Sins in the Chronicles of Narnia the final paper.docx

Sins in the Chronicles of Narnia the final paper.docx

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SinsintheChroniclesofNarniathefinalpaper

SinsintheChroniclesofNarnia

JuliaZhu

IntensiveEnglish-Reading&Vocabulary

Class1

November27,2010

TheChroniclesofNarnia,whichfeaturesafantasyworldfulloftalkingbeastsandwalkingtrees,isimpressivetoreaders.However,theChroniclesofNarniaconveystheauthor’sconceptionstowardsreligiousideasaswell.As“averyordinarylaymanoftheChurchofEngland”andoneofthemostinfluentialChristianapologists,C.S.LewisgetsacrosshisreligiousviewsofChristianitywitheasethroughhiswork.Prominently,eachoneofthesesevenbooksreflectssins,especiallygluttony,greed,betrayalandpride.

InordertoconveysinsintheprospectofC.S.Lewis,thebiblicalclarificationofitsdefinitionisnecessary.Sinsaremaliciousattitudestowardsliferatherthanevilbehavior.Nevertheless,notallsinsaresodrasticallywickedthattheyleadtodeath,forsomesinsareworsethantheothers.Accordingto1John5:

16-17,"Ifanyoneseeshisbrothercommittingasinnotleadingtod0000000eath,heshallaskandGodwillforhimgivelifetothosewhocommitsinnotleadingtodeath.Thereisasinleadingtodeath;Idonotsaythatheshouldmakerequestforthis.Allunrighteousnessissin,andthereisasinnotleadingtodeath."Thesinsleadingtodeatharenormallyknownasthesevendeadlysins.Thedevelopmentofalistofdeadlysinsisvague,butthemostinfluentialoneisdevelopedbyGregorytheGreat（540-605）.Thesevendeadlysinsincludesuperbia（pride）,avaritia（greed）,luxuria（luxury,laterlust）,invidia（envy）,gula（gluttony）,ira（anger）,andacedia（sloth）.

C.S.Lewis,havinganintimateknowledgeofthesevendeadlysins,articulateshisviewofsinsvividlybyplacinganemphasisononeofthesevendeadlysinsineachbook.Forexample,inPrinceCaspian,C.S.LewisstressesthedangerofluxurythroughthecharacterofMiraz,anusurperandtyrant.InTheSilverChair,theexperienceofEustaceandJillvisiblydemonstratestheadverseeffectofsloth.ThedepictionofthecharacterofEustaceinTheVoyageofDawnTreaderhighlightsgreed,whilethecharacterizationofJadis,UncleAndrewandDigoryinTheMagician'sNephewunderscoresanger.Furthermore,thespiritualandphysicaldestructionofNarniainTheLastBattleimposinglyillustratesthedisastrouseffectofenvy.

Nevertheless,everybookembodiesmorethanonesinandalsodepictssinsotherthanthesevendeadlysins.InTheLion,theWitchandtheWardrobe,thewriterexplainsthesinsofgluttony,greedandbetrayal.Gluttonymeansover-indulgenceandover-consumptionof food, drink,or toxins tothepointofwaste.InPhilippians3:

19,itdepictspeoplewhocommitthesinofgluttonylikethis,“Theirdestinyisdestruction,theirgodistheirstomach,andtheirgloryisintheirshame.Theirmindissetonearthlythings.”Edmund’sgluttonytowardsTurkishDelighthasadevastatinginfluenceonhimandhissiblings.GluttonyactuallyenchantsEdmund,makeshimlosehissense,andblindshimtothetruth.Thesedetailsdemonstratetheenchantmentclearly,"AtfirstEdmundtriedtorememberthatitisrudetospeakwithone'smouthfull,butsoonheforgotaboutthisandthoughtonlyoftryingtoshoveldownasmuchTurkishDelightashecould,andthemoreheate,themorehewantedtoeat,andheneveraskedhimselfwhytheQueenshouldbesoinquisitive."InordertogetmoreandmoreTurkishDelight,EdmunddivulgesinformationabouthisfamilyandevenAslantotheWhiteWitch.Thus,Edmundbetrayshissistersandbrothersandtosomeextentalsobetrayshimself.ThegluttonyofEdmundvividlyparallelsEve’sgluttonousindulgencelikewhatMiltondescribesinthepoem, ParadiseLost,

“Intentnowwhollyonhertaste,naughtelse 

Regarded,suchdelighttillthen,asseem'd 

Infruitshenevertasted,whethertrue 

Orfanciedso,throughexpectationhigh 

Ofknowledge,norwasGod-headfromherthought, 

Greedilysheingorgedwithoutrestraint, 

AndknewnoteatingDeath.”（IX,785-92）

AnothersinthatEdmundcommitsisgreed.Inreality,theWhiteWitchseducesEdmundsuccessfullynotonlyduetohisdesireforTurkishDelightbutalsoduetohisdesireforpowerandforcontrollinghissiblings,primarilyPeter,hiselderbrother.Histhoughtremarkablymirrorshisgreedforpower,“HehadjustsettledinhismindwhatsortofpalacehewouldhaveandhowmanycarsandallabouthisprivatecinemaandwheretheprincipalrailwayswouldrunandwhatlawshewouldmakeagainstbeaversanddamsandwasputtingthefinishingtouchestosomeschemesforkeepingPeterinhisplace,whentheweatherchanged.”Hisdesireforcontrollinghissiblingsisalsoevidentthroughhisthought,“Youmustn’tthinkthatevennowEdmundwasquitesobadthatheactuallywantedhisbrotherandsisterstobeturnedintostone.HedidwantTurkishDelightandtobeaPrince（andlateraKing）andtopayPeterforcallinghimabeast.AsforwhattheWitchwoulddowiththeothers,hedidn’twanthertobeparticularlynicetothem----certainlynottoputthemonthesamelevelashimself.”

GluttonyandgreedeventuallyresultsinthebetrayalofEdmund.SinisanattitudeoflifeandisbasicallyanegativeattitudetowardstheCreator.InMark12:

30,itsays,“YoushalllovetheLordyourGodwithallyourheartandwithallyoursoulandwithallyourmindandwithallyourstrength.”EdmundbetraysnotonlyhissiblingsbutalsoAslan,theCreatorofNarnia.ThedisloyaltyofEdmundtoAslanresemblesthedisloyaltyofAdamandEvetotheGod.Moreover,liketheserpentwhofailstofulfillhispromise,theWhiteWitchdoesnotrealizeherpromises,whicharetomakeEdmundaprinceandtoprovidehimwithampleTurkishDelight.Thefollowingsentencesdistinctlyrevealtheendingofatraitor,“Edmund...expectedthatthewitchwouldstartbeingnicetohim...Butshesaidnothingatall.AndwhenatlastEdmundpluckeduphiscouragetosay,‘Please,yourMajesty,couldIhavesomeTurkishDelight?

You—you—said—’sheanswered,‘Silence,fool!

’”Ironically,EdmunddoesnotacquireanythingbyhisbetrayalexceptforreproachfromboththeWhiteWitchandNarnians.Moreover,thecureofbetrayaliscostlybothforthetraitorandfortheCreator.ForEdmund,hehastosubmithislifetotheWhiteWitchsinceeverytraitor’slifebelongstotheWhiteWitch.ForAslan,hehastosacrificehimselftorescuethewholeofNarnia.

Similarly,inTheHorseandHisBoy,theauthorinterpretsseveralsinsthemostnotableoneofwhichispride.Prideisnotoriousforbeingtheworstofthesevendeadlysins,foritis,ineffect,ananti-Godstateofmind.PrideisthedesiretomakeourselvesmoreimportantthanwhatwereallyareandiseventhedesireofhumanbeingstoputthemselvesintheplaceofGod.InRoman12:

3,itadmonishespeoplethat“Donotthinkofyourselfmorehighlythanyououghttothink...”C.S.Lewisportrayspridelikethis,“AccordingtoChristianteachers,theessentialvice,theutmostevil,isPride.Unchastity,anger,greed,drunkenness,andallthat,aremerefleabitesincomparison:

itwasthroughPridethatthedevilbecamethedevil:

Prideleadstoeveryothervice:

itisthecompleteanti-Godstateofmind.”Pride,asaninfamoussin,appearsinallsevenbooksinvariousways.InTheLion,theWitchandtheWardrobe,itisEdmund’sbetrayalofthelegalKing（Peter）ofNarnia.InTheMagician’sNephew,itisJadis’desiresforbeingsuperiortoeverythingandmakingeverythingandeveryonebehersubjects.InTheVoyageoftheDawnTreader,itisEustace’segothatdiminisheshishumanity.InPrinceCaspian,TheLastBattleandTheSilverChair,prideisdisobedienceandrebellion,makingoneselfamoreintelligentandmorerightfulauthoritythanGod.

InTheHorseandHisBoy,Bree,atalkingwarhorsefromNarnia,isapparentlyproud.HeisextremelyproudofbeingaNarnianhorse,althoughheliveswithdumbhorsesformanyyearsandhisLordtreatshimasanordinarydumbhorse.ThemoststrikingsymptomsofBree’sprideisbotheringabouthowheappearstoothersandfearsaboutbeingunfamiliarwithetiquettesafterreturningtoNarnia.TheconversationsbetweenBreeandShastaafterBreerubshisbackontheturfandwaveallfourlegsintheairrevealhispridevividly,“‘Doesitreallylookfunny?

’heaskedinananxiousvoice.…‘Youdon’tthink,doyou,’saidBree,‘thatitmightbeathingtalkinghorsesneverdo----asilly,clownishtrickI’velearnedfromthedumbones?

Itwouldbedreadfultofind,whenIgetbacktoNarnia,thatI’vepickedupalotoflow,badhabits.Whatdoyouthink,Shasta?

Honestly,now….Shouldyouthinkthereal,freehorse----thetalkingkind----doroll?

’”Evidently,Hekeepsworryingaboutpickingupalotoflowandbadhabitsbecauseofhisarrogance.Fortunately,helearnsthathispridemakeshimfoolishduringhisadventures.TheaccidentwhichhappensbeforethehouseofTheHermitoftheSouthernMarchandtheencounterwithAslanbothteachhimimportantlessonsofhumility.However,onecannevercompletelydealwithhisorhersins,soBreeretainshistraceofprideafterrealizinghisfault,“DoTalkingHorsesroll?

Supposingtheydon't?

Ican'tbeartogiveitup.Whatdoyouthink,Hwin?

”

Nonetheless,theprideofRabadashisevenmoreremarkableandsomewhatmoreevilthanthatofBree.AfterSusan,aQueenofNarniahewantstomarry,slipsthroughhisfingersatsea,hisvanityishurtsoterriblythathedecidestoleadanarmytoattackArchenlandandNarnia.LikewhatMartinLuthersays,"Thebestwaytodriveoutthedevil,ifhewillnotyieldtothetextsofScripture,istojeerandflouthim,forhecannotbears