C.S. Lewis scholar Dr. Devin Brown has written an awesome article about the main characters in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The characters that he has chosen to highlight are Eustace, Reepicheep, Aslan, and Lucy. It’s a rather long entry, but it is well worth reading to learn about the characters in this story. One thing to be aware of is that there are some major story spoilers. If you have not read the book and are planning on just seeing the film, you’ll want to avoid reading this until after.
Here is a brief excerpt:
Character #1—Eustace. Jesus explained to his followers that He came to seek and to save those who are lost. And like Edmund early in the first story, Eustace is a young boy who is definitely on the wrong path. In fact when we meet him, Eustace has been on the wrong path for so long that he can see no other—in his eyes, he does no wrong. Edmund refers to his cousin as a “record stinker” and this is putting Eustace’s spiritual condition mildly.
Friends? Lewis tells us he has none. Happiness? Eustace knows only one kind: bossing and bullying others, provided they are either smaller or weaker than he is or too good to fight back. But even while Eustace is this record stinker, Aslan loves him and will not abandon him to a life which leads to misery in the short term and to destruction in the end. Through a magical painting which comes to life at just the right moment, much as the wardrobe did, Eustace is brought kicking and complaining into Narnia.
Read the rest at Samaritan’s Purse
Be sure to check out his book Inside The Voyage of the Dawn Treader which will be in stores this fall!
Wow. What a great article. It’s so good to be reminded again of what these characters point us to – the only One who can ever change us.
Sorry to say if you are reading this i am called caspian in real life .promise. so i dont get how someone not called caspian got a leading part for someone whose name is caspian and has the same coloured skin and hair. I am on facebook so please add me and all the details are wrong apart from the name.
cross my heart
I think this was very insightful. I learned a little bit from this piece that I will be able to carry with me for quite some time. I can’t wait for the Inside VDT book to come out.
thank you devin, for your gifted insights into narnia! you are truly God’s gift to us!
That was a great article! I think he chose the major characters who really stand out in the book, as well as what each of them learned (or in Aslan’s case, did). Thanks for linking it!
Hey,
This is an awsome post. I am always looking to say what other seecrets are to the Narnia books. I have just recently finished The Last Battle. It was an amaizing book, but when it was done I didnt want it to be, it was like I dont want to stop reading the Narnia books. They are some of the most interesting books I have ever read. So after I finished the books, I went on a reaserch all about narnia. I found a few things, but I still have some questions.
To help me please email me at joshua96@afo.net