The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

Carl Yazstremski

"The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"

Summary/Analysis

From the time I was in forth gradeÐ'--when I was first introduced to C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the WardrobeÐ'--I have always been completely fascinated by it. Luckily for me, age has not tainted my love for fantasy fiction.

Written during or shortly after World War II, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the first book (though second, chronologically) in the Chronicles of Narnia series. The story centers around four young siblingsÐ'--Peter, Susan, Edmund, and LucyÐ'--who are sent to the countryside to live with a mysterious old Professor during the air raids of London.

The Professor's house, in itself, is quite enchanting and the children are soon forced to cope with the enduring summer rain the best way they could: by playing "Hide and Seek" indoors. It's during this game that the youngest sibling, Lucy, wanders into a spare room where a large old wardrobe sits all by itself. Curious as any seven year old should be, Lucy decides to make the wardrobe her "hiding place" and locks herself in it. Soon enough, she finds herself far past the long fur coats in the wardrobe and standing in the middle of a snowy, white forest. Thus, introducing us to the magical land of Narnia and setting the tone for the rest of this enchanting story.

After meeting a faun (half goat, half man) named Tumnus and joining him for tea, Lucy learns of a terrifying law and coinciding proverb that threatens her life and the lives of her three siblings. The only way to free Narnia from the rule of Jadis, the White Witch (who has cast a spell on Narnia to have eternal winter), is for all four children to join forces with Aslan (the great and powerful lion). Soon enough, after much strife, the prophecy is fulfilled and the two sons of Adam (male humans) and the two daughters of Eve (female humans) are crowned rulers of Narnia and the powers of good prevail.

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