Planet Narnia, A Responsive Reread: Introduction

As most of you who read this blog probably know, I am not only a Gondorian, but a Narnian. How Narnian? I named my firstborn son Corin after the fighting prince of Archenland. And further than that, I am a fan of all of C.S. Lewis' other work, so much so that on my bookshelf is a large collection of Lewis quotes (a three-inch-wide book with decorative cover). So when, on a large science fiction and fantasy website (Tor.com), I found this series of commentary on the Narnia books, I was excited, though wary. Most of the site's bloggers are thoroughly naturalistic atheists, and as such, have little in common with Lewis' view at the time he wrote The Chronicles of Narnia. My concern was justified, as the author and several of the commenters judged the books through modern, atheistic, naturalistic lenses. This was deeply troubling to me, not only as a fan, but as a Christian.

Planet Narnia and Medieval Imagery

A few years ago, I was given a book that purported to explain the "hidden scheme" behind The Chronicles of Narnia. This was Planet Narnia, by Michael Ward. It's very technical and reference-based, so one might prefer the laymen's version, The Narnia Code. Ward's basic premise is that C.S. Lewis, a scholar of medieval literature, is using the seven planets of medieval lore (including the sun and the moon), to say important things about Jesus and about the world. Lewis subtly scores each book with the theme of each planet, like a masterful musician weaving a leitmotif through a movie or opera score. This idea opened up a whole new understanding of Narnia for me, even though I had been a lifelong fan and read the books several times.

In another place, Lewis exhorted his readers not to try and cram people and ideas of long ago into modern categories and attitudes. Yes, it may be true that under their armor, or gentlemanly lace ruffs, men (and women) are generally the same. But it's also true that every time period has its own clarity of vision, as well as blind spots. But instead of trying to strip the knight of his armor, Lewis recommended trying to put yourself inside it*; understanding the world through medieval eyes and gaining a fresh perspective. In one of his larger works, The Discarded Vision, Lewis describes, explains, celebrates, and mourns the medieval vision of the cosmos ("the heavens") as a great dance, full of order and meaning, as opposed to our modern vision of "space" as a mostly empty, random place, material and cold. Not that he still thought the earth was stationary and all the planets revolved around it; but as he said in an introduction to a poem, "the characters of the planets, as conceived by medieval astrology, seem to me to have a permanent value as spiritual symbols...which [are] specially worth while in our own generation."**

This is why I believe it is especially inappropriate to judge The Chronicles of Narnia based on modern, even "progressive" categories. C. S. Lewis was not, as some have maintained, a man of his time. He was, in many respects, a man of olden times, of medieval times. And the whole point of the Narniad (as Ward calls it) is to help us as readers to experience something of those times, but something that speaks to all ages.

Defense and Correction

The language of images is easily misunderstood, and the imagery of the planets has long passed out of the culture of the West, so it's no surprise that Ms. Ness interprets Lewis' work in ways he never intended. For instance, as is popular, she objects to the "damning" of Susan in The Last Battle because she "decided to embrace her femininity". Ms. Ness, and many others who have made this claim, I believe are missing the point. I'll cover that particular problem in depth when I go through The Last Battle, but for now, let me just suggest that Polly's more mature comment on Susan's state is more relevant than Jill's remark about "lipsticks and nylons". (Correction: on revisiting Ms. Ness's post, I see that she does in fact go deeper into Susan's condition and Lewis' commentary than I had thought, and her points about love of fantasy and "geekdom" are good ones. Still, there is much more to say, especially in regard to how other critics such as Philip Pullman have seen Susan's fate.)

Lewis has been accused of misogyny, Islamophobia, cruelty, and many other things. In this series, I will be defending him against these charges as they occur in the Tor.com series, as I believe that many of them can be answered by appealing to the medieval and planetary context for reinterpretation of the Narnia text.

Also, many critics, including Ms. Ness, have had problems with the writing style of the Narniad: the change in style from book to book, the details that don't seem to belong (Father Christmas, anyone?), and certain inconsistencies. Certainly no book or series is perfectly written, and I hope I'm not such a crazy fangirl as to suggest that Narnia has no problems. But the unifying theme of the planets, as argued in Planet Narnia, makes much of the nonsense into deeper sense.

The Music of the Spheres

In this reread, I'll be reading each of the Narnia books with an ear tuned to its theme, noting the myriad ways Lewis expresses the planetary concept through details, events, and ways of saying things. This will be the fun part. :) Michael Ward describes many of these in Planet Narnia, but it's more exciting to find them for oneself. So I encourage you to read the books along with me, searching for those themes and commenting with what you found, if you wish. There's plenty to find.

Of course, Lewis' Christianity is a major factor (if not the major factor) informing his work. Ward brings that out in Planet Narnia, noting that the character of Aslan in every book reveals something about Christ while being the personification of the planetary "spirit" pervading the book. In every post, then, I'll have a consideration of Aslan as Christ, expressing His character through the seven planets.

Since Planet Narnia and the Tor.com series take the books in the order published, I'll do the same thing. For reference, here's a quick list of the books, which planet goes with which book, and some of the main themes that each planet covers:

1. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: Jupiter/Jove (Kingship; authority, joy, prosperity, sacrifice) 
2. Prince Caspian: Mars (Knighthood/Vegetation; courage, duty, discipline, martyrdom) 
3. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: Sol/Sun (Light; gold, learning, generosity, clarity) 
4. The Silver Chair: Luna/Moon (Humility; confusion, wandering, faithfulness, obedience) 
5. The Horse and His Boy: Mercury (Words/Language; multiplicity, speed, meaning) 
6. The Magician's Nephew: Venus (Creation; motherhood, [subtle] sexuality, youth, joy) 
7. The Last Battle: Saturn (Age/Maturity; death, wisdom, discernment, trust) 

Of course, each theme will be explored in depth later. 

See you next time, when Jupiter comes in like a Lion!

* C. S. Lewis, A Preface to "Paradise Lost", p. 64. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1984.
** C. S. Lewis, "The Alliterative Metre," Selected Literary Essays, ed. Walter Hooper, pp. 23f. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1980.