Deborah's Reviews > The Magician’s Nephew

** spoiler alert ** The Magician's Nephew tells of how it all started. How Narnia was created. How the first Sons of Adam, and Daughters of Eve "traveled" to Narnia. And, how the wardrobe came to be. A wonderful read, full of magic, wit, adventure, and hope.

Next, Spoiler alert.

I noticed that CS Lewis seemed to point out similarites between Uncle Andrew and his nephew, Digory. That's not a good thing. Uncle Andrew was selfish, un-caring, and really, a blundering fool. While reading, I often found myself wondering if Digory was destined to end up like his Uncle. But, my dear friends, I can happily tell you he does not. The power to overcome our weaknesses, our evil tendencies, and even our bad genes, is very real. Especially when we surround ourselves with good people, as Digory did. Though we may not always have all the power needed residing in our own being, know there is a much higher, and greater power to call on.

The evil Queen Jadis, so horribly magnificent. She is obviously, the serpent of the story. I find it interesting that Queen Jadis had to be awakened, before she could cause any damage. Is that not how it really works? We let, and somtimes invite, our own serepnt in, even if we don't specifically mean to do just that. And it's usually through those weaknesses that it happens. Digory was a very curious boy. Digory woke her by ringing a bell that was sitting in the middle of the room. He had no idea what he was doing, when he did it. But sometimes curiosity overrides judgement.

Polly, Digory's friend throughout the story, was never even tempted to ring the bell. I find she is a great support for Digory, even though they may be very different. Surrounding yourself with others with different strengths and opinions, help us to be balanced and reasonable.

And of course, the regal and just Aslan. The king, the savior of the Story. I laughed throughout this book, but there were two times that I cried. You should know that Digory left behind a Mother who is deathly ill. He wanted nothing more than to have her be healed and well again. He missed her. Aslan sent Digory on a mission, to make up for awakening the queen, and thus bringing her to Narnia. Before he leaves, and Aslan asks him if he's ready for his mission . . . you know, I'm just going to put the whole segment here.

"I asked, are you ready?" said the Lion.
"Yes," said Digory. He had had for a second some wild idea of saying "I'll try to help you if you'll promise to help my Mother," but he realized in time that the Lion was not at all the sort of person one could try to make bargains with. But when he had said "Yes," he thought of his Mother, and he thought of the great hopes he had had, and how they were all dying away, and a lump came in his throat and tears in his eyes, and he blurted out:
"But please, please - won't you - can't you give me something that will cure Mother?" Up till then he had been looking at the Lion's great feet and the huge claws on them; now, in despair, he looked up at its' face. What he saw surprised him as much as anyhting in his whole life. For the tawny face was bent near his own and (wonder of wonders) great shining tears stood in the Lion's eyes. They were such big, bright tears compared with Digory's won that for a moment he felt as if the Lion must really be sorrier about his Mother than he was himself. [and that is where I cried for the first time in the book]
"My son, my son," said Aslan. "I know. Grief is great. Only you and I in this land know that yet . . ."

To make it a little shorter Aslan needs the seed of that fruit to protect Narnia from the Witch.

""Yes, sir, "said Digory. He didn't know how it was to be done but he felt quite sure now that he would be able to do it."

He is sent to a far away hill that contains a tree which bears special silver apples. These apples give you endless life. So he takes an apple, puts it in his pocket, and returns to Aslan. They throw the apple, and it plants itself in the earth, where a new, large and wonderful tree grows. And this is what happens next . . .

[Aslan speaking] ". . .What I give you now will bring joy. It will not, in your world, give endless life, but it will heal. Go. Pluck [your Mother] an apple from the Tree."
For a second Digory could hardly understand. It was as if the whole world had turned inside out and upside down. And then, like someone in a dream, he was walking across to the Tree, and the King and Queen and were cheering him and all the creatures were cheering too."

So that second part when I cried was when I realized after all that this boy has been through, the struggles he's had to endure, the pain and sorrow, the healing and forgiveness. After doing Aslan's bidding, knowing he will get nothing in return, he does receive something in return. What he's wanted with his whole heart throughout the book. Because of Aslan. This kind, just, and merciful creator of Narnia.