I was just wondering how people came about Lewis and what they have read about him. I have read a few books like Mere Christianity, the Screwtape letters and Bergmann's C.S Lewis Anti-Darwinist and carpenters biographies of the Inklings and Tolkien. This is my first go at Narnia.
1: What do you guys think about this idea if the trees could drink up all the water, would there be no more pools or do you think they cannot drink up all the water. You could almost feel the trees drinking the water up with their roots.
JC, says no on the grow. He says that it is the magic of the place.
We don't think so. The guinea pig had been there for a while, if he had drank the water he hadn't grown. Maybe he didn't get thirsty though.
JC says, no. He wouldn't want to take the chance on losing his family.
I say, yes, as long as I didn't have anyone relying on me to take care of them. Adventure, say a prayer and go for it.
Would you bide the danger or wonder till it drives you mad?
2: For a second they thought the room was full of people—hundreds of people, all seated, and all perfectly still. Polly and Digory, as you may guess, stood perfectly still themselves for a good long time, looking in. But presently they decided that what they were looking at could not be real people. There was not a movement nor the sound of a breath among them all. They were like the most wonderful waxworks you ever saw.
Do you think the waxwork are real people or something else?
Would you bide the danger or wonder till it drives you mad?
2: For a second they thought the room was full of people—hundreds of people, all seated, and all perfectly still. Polly and Digory, as you may guess, stood perfectly still themselves for a good long time, looking in. But presently they decided that what they were looking at could not be real people. There was not a movement nor the sound of a breath among them all. They were like the most wonderful waxworks you ever saw.
Do you think the waxwork are real people or something else?
What did you think was in the Box before Uncle Andrew told us what was in it.
When did you notice the Trap that Uncle Andrew had put Digory In.
One thing I thought of that Uncle Andrew and Digory could do is to send a guinea pig with a yellow and green ring and stick a note on the guinea pig saying that the green ring would bring Polly back.
Chapter Two sets up the morality poles very explicitly. These are the things good decent people do (Digory) and these are the things horrible selfish people do (Uncle Andrew). I think that's with Narnia you must always look carefully at WHY people are doing things. Ordinary human frailties and faults are excusable, moments of fear or self interest are understandable but your CORE values better be correct or as Digory says -- "I've never read a storyin which people of that sort weren't paid out in the end."
Also -- wonder if Lewis meant to make a connection to Morgana LeFay with Uncle Andrew's "fairy godmother"?
1: What do you guys think about this idea if the trees could drink up all the water, would there be no more pools or do you think they cannot drink up all the water. You could almost feel the trees drinking the water up with their roots.
2: Do you guys think that it is the water that makes the trees grow.Also what If digory and polly drank the water would they themselves grow.
3: Would you want to try the pools and test them out?
Yes, I most certainly would want to try the pools. And I'm really impressed that the children remembered to mark the pool and figured out how to use the rings. (Yellow to get to the woods/Green to get away from the woods)
Perseverance is the key... all that puddle hopping had to give them wet feet.
Would you bide the danger or wonder till it drives you mad?
2: For a second they thought the room was full of people—hundreds of people, all seated, and all perfectly still. Polly and Digory, as you may guess, stood perfectly still themselves for a good long time, looking in. But presently they decided that what they were looking at could not be real people. There was not a movement nor the sound of a breath among them all. They were like the most wonderful waxworks you ever saw.
Do you think the waxwork are real people or something else?
I would be most tempted to ring the bell but having read more than my fair share of fantasy I hope I would have the sense to put my hands behind my back and walk away.
I believe the figures are the Kings and Queens of this world down through the ages. Lewis shows through the changing faces how he believes the leaders of that world changed.
It's interesting that Digory has become the impulsive one now while Polly is the voice of reason. Is it just his nature or has the magic of the place acted upon him? My personal thinking is that magic tends to amplify personal positives and negatives.
2:What terrible price did Jadis pay for the knowledge of the Deplorable Word?
“That was the secret of secrets,” said the Queen Jadis. “It had long been known to the great kings of our race that there was a word which, if spoken with the proper ceremonies, would destroy all living things except the one who spoke it. But the ancient kings were weak and softhearted and bound themselves and all who should come after them with great oaths never even to seek after the knowledge of that word. But I learned it in a secret place and paid a terrible price to learn it. I did not use it until she forced me to it. I fought to overcome her by every other means. I poured out the blood of my armies like water—”
3: Why are all the people sitting and what are the meaning of there faces.
4:Was Digory sorry about bringing Jadis into our world, since he only said he was sorry about the waxwork.
“Oh,” said Digory, very surprised. “Well, alright, I’ll say I’m sorry. And I really am sorry about what happened in the waxworks room. There: I’ve said I’m sorry. And now, do be decent and come back. I shall be in a frightful hole if you don’t.”
5: Do you think the witch was faking her illness in the wood between the worlds.
This is a spoiler so any who have not read the chronicles of Narnia do not read.
One thing i noticed is that there is only one star in the sky meaning that it was the last thing to happen because in Narnia a star represents a thing to come.
Lewis reminds me of Tolkien in his portrayal of evil queens and kings as those who dominate there citizens and control them for there own gain. Jadis says
"I was queen. They were all my people. What else were they there for but to do my will."
and later
"They [witches] are not interested in things or people unless they can use them"
and their disrespect for the common human as she sees herself above them and in need of a double standard.
"I had forgotten you are only a common boy. How should you understand reasons of the state? you must learn child what would be wrong for you or any such common person is not wrong in a great queen such as I....we must be free from all rules."
She seems power drunk and the personality of a tyrant. Much like our modern politicians.
I also saw something very interesting in that Jadis says her world is "hundreds of thousands of years old" and because the sun described on earth she says "yours is a younger world" This has been an argument used by biblical creationist to say the earth is young.
I find this interesting since I always though Lewis an old earth creationist/Intelligent design advocate. However maybe I am reading to much into a fantasy book and applying them to Lewis.
2:What terrible price did Jadis pay for the knowledge of the Deplorable Word?
“That was the secret of secrets,” said the Queen Jadis. “It had long been known to the great kings of our race that there was a word which, if spoken with the proper ceremonies, would destroy all living things except the one who spoke it. But the ancient kings were weak and softhearted and bound themselves and all who should come after them with great oaths never even to seek after the knowledge of that word. But I learned it in a secret place and paid a terrible price to learn it. I did not use it until she forced me to it. I fought to overcome her by every other means. I poured out the blood of my armies like water—”
3: Why are all the people sitting and what are the meaning of there faces.
4:Was Digory sorry about bringing Jadis into our world, since he only said he was sorry about the waxwork.
“Oh,” said Digory, very surprised. “Well, alright, I’ll say I’m sorry. And I really am sorry about what happened in the waxworks room. There: I’ve said I’m sorry. And now, do be decent and come back. I shall be in a frightful hole if you don’t.”
5: Do you think the witch was faking her illness in the wood between the worlds.
This is a spoiler so any who have not read the chronicles of Narnia do not read.
One thing i noticed is that there is only one star in the sky meaning that it was the last thing to happen because in Narnia a star represents a thing to come.
1: What do you guys think about this idea if the trees could drink up all the water, would there be no more pools or do you think they cannot drink up all the water. You could almost feel the trees drinking the water up with their roots.
I do not think they can drink up all the water. I think the water is a metaphor for the Spirit of the Lord, and the trees drinking it up refers to the oaks planted by streams of water in Psalms.
2: Do you guys think that it is the water that makes the trees grow.Also what If digory and polly drank the water would they themselves grow.
I think that if they drank the water, they would become more vibrant, more alive, healthier.
3: Would you want to try the pools and test them out?
Probably not. I would probably want to get home because I would be scared.
One question for this week is do you think the cabby had any chance of getting the horse that Jadis was on, To listen to the cabby after what Jadis had whispered.
One question for this week is do you think the cabby had any chance of getting the horse that Jadis was on, To listen to the cabby after what Jadis had whispered.
Would you bide the danger or wonder till it drives you mad?
2: For a second they thought the room was full of people—hundreds of people, all seated, and all perfectly still. Polly and Digory, as you may guess, stood perfectly still themselves for a good long time, looking in. But presently they decided that what they were looking at could not be real people. There was not a movement nor the sound of a breath among them all. They were like the most wonderful waxworks you ever saw.
Do you think the waxwork are real people or something else?
Chapter 4 - answers
1. Would not ring the bell. Would not believe that one would go mad and couldn't dismiss the wondering.
2. Thought they were really good sculptures.
I would have thought that nobody could have even picked up the bar because earlier it said,
Lightly, easily, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world, she stretched up her right arm and wrenched off one of the cross-bars of the lamp-post. If she had lost some magical powers in our world, she had not lost her strength; she could break an iron bar as if it were a stick of barleysugar.
I am really not liking uncle Andrew now. All he sees of narnia is its value to make him money. "The commercial possibilities of this country are unbounded" on top of that he wishes to bring a hunter to shoot the Lion. Similarities to Genesis such as darkness and void before the creation, the creator creating throw speech and animals seem to be at peace with each other not eating each other stood out to me.
One thing i thought was interesting was this, I would have thought that nobody could have even picked up the bar because earlier it said, What do you guys think.
I was thinking the same thing about the bar. But maybe it was just a reference to the distance.
Alana the Awesome
my daughters thoughts on the chapter was that it seemed like what it will be like when Jesus comes back, all peaceful. The animals coming by two's reminded her of Noahs ark.
