Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by Term Paper

Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Specifically it will discuss the symbolism of Narnia in the book -- what does Narnia symbolize? There are many ideas of what Narnia symbolizes in this book, but it seems the most common and accepted idea is that Narnia symbolizes Heaven and peace. Narnia is a cold land until the children release it from the grip of the White Witch, and then it becomes a perfect, dreamlike land where time has no meaning and life is wonderful. Narnia represents our ideas of heaven and how our lives will be once we arrive in the "promised land."

Narnia represents Heaven and eternal life for a number of reasons. First, when Lucy first returns from Narnia through the wardrobe door, the other children do not believe her, and do not believe it is possible to travel to another world through the wardrobe. Lucy says, "It's -- it's a magic wardrobe. There's a wood inside it, and it's snowing, and there's a Faun and a Witch and it's called Narnia; come and see" (Lewis 25). Lucy's siblings all believe she is making the entire thing up, and in fact, they begin to tease her, making her even more determined to prove that she has indeed visited a new and magical world. The quote illustrates Lucy's excitement at her discovery, but it also points to the symbolism that Lewis is using for Narnia. Many people do not believe in Heaven or the Promised Land, and those who do believe in it, are always at a disadvantage trying to prove that it does exist. Lucy is in the same predicament.She cannot take her brothers and sisters back to Narnia until the time is right, and so, they are disbelievers that Lucy is desperately trying to convince. They represent the disbelievers in society who do not believe in God and Heaven, and in the end, they discover that it really does exist, and Lucy was right all along. They accuse her of being "batty," just as non-believers accuse believers of being "crazy" or "irrational." Narnia is Heaven, and Lucy has been there. Now, she simply has to convince the others.

Another compelling example of the symbolism of Narnia is the White Witch and her relationship to Narnia. When Edmund first meets the White Witch, he sees her as a beautiful but somehow frightening woman. Lewis writes, "Her face was white -- not merely pale, but white like snow of paper or icing-sugar, except for her very red mouth. It was a beautiful face in other respects, but proud and cold and stern" (Lewis 31). Usually, white symbolizes purity, but here it symbolizes evil. The White Witch could be a form of Satan, and in the Bible, God drives Satan out of Heaven to form Hell. The White Witch is also driven out of Narnia, and as her power subsides and she begins to weaken, beauty and spring return to the land that had been permanently covered in snow and ice. When she leaves, Narnia returns to normal. The quote shows that she is evil and to be distrusted, just like Satan. Just like Satan, she must be driven out of Narnia for the country to become all that it can be.….....