What makes The Chronicles of Narnia relevant today?

This week marks the anniversary of both the birth (29 November 1898) and death (22 November 1963) of C. S. Lewis, one of Britain’s most famous authors. Lewis is best known for The Chronicles of Narnia, a children’s series of seven fantasy novels. The series has transcended its original medium, having been adapted into radio and television programs as well as three big-budget films.

Lewis’ religious allegory was suggested by a set of images – for example, Aslan as a Christ-like figure who sacrifices himself for the sins of Edmund and is later resurrected

The Chronicles of Narnia have been labelled a classic in children’s literature. They were written in the context of World War II when children from the cities were evacuated to the more rural areas to keep them safe from bombings. C. S. Lewis himself had three school girls come to live with him in his family home after they had to leave their own.

The Christian faith is one of the important themes explored in The Chronicles of Narnia, and a quite unusual one to play such a big part in children’s literature. Lewis was a self-proclaimed atheist during his teenage years, but converted to Christianity at the age of 33. In his essay collection, Of This and Other Worlds, Lewis claims that his intention was to speak to children about Christianity without explicitly mentioning it. Therefore, he chose the medium of a fairy tale. He said that his religious allegory was suggested by a set of images – for example, Aslan as a Christ-like figure who sacrifices himself for the sins of Edmund and is later resurrected. Edmund himself symbolises the temptation from the Garden of Eden as he is tempted into eating sweets from the White Witch.

For today’s children growing up in a consumerist world preaching that ‘greed is good’, this message of selflessness can have a greater meaning than it did for the children of the 1950s…

However, this may not be the reason that The Chronicles of Narnia are still so popular today. In the Guardian earlier this year, Harriet Sherwood revealed that 53% of adults describe themselves as not being affiliated with any religion. So, can the religious element of The Chronicles of Narnia be as relevant today as it was when Lewis wrote it? As many children are growing up without this religious context, perhaps it is another element of the stories which makes them iconic and relevant in today’s society.

Many novels tell children to look for good and evil in the world around them. The positive characteristics of selflessness and compassion are present in the four children, whereas greed and desire are shown to be negative. For today’s children growing up in a consumerist world preaching that ‘greed is good’, this message can have a greater meaning than it did for the children of the 1950s who were less exposed to these vices.

This is why the series is still popular amongst children today – imagination is the way in which children learn about the world

As a child, I read The Chronicles of Narnia series and absolutely loved it. For me, the imagination of the story was very important. The idea that these children could ‘find’ a new world at the back of their wardrobe fascinated me.

Indeed, this is why the series is still popular amongst children today – imagination is the way in which children learn about the world. The stories depict an intimate relationship between siblings. After going through so much together, including being evacuated from their family home, they rely on each other as a support network. Edmund begins by mocking his younger sister, Lucy, but discovering that Narnia is real brings them closer together. In the end, the four siblings rule together, rather than over each other. This value of unity is the main lesson that children can take from The Chronicles of Narnia today.