#03 C.S. Lewis on stories

In *C. S. Lewis—A Life*, Alister McGrath provides a comprehensive portrait of C.S. Lewis, delving into his transformation from atheism to Christianity and his literary achievements, including the *Chronicles of Narnia*. McGrath's meticulous research challenges some previously held beliefs about Lewis's life, offering new insights into his intellectual and personal journey.

In this final installment of 'The Chronicles of Narnia', a false Aslan is set up in the north-western borderlands of Narnia, leading to conflict between true and false Narnians and between Narnia and Calormen. King Tirian, with the help of Eustace and Jill, uncovers the plot and fights back. The story concludes with Aslan terminating the world of Narnia after a 'last battle' and leading the faithful to a new, perfect Narnia. The novel explores themes of faith, deception, and the ultimate redemption of Narnia.

In 'The Abolition of Man', C.S. Lewis delivers a defense of objective value and natural law, originating from his Riddell Memorial Lectures at the University of Durham in 1943. Lewis argues that education should be conducted within the context of moral law and objective values, which he terms the 'Tao'. He criticizes modern attempts to debunk these values, warning that such actions could lead to a dehumanization of society, resulting in what he calls 'Men without Chests' – individuals whose emotions have not been trained to conform to reason. The book emphasizes the universal nature of traditional moralities across different cultures and warns against the dangers of moral relativism and the reduction of human beings to mere objects of scientific analysis.

Published in 1945, 'That Hideous Strength' is the final book in C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy. The story takes place on Earth and follows the character Mark Studdock, a young sociology faculty member at Bracton College, as he becomes entangled with the National Institute of Co-ordinated Experiments (N. I. C. E. ), a sinister organization with totalitarian ambitions. The novel delves into themes of faith, doubt, and the struggle between good and evil, featuring characters from the previous books in the trilogy, including Elwin Ransom. It critiques the dangers of logical positivism and the erosion of moral values, drawing parallels with other dystopian works like George Orwell's '1984'.

The Silver Chair is the fourth published book in 'The Chronicles of Narnia' series. It follows Eustace Scrubb, who returns to Narnia along with his classmate Jill Pole, on a mission from Aslan to find Prince Rilian, the son of King Caspian. The story involves their journey through the underground world of Narnia, facing various dangers and encountering the Lady of the Green Kirtle, who has enchanted Prince Rilian. With the help of Puddleglum the Marsh-wiggle, they manage to break the curse and free Rilian, leading to the defeat of the Lady of the Green Kirtle and the return of Rilian to his father's kingdom.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a portal fantasy novel that follows the story of four English siblings - Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy - who are evacuated to the countryside during World War II. While exploring the large, old house of Professor Kirke, Lucy discovers a wardrobe that serves as a portal to the land of Narnia. In Narnia, they encounter various magical creatures and the evil White Witch, who has cast a spell to keep Narnia in perpetual winter. The siblings soon learn that they are part of an ancient prophecy to save Narnia, aided by the lion Aslan. The story is an allegory of Christianity, with Aslan's sacrifice and resurrection mirroring the story of Jesus Christ. The novel also incorporates elements from Germanic, classical Greek and Roman, and Celtic mythology.

The story follows Digory and Polly, two children who meet while exploring the attics of their adjacent homes in London. They stumble upon Uncle Andrew's study, where they are tricked into using magical rings that allow travel between worlds. Their adventures take them to the desolate world of Charn, where they awaken the evil queen Jadis, and eventually to the creation of Narnia by the lion Aslan. The novel explores themes of creation, good vs. evil, and redemption as Digory and Polly navigate these new worlds and their consequences.