The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
A Summary of the book:
Four children are sent to the countryside of England during the war to avoid the air raids. They are called Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter Pevensie. They go to live with an old professor who has no wife, only a housekeeper. While there, the children play hide-and-seek. They find an old wardrobe that if walked through, leads them to a magical place called Narnia. Narnia is under the spell of the evil White Witch Jardis and is locked in an eternal winter where Christmas never comes. The children discover talking animals, dwarfs, fauns, centaurs, giants and a lion, Aslan. Aslan is the true ruler of Narnia. With Aslan’s help the children fight to overcome Jardis’ power and free Narnia from here icy spell.
About the Author:
C.S. Lewis is a pseudonym used by Clive Hamilton. He was born in 1898 in Ireland and died in 1963 in England. Although he was married, he never had children. He was a good friend of J.R.R. Tolkien. As an author, he wrote novels as well as children’s books.
C.S. Lewis was inspired to write the Narnia books when evacuee children were sent to stay with him during World War II. As they did not know many stories, Lewis decided to make up tales for them himself. One day, one of the evacuee girls saw a wardrobe in Lewis’ house and asked him what was behind it. Thus the gateway to Narnia was born. Lewis wrote the first Narnia book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, in 1950. The seventh and last book was published in 1956. The books have now sold over 65 million copies.
Important Vocabulary:
to betray
to sulk
contentment
dreadful
spiteful
inquisitive
a hoax
a reign
a traitor
logic
Teaching Notes
The story’s structure
The main point of this story is that harmony among siblings (brothers and sisters) is no less a struggle than the battles between Good and Evil.
The problem faced by Lucy, Peter, Susan and Edmund is to rescue Narnia from the evil White Witch. The problem gets worse when Edmund joins Jardis for a handful of sweets.
The appearance of the lion-king, Aslan resolves the problem. He enables the children to do great deeds of their own.
The child appeal of this story is due to the reassuring, grandfatherly tone of the narrator contrasting with the exciting dangers of an epic adventure.
Parents and teachers like this story because of its moral message.
Some of the Christian symbolism:
Aslan as Christ, the Stone Table shattering like the Holy Sepulcher to announce the resurrection.
Edmund is a traitor (more like St. Peter than Judas); but also like the prodigal son, who returns and is forgiven.
The White Witch, is like a fallen angel. She has great knowledge about the Deep Magic, which she uses for evil, but she is ignorant of an important factor. Like the snake in the Eden, she offers irresistible morsels to Edmund.
Similarities between The Secret Garden and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Giant Rumblebuffin represents an English peasant, a paragon of rustic virtue, similar to those found in The Secret Garden. Today, this has the uncomfortable feeling of snobbery.
The two books is the theme of children exploring a vast mysterious old house.
Changes in the characters feelings
Like all traitors, Edmund is the most interesting of the four children. He goes from resentment, to gluttony and betrayal, to terror and pain, to empathy (when the fox and its guests are turned into stone), to repentance, to heroism.
“Quest” conventions common to this and other stories
· A door to another world, which is ordinary-looking. E.g. Harry Potter enters the world of magic on the platform at a train station
· Vivid details of the journey to the other world: here, the fur coats turning into snow-laden leaves
· There are many helpers (Professor, Beavers, Father Christmas), antagonists (the Witch and her assistants) and traitors (Mr. Tumnus at first, then Edmund)
· The heroes must recover a good character gone bad
· Modern retellings of the same basic quest story (such as Star Wars) usually require:
o Lots of things to blow up
o Lots of extra-special effects
Things to discuss
1. Which of the characters would you like to be and why?
2. Do you think that the author has Christian beliefs? Why?
3. Do you think that World War II may have influenced the author when he wrote the story? Give examples.
4. Do you think that the author’s use of talking animal characters helps introduce real-life evil, persecution and war without shocking child-readers too much?
5. What word would you use to describe Lucy when she sticks to her story even though the other children do not believe her?
6. Why do you think Edmund lied about visiting Narnia? How does lying affect him?
7. In what ways is the Professor an unusual grown-up? Give examples.
8. How does Edmund justify his choice to go with The White Witch? Why do you think people make up excuses for doing something that deep inside they know is wrong?
9. Why did Aslan choose not to resist as he was tied up and dragged along by the White Witch’s creatures?
10. What is courage? Who shows courage? What is the difference between a rash action and a courageous action? What is the difference between caution and cowardice?
11. Compare male and female roles in the books. How do The Chronicles of Narnia reflect different expectations for boys and girls? How do attitudes about gender roles at the time the series was written (early to mid-1950s) compare with attitudes now?
12. If you look at the story with “deaf glasses” on, are there any similarities between what happens in the story and Deaf history? (For mer detaljer se “Harry Potter’s verden” på engelsk for døve, idea bank, ungdomstrinnet)
Tilrettelagt fra www.sanedraw.com og www.narnia.com
Activities:
1. What is the difference between fantasy and reality. Think of several things that happened in the story. Make a list of which of them could happen realistically and which ones are fantasy?
2. Characters regularly confront good and evil. How do a character beliefs affect how he or she acts? Write down some examples of good and evil behaviour from the book.
3. Draw a picture of the main characters in the book. Underneath the picture, include a short description of his/her/it’s personality and the character’s name.
4. Divide your page in two. Make two lists and compare and contrast the characters of the Lion and the Witch. For example: What kinds of power do they have? How do they treat others? What do they want? Etc.
5. Chart the changes in one of the character’s feelings using a flow diagram.
6. Write a review of the film The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. (Se “Writing a film review på dette nettstedet.)
tilpasset fra www.webenglishteacher.com , www.narnia.com og www.collinseducation.com/narnia
Further Activities:
Marketing Mania
Create a kid's meal package for a fast-food restaurant to promote The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Decorate it with scenes from the book. Design a toy that would be included with the meal as a free gift.
Fantasy Photos
Make a picture scrapbook of fantasy characters from books, nursery rhymes, songs, poems, and television for example Old Mother Hubbard, The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, Snow White, etc. Make some of your own characters and give them names.
Do some research
The Chronicles of Narnia were written in the years during and after World War II. In fact, the first Narnia book—The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe— takes place while bombs are falling on London. Research why the defeat of the Nazis has been viewed as the triumph of good over evil. Write a report.
Teachervision.fen.com
A quiz
1. Why are the children sent to the country to live with the Professor?
a. It is the summer holidays
b. There are bombs falling in London
c. Their mother is ill
2. Who is the first to reach Narnia?
a. Peter
b. Susan
c. Lucy
3. What is a faun?
a. Half man, half goat
b. Half man, half dwarf
c. Half man, half horse
4. Who tells the children about Aslan?
a. Mr Tumnus
b. Mr and Mrs Beaver
c. The White Witch
5. Where do they plan to meet Aslan?
a. The stone table
b. The witch’s house
c. The lamppost
6. Who befriends with The White Witch?
a. Susan
b. Edmund
c. Lucy
7. What gift does Father Christmas give to Susan?
a. A shield
b. A sword
c. A horn
8. What gift does Father Christmas give to Lucy?
a. A sword
b. A medicine or potion
c. A bow and arrow
9. What is Cair Paravel?
a. An island
b. A castle
c. A mountain
10. Who are the children following when they return to the lamppost?
a. Aslan
b. Mr Tumnus
c. A white stag
Tilpasset fra www.factmonster.com/quizzies/narnialion/1.html
Answers
1 b
2 c
3 a
4 b
5 a
6 b
7 c
8 b
9 b
10 c
From Book to film
Materials:
Subtitled DVD of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Copies of Chapter 1 from the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe where Lucy enters Narnia and meets Mr. Tumnus.
Copies of the following film script.
Introduction
You have seen the film/DVD of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Making a film from a classic children’s book like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a complex process. Screenwriters have to re-interpret the story, whilst staying true to the themes of the book.
Film scripts differ to storybooks in the way the story is set out. In the book the story is told through the eyes of the narrator. There are descriptions of Narnia, the children’s thoughts and feelings and the passing of time. In the film, images replace the narrator. The script is precise: it uses short sentences to describe the scene and the characters dialogue.
Task
1. Compare the episode in the book to the film script that describes Lucy entering Narnia through the wardrobe.
2. Make a list of all the locations (places) that are described in the script above.
Where would filming need to take place?
What special effects would be needed?
3. Read the extract from the book where Lucy meets Mr Tumnus in Chapter 1. Make your own film script for this section of the story.
Additional on-line lesson ideas for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe:
http://www.eduplace.com/tview/tviews/l/lionthewitchandthewardrob.html
http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-2430.html
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/lewis.htm
http://www.sanedraw.com/NOTEBOOK/LIONWIWA.HTM