The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion,

The Witch, & The Wardrobe: A

Hero’s Journey
Final Paper Presentation by Lauren Chapin
Greek Mythology & Religion
Dr. Sfekas
C. S. Lewis’s View On Heroes
- Throughout this book & movie you will find heroes being fashioned from
children. The children will begin as immature and lacking confidence but by the
end the children will reign as confident Kings and Queens.
- The story brings myth, magic and maturity into Campbell’s cycle of a hero’s
journey.
- This was a concept that C. S. Lewis put direct thought into. The reason he chose
children to be the heroes of the story was to as he said, make children's futures
brighter.
- “Since it is so likely that (children) will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and
heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker.” C.S. Lewis
The Hero’s Journey
- This literal journey showcases what
Campbell concluded about the path
the hero of a story will take
throughout their journey towards
their own heroism.
- The hero’s journey that Campbell
developed can also be looked at as a
reusable cycle that can fit into nearly
any story and be used repeatedly.
Heroes of Narnia: The Siblings
- Peter (13), Susan (12), Edmund (10)
& Lucy (8) Pevensie
- All children are living in London,
England during the 1940’s
- Their father was a pilot and was
killed by the Germans at war.
- Survived by their mother Helen who
after the night of the Blitz will
evacuate her children to live with a
Professor far outside of the city.
Ordinary World
- The heroes begin their journey in the
ordinary world in the era in which
their country is at war.
- The video ultimately shows the world
they will leave behind as they began
their journey.
- Also the dynamic of the siblings in
general becomes apparent. Peter
looks after Edmund but Edmund
resents him for being older, while
Susan looks after Lucy until Lucy
matures more.
Call to Adventure
- Though the siblings are experiencing
a lot of emotions leaving their home
and mother what they do not yet
know is their departure in Campbell’s
theory has already begun and
adventure awaits.
- You can also see here the siblings
serious need to begin to trust and
rely on one another completely.
- Trust towards one another allows
their journey as heroes to continue.
Refusal of Call
- The siblings have been evacuated and sent to live in lavish mansion owned by a
Professor. It is here that the siblings were instructed by the grounds keeper of the
estate that they must be quiet daily and almost make their presence at their new
home unknown so as to not disturb the professor.
- However, since the children have been at the professor's home they have grown
increasingly bored and restless.
- Their call which they refuse is to be just like every other child evacuated from
their their area, to simply go to a new home stay there until the war is over and
then simply go back home.
- It is through the discovery of the Wardrobe however which helps the siblings
refuse this call to live just a normal life while war wages on.
Refusal of Call Continued
Refusal of Call Continued:
- After Lucy finds the magical land of Narnia in the wardrobe she goes back to tell
her siblings about what she found and none of them believe her.
- Even after Edmund her older brother saw the wondrous land with his own eyes he
went back to the real world and lied about what he saw. Even saying, “Some little
children just don’t know when to stop pretending” to his own sister.
- This is the first example of Edmund refusing the call as well. He refused to
support his sister and convince his siblings about what he and Lucy had both
witnessed because of selfish motives.
- This call refusal from Edmund will be the first step for a continued disconnect
between his siblings and him until much later.
Meeting the Mentor
- After the siblings exclude Lucy
because of her desperation for her
brothers and sister to believe her
about Narnia she runs off crying and
quite literally runs into the professor.
- It is here that the two parental figures
of the children, the oldest siblings are
met with the professor where he
teaches them a lesson that will carry
the siblings on throughout the series.
The lesson being, trust each other
and support each other.
Crossing the Threshold
- Once Peter and Susan decide to no longer
exclude Lucy from daily life because of her
supposed made up stories, the siblings all
decide to play a game of cricket.
- One thing leads to another and during the
game the children break a stained glass
window in the mansion & to avoid the wrath
of the grounds keeper they make a run for it
and end up in the wardrobe, in the world of
Narnia. Here the siblings outside of Edmund
begin to trust and support one another as the
Professor suggested.
Tests, Allies, Enemies
- Once into Narnia the first test that the siblings face is trusting the first Narnian
creature they all meet, Mr. Beaver. They decide that since he knew Lucy that they
would trust him and his wife Mrs. Beaver.
- It is here that an ally is formed with the Beavers. The siblings learn of the
prophecy which speaks of them as being Daughters of Eve and Sons of Adam.
That once humans return to Narnia and take the throne that the evil reign of the
White Witch will be over and Aslan the true King of Narnia will return to power.
- However, in the same moment Peter, Susan and Lucy trust and gain knowledge
from their new found ally, their own brother Edmund becomes their enemy.
- Edmund deserts his siblings to go randevu with the White Witch who gave him
empty promises of glory if he were to sell out his siblings. Edmund leaves his
family.
Tests, Allies, Enemies Continued
Approach the Innermost Cave
- After Edmund's betrayal he is captured by the White Witch and made a prisoner.
While Edmund is a prisoner his siblings began to train as soldiers for the army of
Aslan as well as taking their places as King and Queens of Narnia.
- Yet Peter, Susan and Lucy have a duty as they learned previously to trust and
support one another even if it is hard so they decide to break Edmund out of
captivity.
- They are successful in breaking him out of captivity from the White Witch.
- However, it is not as easy as it seems. Edmund is now a traitor to Narnia and
Aslan, his blood is property of the White Witch and he must be sacrificed on the
Stone Table...but Aslan makes a wager with White Witch instead.
Approach the Innermost Cave Continued
The Ordeal (Death & Rebirth)
- Aslan made a wager with the White Witch that he would sacrifice himself in the
place of Edmund because of Edmund’s betrayal.
- The death of Aslan would signify the end of Narnia and the forever Winter reign
of the White Witch.
- However, Aslan unlike the White Witch, is all-knowing and all powerful he knew
that if he would give his innocent life in place of Edmund that not only would
Edmund be spared but also Narnia would be saved.
- As well, the rebirth of Aslan is moreso a resurrection. Aslan as part of his
condition with the White Witch was to be sacrificed on the stone table which
allowed him to come back from the dead.
The Ordeal (Death & Rebirth) Continued
The Ordeal (Death & Rebirth) Continued
- The rebirth within the hero’s journey
is seen here with Aslan's return from
the dead which allows the siblings to
fight alongside him in the battle for
Narnia.
- Aslan’s sacrifice was the first step in
Lucy and Susan's ability to see for
themselves the defeat of the White
Witch so Peter and Edmund could
help defeat her during the battle.
The Reward (Seizing the Force)
- The reward that the siblings receive
for their heroism is a free Narnia
ridden of the White Witch but not
without a price.
- Though the White Witch is gone
forever and her forces are no more,
Edmund still was mortally wounded
during the battle. His heroism came
with a price which was his life.
- Also Aslan returned to slay the White
Witch and to provide freedom to
Narnia.
The Resurrection
- Though Edmund was mortally
wounded by the White Witch during
the battle. The heroism is now on the
part of Lucy where she uses her talent
to be able to heal wounds that even
are an inch from death.
- Edmund then survives to be seen as
no longer a traitor to the kingdom of
Narnia but instead one of its rulers.
- This is an example of the concept of a
true hero does not need to be the
biggest, simply the bravest.
The Road Back (to the Ordinary World)
- For the hero siblings before they
can actually go back to the
ordinary world they must be first
recognized throughout the
kingdom of Narnia as the heroes
they are.
- Peter is named Magnificent, Susan
is named Gentle, Edmund is
named Just, and Lucy is named
Valiant. All of which are traits of
heroes. The Kings and Queens of
Narnia.
The Return With the Elixir
- The finale is that the heroes spent
many more years in Narnia reigning
as High Kings and Queens.
- However, their true journey is
awaiting them back in their world.
They must take back with them all
they have learned and not only be the
heroes for a kingdom but be the
heroes in their own reality.
- The elixir they bring back with them
is confidence and knowledge.
Conclusion
- Campbell's a hero’s journey is clearly showcased throughout this story by C.S.
Lewis.
- The aspects of all the different parts of the journey are present and it allows the
audience the ability to determine for themselves precisely what Campbell spoke
of.
- “The first work of the hero is to retreat from the world scene of secondary effects to those casual
zones of the psyche where the difficulties really reside, and there to clarify the difficulties, eradicate
them in his own case (i. E., give battle to the nursery demons of his local culture) and break through
to the undistorted, direct experience and assimilation of what [Carl] Jung called “the archetypal
images.”
Works Cited
CS Lewis Quotes

What Makes a Hero: Joseph Campbell’s Seminal Monomyth Model for the Eleven
Stages of the Hero’s Journey,

The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe

The HERO'S JOURNEY - Joseph Campbell

The Hero's Journey in 5 Minutes