The trip to America and the timeline

[MrBob]

I was looking at some historical references regarding WWII, the London attacks by the Germans, and the evacuee programs. Save for a bombing of the London area not contained within one of the major blitzes or the original Battle of Britain, the only time the Germans hit the UK in the Summer, when LWW takes place in England, was in 1940. And this does coincide with the London bombing, including Finchley.

We know that PC was one year later, apparently in 1941 and VotDT was a year after that, in 1942. A few questions come to mind. First, how long did the Pevensies stay at the Professor's house? In the middle of a war and bombings, I would imagine they would stay for quite a while.

Next question is what did Mr. Pevensie do for a living? He somehow managed to get a 16-week summer lecturing position. This was in the middle of a war and here the parents are, leaving three of their children in England during a time of war. Of course, not a word about any kind of war going on in VotDT.

Is this just another of the time inconsistencies that Lewis forgot about?

MrBob

 

[Copperfox]

The above reminds me that I have wondered why Mr. Lewis DIDN'T depict the four children's father as being an active combatant in the war, which the movie does.

 

[Inkling]

You know, it always made me extremely sad that the first victim of the allied bombing of Berlin was an elephant from the Berlin zoo. .

That's a great question, Copperfox. It certainly isn't explicit in the text, but Mr. Pevensie would have been drafted into service unless there was some strong reason why he couldn't fight...or unless he was a conscientious objector.

 

[holyboy]

The above reminds me that I have wondered why Mr. Lewis DIDN'T depict the four children's father as being an active combatant in the war, which the movie does.

I think he did not depict the father as an active combative because he wanted the children to be the centre point of the story. If the father is a hero before the story starts, the children are not seen as innovative and are just following the father's footsteps. By not knowing about the father the children are seen as more empowered because their adventure is not helped by the father's inspiration in London.

 

[Malacandra]

You know, it always made me extremely sad that the first victim of the allied bombing of Berlin was an elephant from the Berlin zoo. .

That's a great question, Copperfox. It certainly isn't explicit in the text, but Mr. Pevensie would have been drafted into service unless there was some strong reason why he couldn't fight...or unless he was a conscientious objector.

The likeliest explanations would have been that he was too old, medically unfit, or in a reserved occupation.

 

[waterhogboy]

I think he did not depict the father as an active combative because he wanted the children to be the centre point of the story. If the father is a hero before the story starts, the children are not seen as innovative and are just following the father's footsteps. By not knowing about the father the children are seen as more empowered because their adventure is not helped by the father's inspiration in London.

I agree. I think he was purposely left out, because the introduction of a father figure would bring up new problems in the plot... hence the film adaptation.