Literary analysis Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the WardrobeOnline version
Literary analysis Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
1
Who is the main character in this story?
2
What are two or three character traits that best describe Lucy at the start of the story?
3
How does Edmund behave at the beginning of the story?
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How does Edmund change by the end of the story?
5
Which lesson does Edmund learn through his journey?
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Who are the main supporting characters that influence the children the most?
7
Who is the main antagonist in the story?
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Is the main conflict mostly external or internal?
9
What is the main problem or conflict in the story?
10
What key events form the plot of the story?
11
What is the climax, the most intense moment of the story?
12
What is the solution to the main conflict?
13
How does the story conclude?
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What is the setting of the story?
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How does the setting influence the events of the story?
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What is a major theme of the story?
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Who is the narrator of the story?
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What point of view (POV) is the story told from?
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How does the narrator’s point of view affect the story?
20
What kind of growth makes Edmund worthy of forgiveness?
21
How does this story show that conflict and change are part of life?
22
In Narnia, which character is shown as the most powerful force deciding the fate of the world?
23
Which powerful character is shown as good and worthy of trust?
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Which powerful character is shown as evil and dangerous?
25
What pattern do you notice when comparing the good ruler and the evil ruler in Narnia?
26
The White Witch is portrayed as cold, controlling, and evil. What older storytelling pattern does this resemble?
27
Stories often repeat familiar patterns. What is the “evil witch” trope most commonly used to represent?
28
Which of the following are other well-known examples of the “evil witch” or similar trope in stories?
29
C. S. Lewis, the writer of Chronicles of Narnia, believed that men should usually lead and women should usually follow, which is called a patriarchal belief. How does this show up in the story?
30
Today, some Christian conservatives often use Narnia in sermons and lessons in church. How do you think the story could be used by them?
31
Why might this pattern in Chronicles of Narnia and other "evil witch" stories be problematic and sexist (unfair and denying rights to women) when we think about it critically?
32
Chronicles of Narnia was written in 1950, not long after World War 2, when women in the US and Europe were still widely seen as less important than men and were expected to serve, obey, stay at home, cook, clean and take care of the kids.
Through women's struggle, societies have changed since then and in the last 20 years stories have changed as well. Movies like Maleficent and Frozen have reacted against the trope of the "evil witch". How do they differ from stories like Chronicles of Narnia?
33
Why is it important to notice these patterns instead of just enjoying the story?
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Why are powerful female characters like Elsa in Frozen, Evey in V for Vendetta, and Ahsoka, Hera, Padmé and Leia in Star Wars important when we compare them to older stories like how the female characters are portrayed in Chronicles of Narnia?
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