Volume 8 No. 2, Agustus 2008 : 112-122

READING THE CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS IN C.S LEWIS’ THE LAST BATTLE Febrina Maranatha Christian University Prof. Drg. Suria Sumantri 65 Bandung 40164 Phone: (62 22) 2012186, Fax: (62 22) 2015154 Received/Accepted: 13 June 2008/10 July 2008

ABSTRACT The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis is known as children fiction; nevertheless, it is also a story rich in Christian values. This article discusses the last book of the series of Narnia, The Last Battle, which is often said to contain symbolism connected to the Book of Revelation in the Bible. My reading of the novel, however, would reveal that the symbolism is not related exclusively to the Book of Revelation alone but to the other parts of the Bible as well. The discussion will focus on the four main characters of The Last Battle, each of which carries symbolic meaning related to the Bible. As the conclusion, I find that Lewis actually wants to convey the message of Christian salvation through the symbolism in his novel.

KEYWORDS Symbol, Symbolism, Character, Christianity, Bible 1. INTRODUCTION C.S Lewis’ best known work, The Chronicles of Narnia, is a series of seven fantasy novels for children. It is often considered a classic of children's literature, which strongly conveys a Christian message to its readers. Peter J. Schakel (1979) in his essay “C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia: The "Correct" Order for Reading?” convincingly argues that “the seven books … describe the emotional climate of Christian commitment at various ages, 112

Volume 8 No. 2, Agustus 2008 : 112-122 from very young childhood to old age and death”. Nevertheless, it is also widely accepted that the books can be read for their adventure, color and richness of ideas alone. Lewis himself is well-known as an expert of Christian apologetics as well as a fiction writer. Therefore, it is not surprising to find out that “Lewis used his religious background and beliefs to create Narnia and its characters, along with the conflicts and experiences that they go through” (Archer, 2008). The Last Battle, which is the seventh book of the chronicle, ends and completes the whole series. The book is rich with symbolism related to the Bible, especially the Book of Revelation, which is the last book of the New Testament in the Christian Bible revealing the coming apocalypse of the world. The evident connection between the two texts has been widely recognized, such as by Mervyn Nicholson (1998) in his essay “C.S. Lewis And The Scholarship of Imagination in E. Nesbit and Rider Haggard” stating that “The Last Battle is an apocalyptic vision and, properly speaking, a tour de force. To present a vision of the end of the world, with its Biblical symbolism and references to the book of Revelation, in the form of a children's story, is a remarkable achievement.” (Nicholson). Maureen Archer (2008) also points out that: The final chapters of [The Last Battle] are almost identical to the final chapters in Revelation in the Bible …. Narnia collapsed and was destroyed as it became nothing more than deserted land. Water crashed over the land and covered the area that was once the beloved Narnia in front of Aslan, just as "the earth and sky fled from his presence" in the Bible. (Revelation 20:11). Although it is undeniable that most events mentioned in the novel alludes to the Book of Revelation, I find that the symbolism employed in the novel connects with the whole Bible rather than the Book of Revelation only. Thus, my article is written with the purpose to provide a deeper understanding of The Last Battle as a work that conveys the general Biblical values rather than as a mere allegory of the Book of Revelation. Symbols are depicted as “something that means more than what it is. It is an object, a person, a situation, an action or some other item that has a literal meaning in the story but suggests or represents other meanings as well.” 113

Reading The Christian Symbols in C.S Lewis’ The Last Battle (Febrina)

(Perrine, 1978, p. 216). I will focus my study of symbolism on the four main characters in The Last Battle, namely Aslan, Shift, Puzzle and King Tirian. To interpret the symbolic meaning of these characters, I will use the New International Version Bible as the reference. 2. READING THE SYMBOLIC CHARACTERS IN THE LAST BATTLE The first character that becomes the focus of my reading is Aslan, known as the Great Lion. Aslan is the leader of Narnia but obviously he is not only an ordinary leader because he symbolizes divine authority rather than just earthly leadership. The divinity is clearly symbolized by the light that surrounds Aslan whenever he appears. “[A] brightness flashed behind them. All turned … There stood … huge and real, the golden Lion, Aslan himself …” (Lewis, 1956, p.183). Unmistakably, light is commonly associated with divinity or God. James 1: 8 says that God is “the Father of the heavenly lights”, and 1 John 1:5 says that “God is light”. By describing the appearance of Aslan in the light, I believe that C.S Lewis wants to emphasize the divine quality of Aslan. The divine quality of Aslan is clearly worshipped by the Narnians as they “were kneeling in a circle before his forepaws and burying their hands and faces in his mane as he stooped his great head to touch them with his tongue.” (Lewis, 1956, p. 183) Aslan is different compared to other creatures of Narnia, both talking animals and human beings, not only because of the way he appears but also because he holds the right to judge all of Narnians according to their conducts. On the day Narnia ends, Aslan holds the final judgement for all Narnians. “And at last … racing up the hill for dear life, by thousands and by millions, came all kinds of creatures … And all these ran up to the doorway where Aslan stood.” (p. 191). Two things happen to them when they all look straight in Aslan’s face. Some who are not faithful look at Aslan’s face in “fear and hatred” (p. 193) whereas some others who are faithful followers of Aslan “[looked] in the face of Aslan and loved him” (p. 193). Those unfaithful creatures “swerved to their right, [Aslan’s] left, and disappeared into his huge black shadow” (p. 193) while Aslan’s faithful followers “came in at the Door, on Aslan’s right.” (p. 193). The door is the entrance to Aslan’s country, the eternal world that will not draw to an end.

114

Volume 8 No. 2, Agustus 2008 : 112-122 I believe that such a judgement is inspired by the judgement recorded in Matthew 25:33-35 which says “When the Son of Man comes in His glory ... All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.” The Bible says that those who are in God’s right will enter the Kingdom and those who are in His left depart to the eternal darkness. The right of judgement in Aslan symbolizes the unlimited authority of God, the divine authority. This right immediately sets Aslan apart and higher than the rest of Narnia, thus he symbolizes the divine authority, which rules over and judges his subjects. I believe this symbolism is again inspired by the Bible in which it is stated that “God Himself is judge” (Psalm 50:6). And that God “will judge the world” (Acts 17:31). The idea of divine authority has been symbolized most clearly in the character of Aslan because he is addressed as the king of kings of Narnia and he is the one who could provide justice and righteousness for the Narnians who have lived in chaos under the rule of Shift, the wicked Ape. Aslan is described as the majestic holder of the authority over Narnia. Aslan also symbolizes divine love. Love has been depicted most clearly and beautifully in 1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” These are the characteristics of divine love. No human being can fulfill these perfect requirements of love, except the divine God Himself. Aslan, nevertheless, seems to be the embodiment of all the characteristics of perfect love. Although he is rightfully capable of judging his subjects, he is also compassionate and forgiving. Aslan’s compassion and forgiveness is revealed when he tries to help the Dwarfs who are trapped in their own darkness. They have betrayed Aslan and choose not to believe in him anymore. Although the Dwarfs live in a beautiful meadow, their visions are dark because their minds are just as dark. In his compassion, Aslan “came close to the Dwarfs and gave them a low growl” (Lewis, 1956, p. 183) so that they can hear his voice and be set free from their dark mind. However, the Dwarfs get scared instead of recognizing Aslan’s compassion towards them. 115

Reading The Christian Symbols in C.S Lewis’ The Last Battle (Febrina)

Seeing that the Dwarfs fail to recognize his voice, Aslan tries to give them “a glorious feast … But it wasn’t much use” (p. 183). The Dwarfs cannot see that the food is good. For them, even the wine tastes like dirty water. Through this second effort of trying to help the Dwarfs, I can see that Aslan is patient and kind. When the Dwarfs cannot recognize his voice, he tries to help them once again instead of immediately giving up. This also shows the persevering quality of divine love. In the end, however, Aslan has to give up because the Dwarfs have insisted on not to believe him. There is also an event when Aslan meets Emeth, a Calormene. The Calormens are a nation that does not belong to Aslan. It is said that the Calormens “care nothing for Aslan.” (p. 16). They have their own god called Tash and they devote their lives to serve him. In his fears Emeth thinks “Surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honor) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him” (p. 204). But, instead of killing Emeth, “The Glorious One bent down his golden head and touched [Emeth’s] forehead with his tongue and said, “Son, thou art welcome.” (p. 204) Through this action, C.S Lewis is again showing the quality of divine love in Aslan, inspired by the Bible as recorded in Numbers 14:18 that says God is “slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving”. The action of Aslan calling Emeth “Son” again strongly correlates with the Bible which shows how God loves His followers so much that He calls them “His children” (1 John 3:1). Emeth is a Calormene, the enemy of Narnia, so he does not belong to Narnia and should be excluded as Aslan’s subjects. Yet, Aslan’s action to call him “Son” symbolizes the divine love that reaches to all and not only some. To Emeth, Aslan says: Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me ... not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites ... that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath’s sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him. 116

Volume 8 No. 2, Agustus 2008 : 112-122 And if any man does cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves ... (Lewis, 1956, p. 205) Through his words, I can see another quality of love in Aslan as stated in 1 Corinthians 13:4 that “[love] is not self seeking ... love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” Aslan always protects his subjects, he does not boast and he is not proud for he is able to count for what Emeth has done for Tash as a service to him. Aslan does not demand special service; he delights in what is true. . The next character I will analyse is Shift, symbolizing false authority. Contrasted with divine authority, the false authority is wicked, evil and selfcentered. The false authority steals power from the true one for its own advantage. Shift, the ape, who symbolizes the false authority, is precisely the opposite of Aslan. Shift steals the authority from Aslan by making Puzzle, the Donkey, to pose as Aslan by wearing a lion’s skin. After putting the lion’s skin to Puzzle, Shift says: “... If anyone saw you now, they’d think you were Aslan, the Great Lion, Himself.” “That would be dreadful,” said Puzzle “No it wouldn’t,” said Shift. “Everyone would do whatever you told them.” “But I don’t want to tell them anything.” “You’d have me to advise you, you know. I’d think of sensible orders for you to give. And everyone would have to obey us, even the King himself ...” (Lewis, 1956, p.12) From the dialogue, it is clear that Shift wants the Narnians to think that Puzzle (who is under his command) is Aslan, so that he can rule over Narnia. Shift can ask the talking animals to provide food supplies for him. When he wants more nuts, he says “Aslan wants some more nuts” (p. 35). He also uses Aslan’s name to make Narnians work for the Calormene. Shift deceives the Narnians by saying that Aslan and the Calormene god are one and the same. He says that “Tash is only another name for Aslan. … Tash is

117

Reading The Christian Symbols in C.S Lewis’ The Last Battle (Febrina)

Aslan: Aslan is Tash.” (p. 40). And this fraud causes a lot of Narnians to lose faith in Aslan. As the brain behind all the fraud and as the deceiver, Shift reminds me of the Antichrist mentioned in the Bible who is foretold to “[go] out from us, but they did not really belong to us” (1 John 2:19). 2 John 7 says that “many deceivers ... have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.” In the Bible, the false authority is known as the Antichrist. This can be found in Revelation 13:5 “[The Antichrist] was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority .…” Therefore, Shift has clearly symbolized the idea of false authority because he is the one who inspires the formation of the internal allies in Narnia, spreading fraud for his own advantage and claims the authority, using Aslan’s name, for his own sake. The next character I will analyse is Puzzle, who symbolises the stupidity of man. Puzzle is a donkey that has been manipulated by Shift to do evil without realizing it himself. Puzzle always thinks that he knows nothing; therefore, he takes whatever Shift tells him as the truth. Puzzle never complained, because he knew that Shift was far cleverer than himself and he thought it was very kind of Shift to be friends with him at all. And if ever Puzzle did try to argue about anything, Shift would always say, “Now, Puzzle, I understand what needs to be done better than you. You know you’re not clever, Puzzle.” And Puzzle always said, “No, Shift. It’s quite true. I’m not clever.” Then he would sigh and do whatever Shift had said. (Lewis, 1956, p. 2) I believe that Lewis calls the donkey Puzzle with a certain purpose. The word “puzzle” means not understand or confused. The donkey Puzzle does not understand anything and keeps getting confused. He accepts Shift’s saying that “thinking isn’t [his] strong point” (p. 7) and that he is “no good at thinking” (p. 8). Because of Puzzle’s always accepting Shift’s saying, it is very easy for Shift to use him and thus, he becomes Shift’s partner in crime although he gets 118

Volume 8 No. 2, Agustus 2008 : 112-122 nothing in return. Puzzle is asked to wear a lion’s skin so that he can pretend to be Aslan under Shift’s command. “Well then, that’s settled,” said the Ape. “You will pretend to be Aslan, and I’ll tell you what to say.” (p. 13). Puzzle, wearing a lion’s skin, is placed in a stable. At night, when all Narnians gather to talk to Aslan (Shift has told them that Aslan is in the stable), Puzzle, not allowed to speak anything, will go out and show himself and the Narnians will think that he is Aslan because they cannot see clearly. When finally Puzzle is saved and told that what he has done is a mistake, he says “I’m sure I’m very sorry if I’ve done wrong. The Ape said Aslan wanted me to dress up like that. And I thought he’d know. I’m not clever like him. I only did what I was told. It wasn’t any fun for me living in that stable. I don’t even know what’s been going outside. He never let me out except for a minute or two at night.” (p. 82) Seeing what he says, I believe that Puzzle is a figure that needs guidance. Thus, he symbolizes the stupidity of man, inspired by the Bible as found in Proverbs 19:3 that “a man’s own folly ruins his life”. Man also needs guidance, because like Jeremiah 10:23 says, “it is not for man to direct his steps.” Furthermore, Isaiah 44:20 says that “[man] cannot save himself”; therefore, man needs to be saved from the prison of sin (which is a result of Satan’s deception) just like Puzzle needs to be saved from his being prisoner in the stable under Shift’s deception. The last character I will analyse is King Tirian, who symbolises faith. King Tirian is the last king of Narnia and is a faithful follower of Aslan. Although he has never seen Aslan before, for Tirian, Aslan is “his heart’s desire” (Lewis, 1956, p. 183). Despite all the lies he hears about Aslan, his heart stands still for Aslan. Tirian never doubts Aslan. When Tirian meets the Dwarfs who have lost their faith, he still proclaims that “[he] serves the real Aslan.” (p. 90). I believe the symbolism is related to Hebrew 11:1 which says “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Tirian believes in Aslan despite not seeing him. He is sure of what he hopes for, that is why he serves Aslan, his heart’s desire, all his life. The Bible also says “... blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29).

119

Reading The Christian Symbols in C.S Lewis’ The Last Battle (Febrina)

While Shift continues to bring the Narnians into Calormene slavery and a lot of Narnians lose their faith and loyalty to Aslan, Tirian prepares to fight the Calormenes although he has only a small loyal force. Tirian is willing to die in a last stand against the forces of darkness. In the last battle, he says “Here stand I, Tirian of Narnia, in Aslan’s name, to prove with my body that Tash is a foul fiend, the Ape a manifold traitor, and these Calormenes worthy of death. To my side, all true Narnians. Would you wait till your new masters have killed you all one by one?” (Lewis, 1956, p. 142). And what happens next is Tirian’s small forces battle the Calormenes. This last battle, I believe, is inspired by the last battle recorded in Revelation 20:8-10 “[Satan] will go out to deceive the nations ... to gather them for battle ... they marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people .… “ When Aslan comes, Tirian enters Aslan’s country together with all Aslan faithful followers. Aslan’s country is said to be the real Narnia which “[is] more real and more beautiful than the Narnia down below” (Lewis, 1956, p. 224). After walking further up and further in, just like what Aslan asks him to do, Tirian finds a great golden gate and when he passes the gate, he meets all former Narnians, kings and queens, even his father himself. And most of all, Tirian can meet and live with The One he always longs for, Aslan. Because of his faith, Tirian enters Aslan’s country and lives “happily ever after.” (p. 228). What happens to Tirian reminds me of the promises in the Bible for those who have faith. James 2:5 says that those who are “rich in faith ... [will] inherit the kingdom” where “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). Hebrews 5:12 says that we are to “imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” Thus, Tirian clearly symbolizes faith because despite not seeing Aslan, he believes in Aslan and is certain of what he believes in. 3. CONCLUSION The symbolic characters of Aslan, Shift, Puzzle and Tirian reveal the basic message of the novel which is none other than the message of salvation. Christians believe that there are divine authority and false authority in the world. In the divine authority (symbolised by Aslan) people can find God’s divine love including His forgiveness and His promise for His children to 120

Volume 8 No. 2, Agustus 2008 : 112-122 enter His Kingdom. God always offers His salvation but to accept God’s salvation, people need faith (symbolised by Tirian) because the concept of salvation in Christianity is salvation by grace alone and not by people’s good deeds. Ephesians 2:8 states “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith.” Deciding to have faith in God, Christians are also to “work out [their] salvation” (Philippians 2:12) which means to remain faithful to the end. Deceptions and temptations will come but they have to stand firm on what they believe in. Those who repent and remain faithful to Him will inherit what is promised; “the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Romans 18:7) in “the New Jerusalem” (Revelation 21) which is the Kingdom of God. On the other hand, in the false authority (symbolised by Shift), we will only find evil and lies, as the Bible says that the devil is “the father of lies” (John 8:44). The devil deceives people, takes them under his control and binds them with sin. Human beings cannot save themselves because the deceiver is cleverer than them. However, they can choose to accept God’s salvation by putting their faith in Him. If they choose to believe in the devil, they will stay in their stupidity (symbolised by Puzzle), deceived for the rest of their lives. Nevertheless, in the end, each person will be judged according to his own conduct, according to what he has chosen. Those who lose faith and are evil will be “thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15). To be able to grasp the message of salvation in the novel, I believe that readers need a background of Christian knowledge. The readers who do not have such background will not be able to understand the many Biblical references Lewis has made in his novel. Without the background of Christian knowledge, the readers will find The Last Battle as a mere story that is full of fantasy and adventure. On the other hand, the readers who are aware of the Christian values will gain advantage in their reading experience because they will be able to relate the characters or the events in The Last Battle to the Bible and as a result, they will gain more enjoyment and understanding of the novel.

REFERENCES

121

Reading The Christian Symbols in C.S Lewis’ The Last Battle (Febrina)

Archer, M. Ezine Articles. (2008). CS Lewis and the chronicles of Narnia. Retrieved June 2, 2008, from http://ezinearticles.com/?CSLewis-and-the-Chronicles-of-Narnia&id=1115349 Lewis, C. S. (1956). The chronicle of Narnia: The last battle. United Kingdom: The Bodley Head. Nicholson, Mervyn. BNET. (1998). C.S. Lewis and the scholarship of imagination in E. Nesbit and Rider Haggard. BNET. Retrieved June 2, 2008, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3777/is_199810/ai_n880 9620/pg_1 Perrine, L. (1978). Literature structure, sound, and sense. United States of America: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. Schakel, P. J. (1979). C. S. Lewis's chronicles of Narnia: The “correct” order for reading? Retrieved June 2, 2008, from http://hope.edu/ academic/english/schakel/narniaorder.html The Holy Bible New International Version. (1984). United States: Zondervan.

122