2005-12-17 - 7:43 a.m.
I'm so conflicted about the Chronicles of Narnia. I saw the movie this past weekend and it was so magical for me. I loved the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I was such a kid while watching that movie. Reading LWW as a kid I mercifully, ignored all of the Christian allegory and saw a book that gave me, as an 8 year old a chance to see kids taken seriously, treated as PEOPLE, and given awesome responsibility. I felt so connected to Lucy. It brought tears to my eyes when she first met Mr. Tummnus because HE'S scared of HER. He recognizes her power and treated her like a friend and not a kid. What a difference it is to be regarded. To be seen as someone capable. That blew me away as a kid and it blows me away as an adult.
Luckily I didn't read the other Narnia books because I would have hated the treatment of Susan. For some reason she gets shit on in the books. Despite the powerful experiences of Narnia, she and she alone keeps resisting. First in Prince Capsian when she denies that Alsan has returned and in the Last Battle where she's excluded from going to the real Narnia because she's interested in nylons and party invitations. Narnia defenders will point out that other women who've been to Narnia are heroic and get to go to the real Narnia so it can't be sexist. That doesn't cut it for me. Why single out Susan? And why focus on FEMALE aspects of vanity. Why is she the only person who is shallow enough to be excluded from Narnia? As much as there are strong women in Narnia, it appears the only person who isn't transformed by Narnia is a woman. It's like in the West Wing where sure, you have women in positions of power but then you see the ONLY people as assistants are women. What does that say about men? I can't imagine anyone who went through what Susan went through not being transformed. The depth of character she showed in LWW doesn't gibe with the shallow person she becomes. SHE and Lucy were the only two to see Aslan's sacrifice and they were the ones to stay with his lifeless body all night. This conflicts with the shallow person who is excluded from Narnia in the Last Battle.
Then again, the whole idea of the LAst Battle is so fucked up. That Narnia is just a shadow Narnia and the real Narnia is only for the believers. It doesn't gibe with what I see Narnia as. A place where everyone's personhood is recognized. Even the smallest.
