The Importance of Distinct Characters in Novels

By Cristiano Lima - English teacher, translator and theologian

             “The Chronicles of Narnia – the lion, the witch and the wardrobe” is a movie based on the intensively touching book from the author C. S. Lewis. The book is a masterpiece of English Literature.

               C. S. Lewis’ timeless adventure follows the exploits of the four Pevensie siblings – Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter. The siblings enter the world of Narnia through a magical wardrobe while they are playing a game of “hide and seek” in the rural country home of an elderly professor. Once there, the children discover a charming, peaceful land inhabited by talking beasts, dwarfs, fauns, centaurs and giants who live in a world cursed to eternal winter by the evil White Witch, Jadis. Under the guidance of a noble and mystical ruler, the lion Aslan, the children fight to overcome the White Witch’s powerful hold over Narnia in a spectacular climatic battle that will free Narnia from Jadis’ icy spell forever.

                The lion Aslan is considered the main character in the plot since the lion is the character who saves all four siblings, leading the people of Narnia into victory against the White Witch. The war between the lion Aslan and the White Witch Jadis reveals an ingeniously intricate interpretation and an utterly impressive characterization.

                In addition, this plot reveals the eternal fight between good and evil since the land of Narnia is facing one eternal winter caused by Jadis’ spell, and this cursed winter is destroyed only when the lion decides to act. The height of the Aslan’ role is when the lion dies on the Stone Table in the middle of the night and rises from dead before dawn to save the four siblings in a final battle against the White Witch. At the end of the movie, the White Witch and her army are destroyed and spring’ time starts in the land of Narnia.

                In conclusion, this movie is the voice of a magical imagination that is present in the imagination of everyone’s childhood, a magical childhood that adults insist on forgetting.