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The Childlike and Biblical Connotations in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

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The Childlike and Biblical Connotations in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Throughout his writing career, CS Lewis has been known for writing many books with a hint of biblical connotations in them. As Kathryn Lindskoog states, "CS Lewis is known for opposing the spirit of modern thought with the unpopular Christian doctrines of sin and evil" (2083). Lewis himself has said, "You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life or death to you" (Freaks 60). Although his belief in God has not yet presented itself in that manner, he continues to devote his time to the artful presentation of what he believes to be true about God and man, as observed by Dr. Bruce …show more content…

When the Aslan goes to meet his certain death at the hand of the Witch, the narrator refuses to give a description of some of the creatures present for fear "the grownups would probably not let [children] read this book..." (165). This technique establishes a friendly connection with reader. The narrator shows a sense of concern for the well being of the readers, assuring them that he is on their side. Yet another connection is the associative connection. Lewis uses words that a child can associate with. Every child knows, loves and anticipates the idea of Father Christmas, and so when Lewis explains that the White Witch has kept Father Christmas out of Narnia, he instills an idea in the reader's mind that the Witch must be a terrible person. At another point in the book, Aslan warns the children, "if the witch is to be finally defeated before bedtime we must find the battle at once" (191). Here, Lewis uses a word, bedtime, which every child has heard and is familiar with, allowing the child to better understand the story. Again, when Aslan (the symbol of Christ) dies, a child may be able to better sympathize with the death of an animal rather than that of a great figure who lived two thousand years ago. Even the fact that Lewis credits the resurrection of Aslan to the Deep Magic provides a medium that explicates the much harder theological implications found in the Bible (Brennan).

Just as Lewis

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