “Voyage Of The Dawn Treader” is going to come out in theaters this coming December.  I am so excided about this because, although, this isn’t my favorite book of the series, it has the most fantastic allegory of the decade.

In the book we are introduced to Eustace, a snotty little boy who accompanies Edmond and Lucy to the magical land.  While there, in the midst of his selfishness and greed, he finds himself to be a dragon.  As a dragon, he learns how wretched he has been and becomes sorry for his actions. He begins to give and not take.  Then one night, Aslan comes.  Oh, it is so picturesque!  Aslan tells Eustace to come with him up to a small pond.  He then breaks a gold bracelet that Eustace had put on when he was a boy, but because now that he is an enormous dragon, his wrist is continually being cut by it.  He also tells Eustace to take off the dragon.  Eustace peels off scales only to look into the refection of the pond to see another layer.  He peels it off and finds another, and another.  Finally, Aslan offers to peel it off for him.  Eustace submits himself to the offer and Aslan peels off all the layers down to the very core of the boy.  Eustace later recounts how it hurt yet how wonderful it felt all at the same time  (sound like anything familiar?).  Eustace was now free of his ugly dragon and enjoys swimming with the lion in the clear pond.

In case you didn’t see the symbolism let me tell you how I see it.  Eustace represents anyone living in sin.  Aslan represents Christ.  Eustace finds himself bound to his sin (ie: dragon), and realizes how wrong he has been (ie: repentance).  Aslan then comes to him and Eustace follows.  Eustace tries to take off his ‘sin’ yet, even thought he appears to make headway, he doesn’t succeed.   Only when he lies down at Aslan’s feet, and allows him to remove his ugly scales, does the boy become free of his bondage.  Christ is the only one who can take our sin from us.  In the same way, the process is painful yet wonderfully freeing at the same time.  Oh, just beautiful, isn’t it?  How I would love to have a conversation with C. S. Lewis!

On a different note, I heard that they bring Peter and Susan come back for this movie.  Grrr!  They are not in the book.  Hollywood is famous for taking perfectly good stories and ruining them in the theater.  I hope they don’t ruin it.  A friend told me that if each movie does well, they will eventually film the entire series.  I hope that they do, even if they only get half of the storyline right, you will probably find me at the theater.  🙂

PS:  A Hours and His Boy is my favorite book of the series.