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  • Essay / The Temptation of the Garden: Good, Evil and Aslan in The Magician's Nephew

    During his life, CS Lewis wrote a collection of seven novels which he published in his famous series The Chronicles of Narnia, which highlights The Story of Narnia. These novels introduce similar themes with the first book in the series titled The Magician's Nephew. More importantly, we learn how Aslan, the Lion who can be seen as a symbol of Jesus, created the world, but also how evil first entered Narnia because of two children. A clear theme introduced by CS Lewis in The Magician's Nephew is the parallel to the original sin and temptation presented in the book of Genesis by Adam and Eve with the temptation of the serpent. This is a parallel to the story of Adam and Eve but this story differs slightly. Digory does not give in to the temptation to disobey the rules of the Garden, but he does give in to the temptation to ring the bell that wakes Jadis, which is his first mistake. Digory learns from his mistakes and discovers the difference between right and wrong after being lectured by Aslan. He wants to repair his past mistakes so as not to be tempted again by bad temptations. Looking closely at The Magician's Nephew, we see Aslan's influence in the lives of Digory and Polly and, in turn, this influence drives them to want to right the harm they have already caused in their own world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In The Magician's Nephew, we learn of Digory and Polly's initial mistake of waking up Jadis, the witch who was in a deep sleep. The only way to wake her up would be if someone rang a mysterious bell and the two children's curiosity would change their lives forever. They thought it would be good to ring the bell, but the narrator speaks of the children's blunder by saying, “And both of them thought it was so; but they had never been so wrong in their lives” (Lewis, The Magician's Nephew, 37). They thought that ringing the bell would have no effect, but little did they know that Queen Jadis was awake and ready to wreak havoc. Apparently, the bell simply symbolizes the beginning of chaos in the novel because before the bell rang, everything was peaceful. Besides the bell symbolizing this important change, I also think it foreshadows the problems that Jadis' character will bring to everyone she encounters. But what's really interesting is that Polly and Digory have differing opinions about the Queen. Polly says, “She's a terrible woman” (Lewis, The Magician's Nephew, 39). While Digory exclaims: “She is wonderfully brave. And strong. That's what I call a queen! I hope she will tell us the history of this place” (Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew, 39). Initially, the two children have two opposing impressions of Jadis. The only reason Digory is fascinated by Queen Jadis is because he's a boy and this may be the first time he's seen a woman with such power, so he instantly develops a crush. Polly, for her part, sees through Jadis and knows that her introduction smells of trouble for everyone. Digory is clearly surprised when Jadis reveals her interest in returning to Earth and when the dust settles, he can deduce that if she returns to Earth, things will be turned upside down. Digory and Polly finally seem to realize their mistakes when they witness Aslan's creation of Narnia. (Lewis, The Magician's Nephew, 79). Once Digory realizes the severity of his name "Son of Adam", he knows that he has potentially destroyed Aslan's creation and, like Adam in the Bible, Digory's initial curiosity isto know what will bring turmoil to Narnia. Together, with the introduction of Aslan, Digory and Polly know that their curiosity has brought evil to the people of Narnia and that the only way to right the evil is to follow and abide by the teachings of the Great Aslan. , Aslan knows the heartbreak Digory is facing and gives him a simple mission. This mission represents a change of direction for Digory in that he realizes that his childlike wonders have put many people in danger earlier, but now he wants to make a change, for the better. If successful, this mission would protect Narnia for years to come and also heal Digory's sick mother; however, this is where temptation arises again. When he first smells the forbidden fruit, the narrator states: “A terrible thirst and hunger came over him, and a burning desire to taste this fruit” (Lewis, The Magician's Nephew, 92). It is therefore entirely possible that if Digory had not benefited from Aslan's advice, he would have disobeyed the sacred rule of the tree. The question arises: why doesn't Digory eat the apple? Maybe it's because he feels like he's under some kind of surveillance. It could also be the simple fact that he cannot go against the Tao or natural law according to the narrator: "Things like Do Not Steal were, I think, hammered into the boys' heads much harder at that time than they are today. NOW. Yet we can never be certain” (Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew, 92). Digory's values ​​finally seem to take over when he thinks about the possible consequences of eating the forbidden fruit. He plans to return the fruit to Aslan, but as expected, Queen Jadis appears again. CS Lewis makes this the turning point of the novel, because we as the audience know how easily Digory gave in to his temptations earlier in the novel and so he is once again challenged by a greater power to see if he will give in again. To further tempt Digory, the queen says, “Think of me, my boy, when you are old and weak and dying, and remember how you wasted the chance of endless youth! We won't offer it to you again” (Lewis, The Magician's Nephew, p. 95). However, Digory has learned from his previous mistakes and does not give in to the witches' claims to eternal life. He proves that he is no longer the selfish boy he once was by considering and allowing Aslan to have a direct influence on his activity. For his loyalty, Digory is thus rewarded. Once Aslan receives Digory's apple, he reveals the disadvantages of stealing one. According to folklore, a “stolen apple” would cure but it would not bring the desired “joy” to the thief and the person who consumed it. (Lewis, The Magician's Nephew, 100-101). So, Digory receives the apple as a gift from Aslan, which in turn restores his mother's health and allows her to live happily ever after. In my eyes, Digory receives the apple as a gift once Aslan knows he can trust Digory. Aslan wants to extend his charity to his people, and with Digory proving himself, he gives Digory the one thing he has dreamed of since the beginning of the novel. It's clear that without Aslan's influence on Digory's life, he might have eaten the forbidden fruit and joined the evil Queen Jadis. Digory knew what to do in the situation where the witch tried to influence him and for his support and trust in Aslan, he was rewarded with everything he wanted in the form of a gift. When one is well guided, one reaps the benefits of following the right path. With the introduction of Aslan, Digory gains a “role model” of sorts as he admires Aslan and aims to live up to his morals. Keep in mind: this..