#jacksie

John would still be using messaging boards, and he’d have a very wordy blog, but he’d refuse to use any sort of social media,

Jack would have normal accounts on all common social media platforms, but mostly use twitter to tell the world his opinions,

I was particularly excited to re-read The Silver Chair, and was not at all disappointed. In fact, I liked it even more than I thought I would (if that's even possible, considering how much I always loved it) and I have a real lot to say about it.

First of all, I would like to say that my favourite chapter was The Queen of Underland, and my favourite quote was the entirety of Puddleglum's speech, and my favourite character, and nothing of that has changed since I first read this lovely book. This chapter, this monologue, this character are incredibly important for me, and also the most exceptional example of Lewis' brilliant religious influence on the books – there was no a trace allegory or recapitulating, no sort of propaganda or teaching in these lines. Puddleglum's stoic Faith in utter darkness – especially in consideration of his general view of life – and his resistance against the witches convincing persuasion, show what an incredible Christian Apologist was, and how Faith is sometimes a choice to be made. In fact, I dare say, Puddleglum is in a way a Narnian Apologist. Now, I like that term – I shall think of it in the future.

But, as for Puddleglum, I wonder if he actually was as pessimistic as he was perceived at all. I think Jill was quite right, when she said, “You sound as doleful as a funeral and I believe you're perfectly happy. And you talk as if you were afraid of everything, when you're really as brave as – as a lion.” Puddleglum was, after all, based on C. S. Lewis' gardener, Fred Paxford, about whom Douglas Gresham said, “Another fact of his personality was that he was always ready to say the most depressing things and apparently to take the gloomiest attitude to everything while at the same time to expect everything to turn out well. I have a sneaking suspicion that he voiced the worst possible thoughts about things to protect himself and others from their actually happening.” Fred Paxford was, apparently, some sort of anti-pessimist in the most unlikely sort of way. And Puddleglum, I think he was simply a marsh-wiggle. I think – and of course, neither Jill, nor Eustace, nor the reader, could possibly know this – this sort of pessimistic talking was in truth not the actual outlook of a marsh-wiggle, but rather a cultural and linguistic peculiarity. If you actually look at it, Puddleglum presented all the dreadful possibilities as “not that dreadful” and perhaps, that was what he truly meant – that, and the hope that it simply wouldn't happen. Now of course, as that was what marsh-wiggles did, it didn't even occur to him that it seemed at all negative.

I also think it's fascinating how much Puddleglum knew, and how many knew him. Marsh-wiggles like their privacy, and they (and Puddleglum) actually seemed fairly isolated. And yet, Puddleglum knew a great lot about Narnia, about its geography, its history, and about Aslan. He was well-educated, and he had a great many friends in Narnia, not only among the other marsh-wiggles – there have even been search-parties for him, and a reward for those who found him! He was also well-versed in all sorts of things, and very practical and relaxed when guiding and taking care of the children, and I find that all quite admirable, but also very interesting. Puddleglum is a fascinating character, and marsh-wiggles are incredible creatures!

An honourable mention is, however, Jill. I love her. I love her so much. She is an amazing, strong, compassionate, and complex character, and I admire her so much. She is very different from the other English children who went to Narnia – from her life in England, to the way she reached Narnia, to the things that happened to her in Narnia, everything is different for her. Her story is based on Trust and on Choice, and it was written in a magnificent way. I actually think it's unfair how many people don't like Jill – especially for the usual reasons stated. I mean, sure, she can be quite snappy, but mostly it's said that Jill has a “not like other girls attitude” (which has zero evidence in canon!) or because she cried when she was bullied, after accidentally throwing Eustace of a cliff, and when they arrived in Harfang. To be honest, I think those are perfectly good reasons for a nine year old child to cry. I personally think that Jill is amazingly human, and very, very brave and not at all whiny – it's not like her story was in any way easy, or that she was prepared for it. In fact, I think it's admirable, how she decided to trust Aslan and do as she was told. I also don't think it was entirely her fault that they missed the first sign – she told Eustace soon enough, and he couldn't recognize Caspian due to his old age. I also love how clearly, yet realistically Jill learned from her mistakes: she felt sorry for them, admitted them, and tried to do better, but she wasn't all of a sudden changed. (Generally, I love that Lewis writes growth as a slow, but steady, and admirable thing.)

Now, for the villain. I always found The Lady of the Green Kirtle to be much more powerful, and probably more evil than Jadis. Or at least, they are two different sorts of evil. Jadis is a cruel, violent despot; ruthless, and capable of a very clear, brutal magic. The Lady of the Green Kirtle is like truly like a (sweet) poison, an opiate, an line of thought or ideology that seems so right, so easy, so comforting, and that can only be resisted by staying true to oneself, true to what is right. She is a very real sort of evil, one we are confronted with more often than we truly realise – when the White Witch is a dictator, a merciless ruler, the Lady is a perilous system, a friendly face of an authority that wants only wants you to suffer. And her way of insisting on what is wrong, in such a confident, and calm, and belittling way is a painful thing to read, and almost too real. Again, there is also a lot of religious influence in her way – a Screwtapish sort of spreading uncertainty, to weaken one's soul.

I also think her magic is more powerful – while devices like her instrument and the powder and the chair strengthen her, she doesn't rely on them as much as Jadis does. She can, apparently, enchant someone just through being with them, and talking to them, and that gets me to another thing: I think, when they met on the bridge (maybe even, as I just thought now, with help of the bridge's magic!) she enchanted the children and Puddleglum. At least a little bit. She couldn't put them under a heavy spell, as she only talked to them for a short time, but she could confuse their minds a little bit. Just think how the Turkish Delight enchanted Edmund to follow Jadis, even though he felt it was wrong! I think it was quite similar – except the Turkish Delight was the Autumn Feast.

Jill and Eustace aren't at all whiny or reliant on luxury – Eustace travelled on the Dawn Treader, and Jill, although she had no way to prepare, handled the days of their travels fairly well, and is also a horse girl. Of course, both of them would have rather had it warm and comfortable, but I think the Lady actually weakened their staunchness. That is, after all, her way of doing things. She even weakened Puddleglum, who is, after all, a particularly steadfast character, and who wouldn't normally have let the children persuade him to go to Harfang (even though that might not have been obvious to either the children or the reader at that point) and all three of them had, from that meeting until they found their way to Harfang, a sort of foggy mind, and great trouble concentrating and observing. And mind you, they wanted to meet giants, even though Eustace and Puddleglum were very cautious people, and Jill had a particular fear of giants. But I have another reason to think so:

Lewis isn't the sort of writer who puts in things that are extremely obvious to the reader, but not the characters. Of course, the reader is supposed to be ahead of the characters occasionally, but not to a very great extent, and I don't think he would have done it in a different way for this particular book, especially as it is, all in all, more mature, and darker than the earlier books.

Jill, Eustace, and Puddleglum are smart. In fact, their intelligence is not only a positive trait of each of them, one could even say, it is partly connected to some of their negative traits. They all knew the story of Lillian, and when they saw the Green Lady and the hidden knight, they should, actually have realised at once who they were – or at very least, who the lady was. Even more so, when they finally reached Underland, they should have recognized Rilian, even before he asked them to free him in Aslan's name (another wonderful example of the strength of Faith and Trust, by the way), but they didn't. And that was, in fact, in a place where the witches energy was particularly strong. Of course, this is only a theory, but I am really sure, that she at least somehow affected their minds magically on that meeting.

Another thing I would like to talk about is how this book made Narnia feel old. Especially Underland, and Father Time. It seems that, between the Creation of Narnia, and the time the Pevensies came to Narnia, an incredibly great time passed. In fact, it seems that some things in later Narnia were truly ancient. So distant, so grand and unreal, that they seem like a different, magical world within Narnia. One truly wonders who those Ancient, Noble Giants were, and if maybe they were the actual Giants of Narnia, and why they died out, and why Father Time was made Father Time, when there was a time when he was a King, and if there was some sort of Figure of Time before, and if these Giants – although I am sure they were no bad Giants – were somehow related to Jadis.

That makes me wonder, if the Lady of the Green Kirtle was related to Jadis (as many, including myself think – though I have to say, I am absolutely certain they were not one and the same, although that is a popular theory, too) in any way, how she got into Narnia. That brings me back to my theory (or headcanon, or idea) that there have always been some passages (whether through the Wood of the Worlds or differently) between Narnia and England and all other sorts of worlds. In fact, with so many worlds existing, I shouldn't wonder, if some people actually know about other knows. Jadis did, back in Charn. Perhaps the Lady of the Green Kirtle was from Charn, too, but left it earlier, to pursue other worlds. There had to be a way for the powder to reach Andrew Ketterly, after all, and there had to be a way for all these different things from different cultures and times of our world to reach Narnia. I am sure that the stories we know are only a little bit of all the stories in the Land and the World of Narnia, and all the other Worlds.

And Planets, too! And Stars! Have you read that the Sun was called “him”? I know its often considered male, but it wasn't said that way, it was like the Stars being People. Of course the sun is a star – our sun, that is. Narnia is made differently. But although it is flat (or at least, not a globe) it has a core. I love the description of Bism! It's fascinating – the living gemstones and precious metals! And it's very bright – which means that the gnomes are not at all (as it first seemed) suited to darkness, but actually in need of much greater brightness than the people of Overland, which is just another example of how dreadfully cruel that witch was.

Rilian was still a young man when they found him, and Caspian was very, very old. He was, apparently, a very old father – and Ramandu's Daughter was a very old mother. I suppose children of stars age slower than most people. And Caspian... I am so glad his wish came true, and he visited a round world! And did a good deed there, too!

This has always been one of my favourite chapters, and also one of my favourite scenes in the movie. I love the Beavers, and I love their home, and I am glad the kids finally got a proper dinner, after mentioning being hungry more often than I remembered from my last read in the previous chapter. In regards to @no-need-to-say-goodbye ‘s post on a Narnian black market - they even had beer. Wow. On the other hand, I do notice that they have many foods that last long - marmalade, ham, and the beer. All of this could be stored from before the witch’s Winter began... I mean, there Narnian lifespan is so long - considering Tumnus remembers a time before the Winter - so why shouldn’t they store food for such a long time? Weeelll... probably because nobody would have expected that and it’s just a plain weird idea, and all of it would have been used up by that time, and it won’t explain things like potatoes, milk, etc., so yes, it has to be only a Black Market, I suppose with only Archenland, because I am not too sure the Calormenes, Telmarines, and Ettins would really care to help the Narnians, or would they? Perhaps earlier generations of Telmarines were nicer, and the Calormene’s are generally interested in all sorts of trade and might have gotten other things from Narnia that could have been provided despite the winter, like jewellery or something of that sort, or magical items, etc.