Life of Lydia

“Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things – trees and grass and sun and moon sand stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose  this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing when you come to think of it. We’re just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play-world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia.” -Puddleglum 

The Silver Chair was the 4th Narnia book published and it has always been my favorite. I remember listening to it on a road trip when I was elementary age, and being absolutely enthralled. I read it again with the rest of Narnia when I was 13, and of course again just recently. 

This time around I especially appreciated the fact that the Earthmen were digging to the surface and were going to break through and conquer Narnia. This exact idea forms a large part of the plot of The Princess and The Goblin by George MacDonald. So cool!!!!!

And that part where the Witch says “There is no sun.” In my humble opinion it’s the most powerful scene in Narnia. I’ve held this sentiment since I first read The Silver Chair in elementary. 

In each of the Narnia books we see a different facet of Aslan’s personality. We see him as an intimate friend in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. In The Horse and His Boy, he is the orchestrator of all the events, even though no one knows it. In the Magician’s Nephew we see him as a powerful creator. 

Aslan is absent for most of The Silver Chair. He gives Jill clear instructions at the beginning and then sends her off into a world where his presence cannot be immediately felt. He does not provide much help after this, besides appearing to Jill in a dream in Harfang. Jill, Eustace, and Puddleglum know the signs are expected to follow them. And this is not always easy, especially in Underland. Where they can’t really see any evidence of Aslan’s existence, and a whole lot of evidence of the Witch’s existence. But this makes the times when they do obey him so much more powerful. 

There is a quote in the Screwtape Letters that reminds me a lot of this. (remember this is being said by a demon.) “Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.” 

This same idea also reminds me of Farimir from Lord of the Rings, for those of you who know about that. 

Oftentimes I think we can relate more to the situation of the characters in The Silver Chair than any other Narnia book, so let’s all take a lesson from Puddleglum and be “on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it.”