ABSTRACT
HERMAWAN. C.S.Lewis’ Use of Symbol to Express Christian Concepts, Stories, and Teaching as seen in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2013.
The focus of the study in this thesis is to analyze how C.S Lewis expresses Christian concepts, stories, and teaching through symbols in his novel entitled The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magicians’s Nephew. The writer is interested in taking this topic since there is such a strong relationship between Literature and author’s life. The novel by C.S. Lewis is taken as the object of this thesis since the author express Christian concepts, stories, and teaching in the making of symbols in the novel. The writer examines such relation as it has significant influences in the reader’s understanding.
In a relation with the chosen topic, two problems are formulated. The first problem formulation is to find out what symbols are used by the author in his literary work. The second problem formulation is to examine how C.S Lewis expresses Christian concepts, stories, and teaching through the symbols found.
Several steps conducted throughout the process of this thesis writing. The first step was to find symbols in the novel by the use of collected theories on symbol. The next step was to examine how C.S Lewis expresses Christian concepts, stories, and teaching through those symbols. The last step was to conclude the answers found from those two problems formulation. The expressive approach was applied since the use of literary work as the expression of the author was analyzed here.
ABSTRAK
HERMAWAN. C.S.Lewis’ Use of Symbol to Express Christian Concepts, Stories, and Teaching through symbols as seen in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2013.
Fokus Penelitian dalam tesis ini adalah untuk menganalisis bagaimana simbol-simbol digunakan oleh C.S Lewis untuk mengekspresikan berbagai konsep, cerita, dan ajaran kekristenan dalam novelnya yang berjudul The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magicians’s Nephew. Penulis tertarik untuk mengambil topic ini karena terdapat hubungan yang erat antara karya sastra dengan kehidupan pengarang. Novel yang ditulis oleh C.S.Lewis diambil sebagai objek dari tesis ini karena dalam sang pengarang mengekspresikan konsep-konsep, cerita-cerita dan pengajaran kekristenan dalam pembuatan simbol-simbol dalam novelnya. Penulis mengamati hubungan tersebut dikarenakan pengaruhnya yang penting dalam pemahaman pembaca.
Terkait dengan topic yang dipilih, penulis menyusun dua rumusan masalah. Rumusan masalah pertama adalah untuk menemukan simbol-simbol yang digunakan pengarang dalam karya sastranya. Rumusan masalah yang kedua adalah untuk mengamati bagaimana pengarang mengekspresikan konsep-konsep, cerita, dan pengajaran kekristenan melalui simbol-simbol yang ditemukan.
Ada beberapa langkah yang penulis lakukan disepanjang proses penulisan tesis ini. Langkah pertama adalah untuk menemukan simbol-simbol di dalam novel dengan menggunakan teori-teori tentang simbol yang telah dikumpulkan. Langkah berikutnya adalah mengamati bagaimana C.S Lewis mengekspresikan konsep-konsep, cerita, dan pengajaran simbol-simbol itu digunakan sebagai ekspresi kekristenan pengarang. Langkah yang terakhir adalah membuat kesimpulan dari kedua rumusan masalah tersebut. Pendekatan ekspresif diterapkan karena penggunaan karya sastra sebagai ekspresi pengaranglah yang dianalisa disini.
C.S LEWIS’
USE OF SYMBOL TO EXPRESS CHRISTIAN
CONCEPTS, STORIES, AND TEACHING AS SEEN IN
THE
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA:
THE MAGICIAN’S NEPHEW
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By HERMAWAN Student Number: 094214061
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
i
C.S LEWIS’ USE OF SYMBOL TO EXPRESS CHRISTIAN CONCEPTS, STORIES, AND TEACHING AS SEEN IN THE
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE MAGICIAN’S NEPHEW
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of SarjanaSastra
in English Letters
By
HERMAWAN
Student Number: 094214061
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
iv
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma:
Nama : Hermawan
Nomor Mahasiswa : 094214061
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:
C.S LEWIS’ USE OF SYMBOL TO EXPRESS CHRISTIAN
CONCEPTS, STORIES, AND TEACHING AS SEEN IN
THE
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA:
THE MAGICIAN’S NEPHEW
Beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan, dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya. Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal: 14 Agustus 2013
Yang menyatakan
v
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY
I declare that the thesis, which I have written, does not contain the work of parts of the work of other people, except those cited in the quotations and the references, as scientific paper should.
Yogyakarta, August 14th, 2013 The writer
vi
I have strength for all
things in Christ Who
empowers me
[I am ready for
anything and equal to
anything through Him
Who infuses inner
strength into me; I am
self-sufficient in
Christ’s sufficiency]
vii
“What you see
and what you hear depends a
great deal on where you are standing. It also
depends on what sort of person you are.”
―
C.S. Lewis, The Magician's Nephew
“Child, that is why all the rest are now a horror to
her. That is what happens to those who pluck and
eat fruits at the wrong time and in the wrong way.
Oh, the fruit is good, but they loath it ever after.
All get what they want; they do not always like
it.”
”
―
C.S. Lewis, The Magician's Nephew
Character cannot be developed in ease and
quiet. Only through experience of trial and
suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition
inspired, and success achieved.
―
Helen Keller
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not
realize how close they were to success when
they gave up”
viii
This thesis is dedicated
to Jesus Christ
for His everlasting grace enabling me to do great things,
to beloved parents
for their sincere love giving me strength,
to my all my friends
ix
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to thank my father in Heaven, Lord Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit for an everlasting grace strengthening me in the whole process of this thesis writing until the finishing point. Secondly, I would also like to express my gratitude to Adventina Putranti, S.S, M.Hum. as my advisor for guiding me with her sincere perseverance throughout the time I need to complete this thesis writing. I am also grateful to have Elisa Dwi Wardhani S.S, M.Hum. as my thesis co-advisor for giving her time and expertise to read and give correction for my better thesis. It is also an honorable to cooperate with Sister Clare Hand for valuable sharing moment on the topic we both are interested in. I would also like deliver my deep thanks to Dra.B.Ria Lestari,M.S for her great concerns throughout my studying process that makes me possible to complete my degree.
I must acknowledge to many persons sharing their memories in my life and supporting me with their wonderful assistance over the years, especially to Bli Andi, Mbak Dinar, Mas Agus, Billy, Kezia, Richard, Bryan, Li, We, Mega, Retha, Anto and Aldo. Moreover, I need to express my deep appreciation to my friends in SDU Christian Community, Beauty and the Beast the Musical, Service Learning Program, Global Leadership Program, Cantus Firmus Choir, and Domby Gajah Wong for consistently giving encouragement and emotional support me to comprehend fully my essence of man of others. I also thank to my entire classmates of 2009 I cannot mention one by one, thank you for all the unforgettable moments in the last four years.
x
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ... i
APPROVAL PAGE ... ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE ... iii
LEMBAR PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ... iv
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ... v
MOTTO PAGE ... vi
DEDICATION PAGE ... viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... x
ABSTRACT ... xii
ABSTRAK ... xiii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ... 1
A. Background of the Study ... 1
B. Problem Formulation ... 5
C. Objectives of the Study ... 5
D. Definition of Terms ... 6
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ... 8
A. Review of Related Studies ... 8
B. Review of Related Theories ... 13
1. Theory on Symbol ... 13
a. Definition of symbol ... 13
b. Forms of symbol ... 14
c. How the author uses the symbol ... 14
d. Kinds of symbol ... 16
e. How to find the symbol ... 17
f. How to analyze the symbol ... 18
C. Review of Author’s Biography ... 19
1. Early life and interest in literature ... 20
2. Early experience in Christianity ... 22
3. The initial discovery of Joy ... 22
4. Norsemen and rediscovery of Joy ... 23
5. College Life and Conversion ... 23
6. Lewis’ prominence in Christian Apologetics and Literature .. 25
D. Theoretical Framework ... 26
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ... 28
A. Object of the Study... 28
B. Approach of the Study ... 29
xi
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ... 32
A. Symbols found in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew ... 33
1. Magic ... 33
a. Aslan ... 36
b. The White Witch ... 42
c. The Apple Tree ... 49
2. Human Being ... 54
a. Digory.. ... 54
b. Mr.Ketterley ... 60
B. C.S.Lewis’ Use of Symbol to Express Christian Concepts, Stories, and Teaching in the ... 66
1. Biblical Concept of God in the creation of Aslan as the symbol of virtuous supreme power ... 67
2. Biblical Concept of Devil in the creation of The White Witch as the symbol of vicious supreme power ... 72
3. Biblical Story on the Origin of Temptation in the Creation of Apple Tree as the symbol of attraction ... 75
4. The Biblical Concept of Human Being in creation of Digory and Mr.Ketterley as the symbol of Human Being ... 80
5. The Biblical Story of Creation in strengthening understanding of Aslan’s position as expression of God in Christianity ... 84
6. The Biblical Concept of Origin of Sin in strengthening understanding of The Witch’s position as the expression of Devil in Christianity ... 88
7. The Biblical Teaching of Decision Making in strengthening understanding of Digory and Mr.Ketterly’s position as expression of Human Being in Christianity ... 90
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ... 94
BIBLIOGRAPHY ... 96
xii
ABSTRACT
HERMAWAN. C.S.Lewis’ Use of Symbol to Express Christian Concepts, Stories, and Teaching as seen in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2013.
The focus of the study in this thesis is to analyze how C.S Lewis expresses Christian concepts, stories, and teaching through symbols in his novel entitled The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magicians’s Nephew. The writer is interested in taking this topic since there is such a strong relationship between Literature and author’s life. The novel by C.S. Lewis is taken as the object of this thesis since the author express Christian concepts, stories, and teaching in the making of symbols in the novel. The writer examines such relation as it has significant influences in the reader’s understanding.
In a relation with the chosen topic, two problems are formulated. The first problem formulation is to find out what symbols are used by the author in his literary work. The second problem formulation is to examine how C.S Lewis expresses Christian concepts, stories, and teaching through the symbols found.
Several steps conducted throughout the process of this thesis writing. The first step was to find symbols in the novel by the use of collected theories on symbol. The next step was to examine how C.S Lewis expresses Christian concepts, stories, and teaching through those symbols. The last step was to conclude the answers found from those two problems formulation. The expressive approach was applied since the use of literary work as the expression of the author was analyzed here.
xiii
ABSTRAK
HERMAWAN. C.S.Lewis’ Use of Symbol to express Christian Concepts, Stories, and Teaching as seen in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2013.
Fokus Penelitian dalam tesis ini adalah untuk menganalisis bagaimana simbol-simbol digunakan oleh C.S Lewis untuk mengekspresikan berbagai konsep, cerita, dan ajaran kekristenan dalam novelnya yang berjudul The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magicians’s Nephew. Penulis tertarik untuk mengambil topic ini karena terdapat hubungan yang erat antara karya sastra dengan kehidupan pengarang. Novel yang ditulis oleh C.S.Lewis diambil sebagai objek dari tesis ini karena dalam sang pengarang mengekspresikan konsep-konsep, cerita-cerita dan pengajaran kekristenan dalam pembuatan simbol-simbol dalam novelnya. Penulis mengamati hubungan tersebut dikarenakan pengaruhnya yang penting dalam pemahaman pembaca.
Terkait dengan topic yang dipilih, penulis menyusun dua rumusan masalah. Rumusan masalah pertama adalah untuk menemukan simbol-simbol yang digunakan pengarang dalam karya sastranya. Rumusan masalah yang kedua adalah untuk mengamati bagaimana pengarang mengekspresikan konsep-konsep, cerita, dan pengajaran kekristenan melalui simbol-simbol yang ditemukan.
Ada beberapa langkah yang penulis lakukan disepanjang proses penulisan tesis ini. Langkah pertama adalah untuk menemukan simbol-simbol di dalam novel dengan menggunakan teori-teori tentang simbol yang telah dikumpulkan. Langkah berikutnya adalah mengamati bagaimana C.S Lewis mengekspresikan konsep-konsep, cerita, dan pengajaran simbol-simbol itu digunakan sebagai ekspresi kekristenan pengarang. Langkah yang terakhir adalah membuat kesimpulan dari kedua rumusan masalah tersebut. Pendekatan ekspresif diterapkan karena penggunaan karya sastra sebagai ekspresi pengaranglah yang dianalisa disini.
1 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Literature is defined as a medium that explores the texture and meaning of human experience in complex and compelling ways so that it can lead readers to insight, rich reflections, and also wisdom about life and the nature of human experience (Lye, March 27th, 2012). By looking at the definition, it can be said that when authors are writing a work of literature, their background; with all experiences that they have, will give a significant influence. This idea is also expressed by William Hudson that
Literature is a vital record what men have seen in life, what they have experienced in life, what they have thought and felt about life. All the things the most immediate and enduring interest for all of us. It is thus fundamentally an expression of life through the medium of language (1985:10).
If we examine further about human experiences themselves, they can come in a variety of ways: they can happen to the authors, take place between the authors and other persons, between the authors and their environment, and also between the authors and their God. This is related to the idea expressed in Gaudium et Spes (in Veeger et al, 2001: 14) stating that Art and Literature expose the problems and experiences of human beings, both the joys and sorrows,
especially the experience of God’s existence and also God’s role in the author’s
determine the kind of literary product that the author is going to produce. The religiosity within the literature itself can be seen in the way the author expresses
his experience in finding God’s existence and reveals God’s role in changing the life of the author as it is said above.
At this point we can see the strong relationship between Literature and Religion, in the way that Literature can be the medium of a expression of the
author’s life; especially his or her religious life. This kind of expression can be
conveyed further in the way the author uses the media of symbol as a special device that is beneficial in revealing an imitation or the expression of religious life from reality to literature. It is because symbol has a rich capability in conveying an association with the human experience (Guth, 1997:189-190). Through this ability in associating something, the author will find it easy to put a symbolization of a particular thought, feeling, or experience in a form of concrete objects or symbols which will be easier to convey and understand by the readers. Therefore Mangunwijaya in Sastra and Religiositas says
Saya yakin, bahwa disamping penelitian yang bersifat ilmiah untuk memahami dan menolong manusia serta masyarakat, dunia sastra masih tetap memegang peran vital dalam bidang yang sama. Khususnya dalam dimensi-dimensi yang begitu dalam seperti religiositas manusia, yang menentukan sikap kita terhadap diri sendiri, buah-buah sastra mengisi apa yang tidak mungkin diisi oleh ilmu pengetahuan dan ikhtiar-ikhtiar kemanusiaan lain. Dan khususnya dalam pengolahan religious manusia, yang lazimnya hanya dapat dikomunikasikan melalui bahasa lambang dan persentuhan cita rasa, sarana sastra sangat bermanfaat (1988:7).
like human religiosity which is commonly communicated through symbolism and imagery.
Through this quotation, we can see the importance of literary works in giving a new dimension to human lives; it is human religiosity, due to its significance as a media which can be used in exercising the human desire to be better persons, by the use of symbolism. We can say that although the surface story may have given a narrative with its own integrity, the author’s major interest is in the ulterior meaning in which the real purpose of the author in writing a story is revealed.
Due to the strong and important relationship between Literature and Religion, therefore, the writer thinks it would be helpful and important to make a deeper analysis of this notion; the way that the religion can be used as a expression of the author’s religiosity which is conveyed by the use of symbol. The importance of the study is strengthened by the idea expressed by Brother Leo that
The literary study that ignores the spiritual life and its implications can be at best nothing more than the study of irrelevant external aspects of names and dates and merely stylistic characteristics and comparisons. Every important literary product touches in some way on a religious problem, and that problem should be the chief concern of the student who investigates literature as a presentation and interpretation of life (1961:4).
That idea that literature becomes an expression of authors’ religious experience can be clearly seen in the first of seven book of The Chronicles of Narnia written by C.S Lewis entitled The Magician’s Nephew. In this book, it can
process of producing the literary work. In this case, C.S Lewis, the author, uses his interest on writing fantasy, myth, and fairy tale to express an underlying Christian message by the use of symbol. It means that the symbols that he creates are full of Christian thought, values, and teaching. This can be seen by Lewis’ statement that
Some people seem to think that I began by asking myself how could I could say something about Christianity to children; then fixed on the fairy tale as an instrument, then collected information about child psychology and decided what age group I would write for; then draw up a list of basic Christian truths and hammered out allegories to embody them. This is all pure moonshine. It began with images; a faun carrying an umbrella, a queen on a sledge, a magnificent lion. At first there was not anything Christian on a sledge; that element pushed itself in of its own accord (Heley: http://www.veronicaheley.com/lionwitchwardrobe.php?l2=25&l1=63, 2 March 2013).
As a consequence, the Magician’s Nephew is likely to have double dimensions; on the surface it will have been a well-sustained story, meaning to say a general story. Yet, when it is analyzed more deeply, C.S Lewis’ creativity in rendering a Christian-based story and ideas can be found within the story. As a consequence, the Christian idea and story can convey the popular message of the Bible by the use of a lively and joyful imagination so that through the fantasy that it creates, the message can be more easily understood.
B. Problem Formulation
With the purpose of understanding the novel better, two problems were formulated as follows
1. What symbols are used in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew?
2. How does C.S Lewis use symbol to express Christian Concepts, Stories, and Teaching in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew?
C. Objectives of the Research
The research is conducted with the purpose of finding about symbols used to express Christian concepts, ideas, and teaching in the first of seven books of The Chronicles of Narnia entitled The Magician’s Nephew. As a way to fulfill the purpose of the study, the writer will first try to examine each symbol used in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. After the symbols used have been
D. Definition of Terms 1. Symbol
Laurence Perrine defines symbol as “something that means more than what
it suggests on the surface” (Perrine, 1974:214). According to the definition, a symbol works by suggesting an abstract or imaginative idea; something beyond what is expressed in the literal meaning of particular words, phrases, or even sentences.
2. Expression
In this research, the term expression is used in context indicating the role of literary work as the media of the expression of the author. This refers to the theories by Abram in his book entitled The Mirror and The Lamp that a literary work is actually “the overflow, utterance, or projection of the thought and feeling
of the author” (1953:21-22).
3. Christian
Webster’s New World Dictionary defines Christian as “a person professing
4. Christian Concept
Regarding the definition of concept, Webster’s New Explorer Encyclopedic
Dictionary defines it as “an abstract or generic idea generalized from particular
instances” (2006:372). Therefore, Christian concept is related with idea conceived in the mind generalized from Christian teaching such as love, kindness, humility, etc.
5. Christian Teaching
Then, Webster also has the definition of teaching as “something taught;
8 CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
This chapter is divided into three subchapters including a review of related
studies, w review of related theories, and a review of C.S Lewis’ life and works.
The review of related studies concerns some criticism of C.S Lewis’ works,
especially the ones related to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew
so that the writer understands the position in doing research on symbols as the
expression of C.S. Lewis’ Christianity. Then, the review of related theories
exposes theories applied in the research, namely theories on symbol. The last
subchapter gives an account of C.S Lewis’ biography, especially his life as a
Christian, as the novel has such a close relation with author’s religious life.
A. Review of Related Studies
The Magician’s Nephew is the first of seven books in the series of The
Chronicles of Narnia written by Clive Staples Lewis in 1966. Some critics have
elaborated their ideas, reviews, or comments about the work of C.S Lewis in the
form of Literary Criticism.
One such study was done by Fransiska Oktoprimasakti, a student of the
English Education Study Programme of Sanata Dharma University in 2001,
through her thesis entitled C.S Lewis’s Novel, The Last Battle, as an allegory of
the Biblical teaching of The Second Coming of Christ. Oktoprimasakti is
interested in studying the novel of C.S Lewis as she finds him famous as a fantasy
Lewis’ novel entitled The Last Battle, she wants to examine how the Biblical
concept of the second coming of Christ is presented through several events and
characters forming an allegory in the story. In addition, she also wants to analyze
how the use of allegory can help readers understand Biblical concepts.
After doing the research, Oktoprimasakti finds that Lewis developed the
plot and characters in this novel creatively and attractively by expressing the the
biblical concepts in the form of an allegory about the emergence of the false
teaching leading Christians astray, the persecution which Christians will face, and
the coming of Christ to judge and create new and eternal earth recorded in the
book of revelation. The allegory is formed by the use of symbols for several
characters and plots within the story as they share similar association as those in
the Bible; the ape for the deceiver, Aslan as Jesus Christ, The Donkey as the
vehicle for Jesus to come or to fulfill His work on the earth, the Seven Survivors
as the persons faithful person to Aslan, and the Narnians as the common believers.
Furthermore, the writer explained that the use of allegory has promoted a better
understanding of the Biblical teaching of the second coming of Christ. It is
because The Last Battle contains the teaching written in different books of the
Bible which tends to be easier to follow as it presents attractive teaching using an
imaginary land named Narnia and also talking creatures providing important clues
to understanding the concepts. The writer also discusses that Lewis has made such
simplification of the details through intrinsic elements in his story offering an easy
Based on these findings, the writer concludes that The Last Battle is such an
excellent literary work as it provides enjoyable ways of learning a more enjoyable
concept of the second coming of Christ (Oktoprimasakti, 2001:viii)
In relation to Oktoprimasakti, Matt Brennan also conducts research on C.S
Lewis’ work through his criticism entitled The Lion, The Witch, and The Allegory:
An Analysis of Selected Narnia Chronicles. In his paper, Brennan examines the
first of seven series of Narnia Chronicles entitled The Magician’s Nephew about
how the author, C.S.Lewis, incorporates Biblical themes within the story in his
children’s literature. In this novel, the Biblical themes can be seen from the way
Lewis tries to insert the creation story within the Book of Genesis in his effort to
describe the creation of Narnia and how humans are associated with other worlds.
In exploiting the creation story, however, Lewis uses some literary techniques so
that the biblical narrative can appeal to a younger audience so that they can find it
easier to understand and appreciate while they are enjoying their fantasy-story.
The first technique can be seen from the use of the children as the main
characters in the novel to describe everything. The use of this technique is
significant as Brennan claims that it has established a rapport between his young
audience and the creation-narrative. The second technique is the way Lewis does
not try to directly parallel the story of Genesis in the creation process of Narnia.
The writer proposes an idea that although Lewis draws some connection from the
Biblical creation images, his primary goal is still patterning a children's story from
them. The third technique is seen from the personification of animals in the story
to the story as they find the concept of animals as magical creatures to be more
interesting than the historical account.
Brennan states that those four techniques have made The Chronicles of
Narnia succeed in transferring the biblical notion of creation to children. In
addition, they also brought such uniqueness as the children’s fantasy novel so that
it also becomes popular among students, adults, and even Christian Theologians
(Brennan, June 3th, 2013).
Different from those two researchers who have related C.S Lewis’ work on
religiosity, there are also some other undergraduate theses that try to examine
Lewis’ works from different points of view. One of them was written by
Margareth Aritonang, a student of the English Letters Department of Sanata
University in 2007, through her thesis entitled A Re-Examination that Female
Antagonists are Representations of Misogyny in C.S Lewis’ The Chronicles of
Narnia. She analyzes the depiction of the female antagonists in the seven books of
C.S Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia which has been thought to be a
representation of hatred towards women as the result of the old-fashioned
stereotyped view that males will always be stronger and braver than women or
what she identifies by using the term “misogyny”. In her study, Aritonang proves
that although the author portrays the male and the female antagonists equally,
there is a tendency for the female protagonists in the novel to be assigned essential
roles in changing the condition of Narnia from a good to a wrong setting. By
looking at this fact, she then wonders if the issue of misogyny is an important
study that the author also attributes some of the female protagonists with good
characteristics and also with important roles in the most heroic moments in the
story (Aritonang, 2007:78). Therefore, Aritonang concludes that the misogynistic
accusation leveled at C.S Lewis in the seven books of The Chronicles of Narnia is
still unproven, so that it is worth re-evaluating (Aritonang, 2007:x).
Another criticism was also made by Derdiana Maria Lusinda, a student of
The English Department of Sanata Dharma University in 2009 entitled The
Differences of Edmund’s Characterization that Influence the Plot in the Novel and
in the Screenplay of C.S Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch,
and The Wardrobe. She tries to examine the characterization of one of the main
characters named Edmund both in the novel and in the screenplay; she finds out
that Edmund’s characteristics are exposed in more detail in the novel. She proves
that some of Edmund’s characteristics have an important influence upon the plot
both in the novel and in the film. Although the characteristics of Edmund in the
screenplay are not described in as much detail as in the novel, his characterization
shares a big role in the creation of the plot (Lusinda, 2009: x).
The reviews above show that some liteary criticism has been made of various
aspects of C.S Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. However, this study is meant to
explore a new focus of how the author uses symbol to express Christian concepts,
stories, and teaching in the first of the seven books of The Chronicles of Narnia
entitled The Magician’s Nephew. As we have seen before, the review by
Oxtoprimasakti wants to relate the last book of The Narnia Chronicles The Last
puts his topic on how Lewis succes in explaining biblical concept of creation
toward children by the use of several techniques through the first book of the
Narnia Chronicles The Magician’s Nephew. Furthermore, Aritonang tries to
examine Lewis’ works aside from its religious base by focusing on the main
characters in all seven books of The Chroncles of Narnia. In line with her, the
review by Lusinda also deals with character, but in this case she only uses the
second of the seven books of The Chronicles of Narnia entitled The Lion, The Witch
and The Wardrobe. Therefore, this study is a completely new approach to the
analysis of The Chronicles of Narnia and it is hoped that it will give readers a new
horizon from which to explore the books.
B. Review of Related Theories
To answer the problem in the problem formulations, the writer uses theories
on symbol that are needed as the basic foundation of the problem solving.
1. Theory on Symbol
a. Definition of Symbol
According to Roberts and Jacob (1989: 279), the word symbol is
etymologically derived from a Greek word meaning “to throw together” (syn:
together, and ballein: to throw). In the book entitled Literature: Structure, Sound,
and Sense, Laurence Perrine defines symbol as “something that means more than
what it suggests on the surface” (Perrine, 1974:214). By looking at this definition,
we can see that language actually has the capability to define not only the surface
of symbols language can also be used to suggest an abstract idea; something
beyond what is expressed.
b. Forms of symbol
According to the idea expressed by Guth (1997:189), symbol may come as
an image that has meaning beyond itself which can be in a form of a particular
detail, character or an incident that has meaning beyond its literal role in the
narrative. Therefore, if we want to deal with symbol, we must understand about
another level of meaning; moving from literal and tangible picture into abstract or
imaginative ones. Stanton also gives a notion about the form of symbol that
Symbol may be anything from an egg to the story’s setting: a single object, a physical type of object, a physical substance, a shape, a gesture, a color, a sound, a fragrance, etc. They may represent a facet of human personality, futile ambition, the romanticism of youth, and so on (1965:31).
From the quotation above we need to be able to look for any association
which is possible to be endowed in a particular element within the literary work
since everything can be a form of symbol.
c. How the author uses the symbol
Authors uses symbols in their literary work by making association with a
particular concept or idea; which can be taken from the author’s experience that is
represented by a particular object within the work as it is noted by Guth that
As a consequence, it is very important to know the background of the author
since it will give a clue to the possibility of symbols which will be used in the
literary work. There may be some meaningful and unforgettable experience,
thoughts, values, or objects or a particular stage of life that the author wants to
capture by rendering particular associations. This idea is strengthened by Roberts
and Jacobs (1989:326) the author creates symbols in literary works by drawing
together specific thing with ideas, values, or ways of life, in direct relationships
that otherwise would not be apparent.
In the process of associating things to create symbolism, the author try to
manifest their complex and rich ideas or philosophies into more easily understand
and visible pictures. Scott and Jaffe state that
Symbolism is the important aspect of literary work. The purpose of using symbols in literature is to suggest that ideas are not enough to put in abstract words. Perhaps, an object that functions as symbol will reveal a complex idea more effective (1968:188).
Using symbols, an author can substitute for everything; which can be a
certain type or characteristic of a person, a very complex and incompressible
emotion, a certain set of values or traditions or a particular custom. Even an
abstract philosophical idea, can be turned into a concrete object which will be
very common to people so as a consequence will be understood easily.
Perrine (1974:214) then states that the term, symbol, when used in literature
is often a figure of speech in which a person, object, or situation represent
something in addition to its literal meaning. In this case, the author is likely to
give them a special significance based on their special attributes which can
the meaning of the symbol cannot be grasped literally because it refers to a kind of
implicit meaning.
d. Kinds of symbol
According to Roberts and Jacobs (1989: 327) there are two kinds of symbol.
The first is a conventional or universal symbol which can be defined as “ideas or
emotions that the writer and the reader share in common as a result of their social
and cultural heritage”(Roberts and Jacobs, 1989: 327). Therefore, a conventional
or universal symbol is likely to be recognized by most people because it has been
used commonly as can be conveyed in the word “black” which most people have
accepted as to be the symbol of darkness or sadness. The second kind of symbol is
called private, authorial, or contextual symbol. This kind of symbol can be defined
as “the objects and descriptions that gain their symbolic meaning within the
context of the specific work of fiction” (Roberts and Jacobs, 1989: 327). Thus, a
contextual symbol will only occur in a particular literary work due to the fact that
this kind of symbol has value only for a particular people, nation, or culture. As a
consequence, different symbols may have quite different meanings in different
contexts.
Another opinion on kinds of symbol comes from Myers and Simms
(1989:198), who categorize symbols into three kinds. First, the Archetypal or
cultural symbol, in which a natural object refers to a limited number of
interpretations that transcend cultural barriers. Second, The General symbol,
Then finally Private/Authorial contextual symbol, which is created in the author’s
imagination and convey any number of meanings in the guiding context.
From those two opinions, there is a similarity that a symbol may be very
special to a particular literary work so that we need to understand the work deeply
if we want to find and analyze the symbols. Yet, there may be a case when the
symbols have a general meaning in daily life so that the interpretation of them
within the work will make the reader go out of the literary work. However, the
most important thing is that symbols can be said to be the product of a particular
custom. In this case, the background of the author is likely to give an important
influence in the production process of the symbol.
e. How to find the symbol
To find the symbols within the literary works, Kennedy (1983:147) suggest
says that symbol is created through repetition in the story or it may even be stated
in the title of the work. Therefore, in the process of recognizing the symbol, the
reader must be able to notice every detail within the literary work. What the
readers need to do is to just trust the story, for when an author wants to mark an
object or detail with symbolic significance, he or she will indicate; can be
explicitly or implicitly, his intended meaning or meanings (Rohrberger, 1971:16).
Thus, not only noticing the detail, we must also know that the creation of symbol
is actually purposive as a way to deliver a particular thought, emotion, vision that
is meaningful both for the author and the reader. This purpose is manifested
Woods, 1971:17). Those things can be a hint that should not be neglected in order
to get the actual understandings of the literary work to find symbols.
Furthermore, Stanton (1965: 32) also gives a clue that when a detail is made
into a symbol by the author, it is somehow conspicuous for some reason other
than its factual importance. He adds that it may be conspicuous because it repeats
or resembles certain other details. Therefore, the readers’ ability in examining
every detail in the story is needed to find symbols. Not only the details, the reader
must notice any pattern or linking between the details that the author gives since it
may be a key to reveal the symbolism.
f. How to analyze the symbol
According to Roberts (1977:54), we can study the symbols in two ways.
First, we can look for one main symbol, its meaning, its relation to the whole
work, how details of the work make the meaning clear. Next is to explore a
number of symbols, their meaning, the relation between the meaning of the
symbols, and the changes of meaning that happen in the different usage of the
symbols. Thus, we need to know what kind of symbol we want to find in a literary
work.
What readers need to do after they have found the symbols is analyze or
interpret them. Stanton (1965:33) says that “the method of interpreting symbols,
which are noting the symbols connotations, comparing it to its context, comparing
its context to one another can be useful”. In this case, the reader is introduced to
author’s previous work, author’s background, and of course every intrinsic
element of the work.
A further idea which can be applied in order to be able to find and analyze
the symbolic meanings in a particular work of literature may be what Perrine
gives, as follows:
1. The reader should find clues that give details to be taken symbolically.
Symbols nearly almost indicate their existence by emphasis, repetition,
or position.
2. The meaning of a literary symbol must be established and supported by
the entire context because the symbol has its meaning within the context
not outside.
3. A symbol may have more than one meaning in which case its meanings
are controlled by the context of the literary work (1974:214-215).
These cautions will give important guidance in the process of analyzing the
use of symbol in literary works so that the reader will finally be able to get the
precise meaning conveyed through symbols.
C. Review of Author’s Biography
It is expressed in Gaudium et Spes (No.62 restated in Veeger et al, 2001:
14) that Art and Literature expose the problems and experiences of human beings,
both the joys and sorrows, especially the experience of God’s existence and also
God’s role in the author’s life. Based on this view, the author’s religious life will
have a significant influence in the production process of the literary work. The
finding God’s existence and His role in changing the life of the author as it is
expressed above. Therefore, there is a close and inseparable relation between the
authors and their literary work. It is like the author’s life experiences become the
cause of the creation of the literary work. As a consequence, it is important to
examine the life of the author as profound material in making literary research
where we can find a basic foundation in our effort to understand and appreciate a
particular literary work.
By looking at the prominent connection, the writer finds it important to
make a review of the biography of the author in this research to reveal how
symbols are used as the medium to express author’s life, especially as a Christian.
The review mostly cites from the autobiography of C.S Lewis entitled Surprised
by Joy: the shape of my early life. However, the writer will also refer to secondary
data gotten from reviews by Clyde.S. Kilby’s The Christian World of C.S. Lewis,
Veronica Heley’s The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe by CS Lewis, and Vicente
Forés López’s C.S Lewis.
1. Early life and interest in literature
C. S Lewis was born at Belfast, Northern Ireland, in November, 29th 1989.
His father, Albert J. Lewis, was a solicitor and his mother, Flora Augusta
Hamilton Lewis, was a descendant of clergyman, lawyers, and sailors. They were
both keen readers. His father was very fond of Trollope’s political novels, poetry
provided with the elements of rhetoric and pathos or both. His mother was a
Those interests were inherited by him. At about three years old, He and his
brother, Warren, who had been like very close friends, started to share their
similar interests in drawing and in writing their imaginative literature as it is
expressed in Surprised by Joy
Our earliest pictures reveal it. His were of ships and trains and battles; mine, when not intimated from his, were of what we both called “dressed animals”- and the anthropomorphized beasts of nursery literature. His earlier story-as my elder he preceded me in the transition from drawing to writing- was called The Young Rajah. He already made India “his country”; Animal -Land was mine (Lewis, 1955:6).
This imaginary country combined both modern life and medieval chivalry
was continuously developed until it became Warren’s Kingdom of India and was
Christened Boxen. They consistently spent their time in chronicling the
adventures of Boxonians which as a consequence unified the brothers unified for
years to come. Lewis (1955:6) stated that most of their early literary activity is
characterized by the shocking ignorance of natural form so that “Trees appear as
balls of cotton wool stuck on posts. As their parents were fond of reading their
house was also rich in books arousing their interest in reading and writing. It also
encouraged their illustrations for their private pleasure in childish fantasies; which
made them frequently live in their imagination. He recorded one of the most
imaginative experiences; something he said as the first beauty he had ever known
which would later gave such a prominent influence on his life.
2. Early experience in Christianity
Since his parents were Ulster Protestants, Lewis was always taught to say
his prayers and taken to church every Sunday. However, he found that it was
uninspiring because he saw that going to church was more like a political
statement than a statement of faith; meaning to say demonstration that they were
not Catholics. This idea formed such kind a of distaste for Christianity in his life
which lasted even into his adulthood. There was also the time when he was taught
Sehnsucht; a kind of longing, yet it did not bring genuine religious experiences.
In August 1908 his mother died which made him feel that all settled
happiness disappeared from his life. However, Lewis said that this experience was
indeed his first religious experience and that it taught him to believe in the power
of prayer for healing his mother and also to hope for a miracle.
When her case was pronounced hopeless I remembered what I had been taught; that prayers for her recovery would be successful: and, as I thought, I achieved it. When nevertheless she died I shifted my groan and worked myself into a belief that there was to be miracle (1955:20).
3. The initial discovery of Joy
One day, Lewis mysteriously felt a memory of an earlier happy morning; a
memory when his brother had brought his toy garden into the nursery. This
feeling rose just in an instant of time, yet he felt that in a particular sense anything
that had ever happened in him was insignificant in comparison. This experience
I call it joy, which is here a technical term and must be sharply distinguished both from Happiness and from Pleasure. Joy (in my sense) has indeed one characteristic, and one only, in common with them; the fact that anyone who has experienced it will want it again (1955:18).
4. Norsemen and rediscovery of Joy
Lewis was sent to a preparatory school named Cherbourg where he could
discover his interest in The music of Richard Wagner from whom Lewis started to
know about epic operas of the ring cycle, which introduced him to Norse
mythology. He felt that the music and mythology had caused momentary but
intense feelings reminding him of “Joy”. With the purpose to obtaining his “Joy”
again, he decided to study Norse mythology as he was sent to secondary school at
Malvern College. At this time, however, he also again lost his Christian faith as he
felt that he was made up of two separate elements: one for the longing of Joy, and
another for a fixed and certain belief in scientific materialism. He started to
approach atheism.
5. College Life and Conversion
At eighteen he took the scholarship examination for Oxford and was
successful. After four years, Lewis ended up with three first class degree from
Oxford; Greek and Latin Literature, Classical Philosophy, and English Language
and Literature. His interest in reading books had a significant influence or his
personal philosophy and from atheisms, he began to slowly approach theism. He
In 1929, Albert Lewis died. This made Lewis felt really guilty since he had
deceived him about his atheism. From that moment, He felt that God was looking
for him like a cat searching after a mouse. It was said
“You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I realty feared had at last come upon me”(Kilby, 1964:19).
Finally, he capitulated in the Trinity term. He knelt down in prayer and
admitted that God was God. Lewis thought that he was “the most dejected and
reluctant convert in all England”(Kilby, 1964:19).
Lewis journey to theism continued as he had a conversation about Myths
with his friends; Dyson and Tolkien in September 19th, 1931. Tolkien was able to
convince Lewis that myths were actually God’s way of preparing the ground for
the Christian story. Therefore, the stories of resurrection throughout history were
precursor to Jesus’ true resurrection. In conclusion, Christianity can be to be the
completion of all the mythology before it. Dyson also made a big contribution
explaining how Christianity worked for the believer in the way it can liberate
humans from their sins and help them to be better people. From this discussion, all
of Lewis remaining arguments were demolished which led him to be a
checkmated.
The final stage in Lewiss conversion to Christianity took place three days
later when he had a travelling with his brother by motorcycle to Whipsnade Zoo.
longing for another world was actually a kind of pointer for his longing for heaven
or God.
6. Lewis’s prominence in Christian Apologetics and Literary World
After his conversion, Lewis wanted to evangelize, and it was not long
before he thought of combining religious enthusiasm with imagination in his
works of Christian Fiction. Lewis started to write a book entitled Pilgrim’s
Regress that told the story of his conversion in allegorical form which was
published in 1933. He also started to write Christian Apologetic books; which was
written purposely to defend his faith by using logic. One of them is entitled
Problem of Pain where he postulates on the existence of other universes.
From 1941 until 1944, Lewis had a series of talks about Christianity on
BBC known as “ Right and Wrong” resulting in many people converting to
Christianity. The text of his talk was then published in a book called Mere
Christianity. From 1948 until 1956 he published other books; children’s literature
entitled The Chronicles of Narnia, and his biography entitled Surprised by Joy.
Narnia gives Lewis opportunity to indulge his love for animals and mythological
creatures with Christianity.
Besides his interest in Christianity, Lewis also received a lot of
acknowledgments for his prominence in literary worlds including The honorary
degree of Doctor of Letters by Laval University, Quebec, in 1952, The Chair of
Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge in June 1954, The Honorary
1955, The Gollancz Memorial Prize for Literature in recognition of “The Allegory
of Love”; a study on Medieval Tradition in 1956, and The Honorary Degree of
Doctor of Literature from the University of Manchester in 1959.
During the winter of 1961-1962, Lewis himself suffered a long illness. He
returned to his beloved house at Headington Quarry, Oxford since he was unable
to teach. There, he slowly recovered. In 1962-1963, he returned to Cambridge, but
had to resign due to fatal illness in July, 1963. He died in November 22nd, 1963 at
The Kilns, a week before his 65th birthday on Friday, November 22nd, 1963. His
grave is in the yard of Holy Trinity Church in Headington Quary, Oxford. His
brother, Warren Lewis, died on Monday, April 9th, 1973.
The word went out that Lewis remained in the Church of England to the end
of his life. Lewis was well known for his academic writing, popular apologetics,
and fictions. As it is expressed by Kilby:
He was among the best literary critics of his period. At the same time he was a Christian and the author of more than a score of books concerning faith. Furthermore, he managed the difficult feat of successfully integrating his scholarship and religion. Add to these things the gifts of a lively imagination, a vigorous and witty mind, and brilliance of language, and you discover why his books have sold widely and why his audience is steadily on the increase(1964:11).
D. Theoretical Framework
Some theories are used in this research to get a sharp and deeper
understanding of the topic about how the author uses symbol to express Christian
formulated in this research. They are taken from various books which are chosen
according to their significances to the analysis.
To answer the first problem formulation, the theory of symbol is used with
the purpose of finding symbols in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s
Nephew. This theory gives an important direction that the writer can follow to
analyze the symbol correctly.
To answer the second problem formulation, the writer uses a review of the
biography of the author as the basic data to see the life and experience of the
author himself. The review is applied to find how the author expresses Christian
concepts, stories, and teaching through the medium of symbols found in the first
28 CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
This chapter discusses the methodology used in this research. This chapter includes three important parts, including the object of the study, the approach, and the method of the study. The object of the study discusses the novel being studied; the approach discusses the approach used in this study and the method of study discusses the steps taken in analyzing the problem formulation.
A. Object of the Study
The object of the study is the first book in the series of The Chronicles of Narnia entitled The Magician’s Nephew. This novel was written by Clive Staples Lewis and published by HarperCollins in 1955. This novel is compiled in a book of 202 pages and contains 15 chapters.
On the surface, the novel presents about the lifetime adventure of two
children named Digory and Polly, when they were tricked by Digory’s peculiar
the empress. In addition to these experiences they also witnessed the glorious birth of the land of Narnia at the hand of the Great Lion.
However, on a deeper level, the writer found the interesting point that the novel of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew is symbolic. In this case, some intrinsic elements of the novel are actually the symbolization of the elements in the Holy Bible. The most prominent thing is that symbols are created in such a way that they contain Christian values in it. In this case, The Chronicles
of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew becomes the medium where C.S Lewis
expresses Christian concepts, stories, and teaching through the medium of symbol.
B. Approach of the Study
In analyzing C.S Lewis The Chronicles of Narnias: The Magician’s Nephew, the writer applied an expressive approach. In his book The Mirror and The Lamp, Abram explained that the expressive approach defined literary work as
“the overflow, utterance, or projection of the thought and feeling of the author”
(1953:21-22). In general idea, the basic premise of the expressive theory is by regarding the work of art as essentially
Internal made external, resulting from a creative process operating under the
impulse of feeling, and embodying the combined product of the poet’s
perceptions, thought, and feelings. The primary source and subject matter of
a poem, therefore, are the attributes and actions of the poet’s own mind; or if
aspects of the external world, then these only as they are converted from the
fact to poetry by the feelings and operations of the poet’s mind (1953:22).
work entitled The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew becomes the medium whereby the author express his thought, perceptions and feeling as a Christian In this case, the writer will reveal the expression of the author from the analysis of symbols that the author creates within the literary work. The writer examines how the author’s view, values, perception, and thoughts as a Christian have a significance in creating those symbols.
C. Method of the Study
This study analyzed the first book of the series of The Chronicles of Narnia written by C.S Lewis entitled The Magician’s Nephew. In order to find the answer to each question in the problem formulation, the writer conducted several steps to complete the study.
In the first step, the writer chose a literary work for this research. The novel entitled The Chronicle of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew was chosen to be examined further. After conducting a close reading of the book, the writer decided to focus on how the author expresses Christian concepts, stories, and teaching through the use of symbols.
were mostly cited from the autobiography of C.S Lewis entitled Surprised by Joy: the shape of my early life. However, the writer will also refer to the other references.
The third step is to formulate the problems with the purpose of making it systematic and easy for the analysis. Next, the writer examined the novel as the primary data by applying the secondary data to answer the problems.
To answer the first problems about what symbols being found in The
Chronicle of Narnia: Magician’s Nephew, the writer used the theory on
symbolism to look for any word or phrase which could be used as a symbol, which was conducted initially by close reading of the whole The Chronicle of
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. Each symbol which had been found was then
analyzed by using the theories. This theory was used to determine whether a particular construction had denotative or connotative meaning. Data which had connotative meaning would be analyzed further to find which one shared symbols.
32
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
The analysis will be divided into two sections since there are two problems formulated. The first part will attempt to identify the symbols found in the The Chronicles of Narnia: Magician’s Nephew. The second part will examine how the author uses symbol to express Christian concepts, stories, and teaching in The Chronicle of Narnia: Magician’s Nephew.
A. Symbol found in the Chronicle of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew
1. Magic
The first symbol found in the Chronicle of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew is Magic. In the novel, the author, however, describes Magic in a special way; it is not created as a single entity yet is manifested in various objects. This manifestation of Magic can be seen throughout the journey done by Digory; the main character in the novel as he meets The White Witch, Aslan, and The magical apple tree.
Digory meets The Witch as he begins his journey in the Land of Charn. At that moment, he unfortunately rings the hammer which as a result awakes the enchanted White Witch. The Witch is one of the symbols of the supreme power due to her magical power as seen in her ability to destroy everything by the use of deplorable word as it can be seen from her statement: “Fool! As if she did not know that I had more Magic than she! She even knew that I had the secret of the Deplorable Word” (p.66). From the point of view of human this is something considered as impossible. However, it leads her to use it for wicked behaviors so that she can achieve her ambition for greatness (p.66).
The adventure continues bring Digory to meet Aslan as the manifestation of magic in the form of a Lion. Aslan also symbolizes supreme power as he possesses magical power for the creation of the land of Narnia (p.109) through his voice. It is known from The Witch comments on his power that “Ever since the song began she had
felt that this whole world was filled with Magic different from hers and stronger”
of Narnia (p.151). The most important thing is also that he does those all actions for his good and loving behavior.
As the third manifestation of Magic, The Apple Tree is known as Digory makes a journey to find something that can be used as the shield for Narnia from the dangerous threat from the Witch Witch (p.155). As he finds the place where the tree is, he explicitly says that “And it just shows, that you can’t be too careful in these magical places” (p.173). The magical power of the Apple Tree shown from its ability to bring attraction and the fulfillment of human desire makes it also becomes the symbolization of supreme power (p.172-175).
From the exposition above, it can be seen that those three manifestations of magic are united with shared details as objects having magical power. This magic, in this case, however, is not merely used to describe the source of power having the capability to create something supernatural or miraculous, meaning to say something which is considered impossible or unusual from the point of view of human beings. In the context of the story, Magic has a special role to define supremacy of particular objects; manifested in its ability in destroying, creating, and attracting, and to emphasis its high and important level. Thus, it can be said that the author uses Magic as the symbolization of supreme power in his novel. In this case, the reader is asked not to understand Magic in the literal sense as it is defined in Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (2006:372) that Magic is:
This definition gives emphasis on the criteria of Magic to be an “ extraordinary power”, yet in the context of the story Magic is associated with another kind of “power”. It does not only the extraordinary or supernatural one, yet a position of supremacy. This kind of thing exposes the second layer meaning of Magic which makes the readers need to think more about the purpose of Magic within and throughout the story.
Furthermore, this definition gives emphasis as well that Magic must be “used”
and “casted” through medium of “charm and spell”. It means that Magic is something spoken by a human being. However, as it will be elaborated further, the author does not merely used human being as the magician. First, the author makes a personification for Aslan to possess a speaking ability as human does. Then, the author also uses the Apple Tree which is definitely not a human being. The Witch may be the only human being used by the author, yet if we analyze further she is created in the name of “White
Witch”. The word “White” here is really significant as in the context of the story the author uses it to give emphasis on the deadly-like appearance of the Witch which is paradoxical with her existence as human being. This anomaly in defining Magic definitely shows that the author wants to use Magic in a particular purpose which is in this case as the symbol. It can be said that Magic is not used in the literal sense, yet it is used to declare the supremacy of particular object.
In a purpose to give the notion of Magic as a symbolization of supreme power, the author uses several devices which can be elaborated further to see Magic’s role as the
“Magic” in an explicit way in those three manifestations of symbol to define the source
of their supernatural power. Second, the author also puts emphasis on the role of Magic throughout the story. This emphasis can be seen as magic becomes the center of attention for each event that happens in the journey of Digory. The author is likely to place the Magic that exists within the context of the story and to sho
