The Silver Chair

“‘Yes, but this is a really terrific secret. Pole, I say, are you good at believing things? I mean things that everyone here would laugh at?’

‘I’ve never had the chance,’ said Jill, ‘but I think I would be.’”

This quote establishes continuity with the previous The Chronicles of Narnia books, and in particular with The Voyage of the Dawn Trader (1952), in which Eustace first appeared and met Prince Caspian. Eustace alludes to his earlier journey into Narnia to create intrigue, and Jill’s enthusiastic reaction sets her up to be his counterpart in The Silver Chair. With regards to the theme of Narnia as a Christian Allegory, Jill’s willingness to take a leap of faith also characterizes her as one who has the innate ability to become a true believer in Aslan.

“They had expected to see the gray, heathery slope of the moor going up and up to join the dull autumn sky. Instead, a blaze of sunshine met them. It poured through the doorway as the light of a June day pours into a garage when you open the door. It made the drops of water on the grass glitter like beads and showed up the dirtiness of Jill’s tear-stained face. And the sunlight was coming from what certainly did look like a different world—what they could see of it. They saw smooth turf, smoother and brighter than Jill had ever seen before, and blue sky, and, darting to and fro, things so bright that they might have been jewels or huge butterflies.”

In this initial physical description of Narnia, the narrator uses Similes to create a sense of wonder about this fictional place by associating it with details familiar to the reader, such as “sunshine [like] the light of a June day” and bright things that “might have been jewels or huge butterflies.” Narnia also offers a stark contrast with the “gray, heathery” landscape of the English countryside, which emphasizes its greater appeal and wondrous qualities.

“‘If you’re thirsty, you may drink.’

They were the first words she had heard since Scrubb had spoken to her on the edge of the cliff. For a second she stared here and there, wondering who had spoken. Then the voice said again, ‘If you are thirsty, come and drink,’ and of course she remembered what Scrubb had said about animals talking in that other world, and realized that it was the lion speaking. Anyway, she had seen its lips move this time, and the voice was not like a man’s. It was deeper, wilder, and stronger; a sort of heavy, golden voice. It did not make her any less frightened than she had been before, but it made her frightened in rather a different way.”

     In this scene, C.S. Lewis outlines Aslan’s first interaction with Jill, during which his solemn, powerful, otherworldly presence firmly establish his role as Narnia’s ruler and quasi-deity. Indeed, the lion’s offering of water has strong biblical connotations in and of itself, mirroring the Christian concept of “living water” that can only be imbibed by fully accepting Jesus Christ as one’s spiritual savior. Additionally, the young girl’s awed reaction highlights Aslan’s powerful, supernatural presence, especially as she describes his voice as “deeper, wilder, and stronger [than a man’s].”

“These are the signs by which I will guide you in your quest. First; as soon as the Boy Eustace sets foot in Narnia, he will meet an old and dear friend. He must greet that friend at once; if he does, you will both have good help. Second; you must journey out of Narnia to the north till you come to the ruined city of the ancient giants. Third; you shall find a writing on a stone in that ruined city, and you must do what the writing tells you. Fourth; you will know the lost prince (if you find him) by this, that he will be the first person you have met in your travels who will ask you to do something in my name, in the name of Aslan.”

After he has given Jill and Eustace a quest, Aslan lists the four signs that the children will encounter to guide them along the way. This initial set of instructions supports the theme of Narnia as a Christian Allegory while simultaneously setting up the Quest Structure of the novel as a whole. As in most works of fantasy whose action focuses upon the realization of a prophetic vision, Aslan’s signs foreshadow some of the events of the book while leaving room for misdirection or misinterpretation in order to maintain suspense.

“But, first, remember, remember, remember the signs. Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night. And whatever strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your mind from following the signs. And secondly, I give you a warning. Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly: I will not often do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters.”

This rather lengthy diatribe represents Aslan’s last warning to Jill before she and Eustace embark on their quest and reiterates the significance of the signs for both the protagonists and the reader, for the latter is in just as good a position to “read the signs” as Jill, Eustace, and Puddleglum are. This sense of “shared” responsibility transcends the boundaries of fiction to lay an admonition upon the reader as well, emphasizing the importance of paying attention to details so as not to lose one’s way. It also positions Aslan as a god-like figure who rarely intervenes directly in the narrative despite his omnipotence. This dynamic helps to center the story on the human and fallible protagonists whose adventures only serve to facilitate their greater spiritual journey. Aslan even hints at Jill and Eustace’s upcoming struggles with Faith as a Moral Guide by mentioning the possibility that their minds will be confused once they are alone in Narnia.

“When they were dragging themselves upstairs to bed, yawning their heads off, Jill said, “I bet we sleep well tonight”; for it had been a full day. Which just shows how little anyone knows what is going to happen to them next.”

This quote is an example of the story’s characteristic Narrative Voice. The narrator’s comment about Jill’s assumption creates suspense through dramatic irony, as the narrator and reader now know something that the protagonist does not. Such a literary device dovetails well with Lewis’s rather overbearing narrative presence, for he ultimately allows readers to perceive far more than the characters whose adventures they follow.

“The children began to see that the Narnians all felt about Trumpkin as people feel at school about some crusty teacher, whom everyone is a little afraid of and everyone makes fun of and nobody really dislikes.”

In this quote, the narrator uses a Simile to describe the Narnians’ feelings about their regent. Although the setting of the story is wondrous and fictional, the narrator compares Trumpkin to “some crusty teacher” to evoke a feeling of familiarity for a young 20th-century reader, who can no doubt remember a “crusty teacher” or two of their own. This technique helps to ground the story in readers’ own experiences by making it emotionally, if not physically, realistic.

“‘We’ve got to start by finding a ruined city of giants,’ said Jill. ‘Aslan said so.’

‘Got to start by finding it, have we?’ answered Puddleglum. ‘Not allowed to start by looking for it, I suppose?’”

This exchange between Jill and Puddleglum exemplifies the novel’s humorous tone and highlights the Marsh-wiggle’s role as both pragmatic presence and comic relief. Puddleglum often plays with linguistic rules to create whimsical nonsense, an aspect that is typical of 19th- and 20th-century British literary humor, such as in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) or J.M. Barrie’s Peter and Wendy (1911), for example.

“Jill thought that when, in books, people live on what they shoot, it never tells you what a long, smelly, messy job it is plucking and cleaning dead birds, and how cold it makes your fingers.”

This quote emphasizes Lewis’s focus on the human dimension of Jill and Eustace’s adventures. Jill comments on the lack of realism of the books she has read to contrast with her own experience. As a result, Narnia, a fictional land inhabited by magical creatures, is made much more emotionally credible.

“‘Really, Puddleglum,’ said Jill with a shudder, ‘you do have the most horrible ideas! How do you think of them all?’

‘Oh, bother his ideas!’ said Scrubb. ‘He’s always expecting the worst, and he’s always wrong.’”

Jill and Eustace’s remarks about Puddleglum reveal that the strength of their friendship is initially uncertain. Delivered at a time when the children’s own faith is wavering and temptation is causing them to stray from the proper path of Aslan’s question, Eustace’s comment also serves to foreshadow the essential element of Puddleglum’s role at the end of the story, when his bravery contributes to the protagonists’ success, as well as their long-term friendship.

“In the second place, whatever the Lady had intended by telling them about Harfang, the actual effect on the children was a bad one. They could think about nothing but beds and baths and hot meals and how lovely it would be to get indoors. They never talked about Aslan, or even about the lost prince, now. And Jill gave up her habit of repeating the signs over to herself every night and morning. She said to herself, at first, that she was too tired, but she soon forgot all about it. And though you might have expected that the idea of having a good time at Harfang would have made them more cheerful, it really made them more sorry for themselves and more grumpy and snappy with each other and with Puddleglum.”

This passage hints at the witch’s evil nature, for her mere mention of physical comforts on the horizon creates discord amongst the previously amicable travelers as they focus not on what they must do, but rather on how miserable their current physical conditions are in comparison to the notion of hot food and a warm bed. This passage also parallels Aslan’s earlier warning to Jill about remembering the signs and keeping her mind clear, thus reinforcing the primary purpose of The Silver Chair as a morality tale.

“In order to understand what followed, you must keep on remembering how little they could see.”

This quote is an example of the story’s Narrative Voice addressing the reader directly, a deliberate tactic that creates dramatic irony, for the reader understands that the characters are missing crucial information. This particular quote also foreshadows the imminent appearance of Aslan’s third sign, although the characters will fail to recognize it as such when they first encounter it in the midst of a snowstorm. Thus, their literal blindness also hints at a corresponding spiritual blindness that thwarts their attempts to pursue their quest.

“A door opened, letting out a delicious glow of firelight, and the Porter appeared. Jill bit her lips for fear she should scream. He was not a perfectly enormous giant; that is to say, he was rather taller than an apple tree but nothing like so tall as a telegraph pole.”

This is another example of a Simile, this time to describe the giant Porter’s size. When the narrative likens this character to a series of common objects such as an apple tree and a telegraph pole, the description enables a young 20th-century reader to more easily visualize his size in a humorous and accessible way.

“I hope you won’t lose all interest in Jill for the rest of the book if I tell you that at this moment she began to cry. There was a good deal of excuse for her. Her feet and hands and ears and nose were still only just beginning to thaw; melted snow was trickling off her clothes; she had had hardly anything to eat or drink that day; and her legs were aching so that she felt she could not go on standing much longer.”

    This quote, another example of the Narrative Voice addressing the reader directly, works in parallel with Lewis’s earlier comment that “crying is all right in its way while it lasts. But you have to stop sooner or later, and then you still have to decide what to do” (15). The narrator affirms that crying is natural, then asks the reader for compassion when one of the young protagonists is overwhelmed by her situation.

“Jill was just as indignant as you and I would have been at the mention of toys and dolls; and, though lollipops and comfits might be all very well in their way, she very much hoped that something more solid would be provided.

The narrator’s remark that Jill is “indignant” at being offered toys and candy creates humor by assuming that the reader will empathize feelings that are common to young children who wish to be treated as though they are adults. This sentiment, often shared by young children who want to appear more mature, creates an implicit sense of camaraderie with young readers who may very well feel the same.

“‘Why, you chump!’ said Scrubb. ‘We did see it. We got into the lettering. Don’t you see? We got into the letter E in ME. [...]’ He kicked the window seat savagely, and went on, ‘So it’s no good, Pole. I know what you were thinking because I was thinking the same. You were thinking how nice it would have been if Aslan hadn’t put the instructions on the stones of the ruined city till after we’d passed it. And then it would have been his fault, not ours. So likely, isn’t it? No. We must just own up. We’ve only four signs to go by, and we’ve muffed the first three.’”

In this passage, the protagonists realize that they missed Aslan’s third sign, which creates narrative tension. Instead of arguing with each other like they did after they met the witch, Jill, Eustace and Puddleglum rely on friendship and empathy, revealing their character growth. Eustace especially takes responsibility for their mistakes, paving the way for their eventual success and Aslan’s forgiveness.

“‘Steady, Pole,’ said Puddleglum. ‘Those big fellows wouldn’t be crawling in there if it didn’t get wider later on. And there’s one thing about this underground work, we shan’t get any rain.’”

Although Puddleglum has been gloomy and fatalistic throughout the book, this is the first example of him directly showing genuine bravery and empathy. The fact that he does so when Jill is emotionally overwhelmed reveals Puddleglum’s true bravery and care for his friends.

“‘Many have taken ship at the pale beaches,’ replied the Warden, ‘and—’

‘Yes, I know,’ interrupted Puddleglum. ‘And few return to the sunlit lands. You needn’t say it again. You are a chap of one idea, aren’t you?’”

The Warden’s repetition of this statement throughout Chapter 10 reinforces the sense of danger and suspense as the protagonists find themselves in the Underworld. Puddleglum’s interruption, however, provides comic relief and highlights his bravery, foreshadowing his eventual role in helping the children get back to the surface.

“‘Do you mean you think everything will come right if we do untie him?’ said Scrubb.

‘I don’t know about that,’ said Puddleglum. ‘You see, Aslan didn’t tell Pole what would happen. He only told her what to do. That fellow will be the death of us once he’s up, I shouldn’t wonder. But that doesn’t let us off following the sign.’”

This exchange between Eustace and Puddleglum illustrates the latter’s unwavering faith. Reinforcing the themes of Narnia as a Christian Allegory and Faith as a Moral Guide, Puddleglum is willing to follow Aslan regardless of the potential consequences, and he does know whether they will be positive or negative. This echoes Puddleglum’s earlier claim that “[t]here are no accidents. [Their] guide is Aslan [...] and he knew already all things that would come” (111).

“‘I see,’ she said, ‘that we should do no better with your lion, as you call it, than we did with your sun. You have seen lamps, and so you imagined a bigger and better lamp and called it the sun. You’ve seen cats, and now you want a bigger and better cat, and it’s to be called a lion. Well, ‘tis a pretty make-believe, though, to say truth, it would suit you all better if you were younger. And look how you can put nothing into your make-believe without copying it from the real world, this world of mine, which is the only world. But even you children are too old for such play.’”

In this passage, the witch is trying to convince Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum that everything they know about the Overworld is simply a figment of their imagination. This highlights her powers of deception, especially as she compliments the children’s maturity to better manipulate them.

“Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We’re just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play-world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia.”

Puddleglum’s response to the witch’s attempt at seducing them away from the Overworld (See Quote #21) illustrates his faith in Aslan. Indeed, the Marsh-wiggle states that he would prefer the illusion of Aslan’s presence over a reality from which he is absent. This paradoxically blurs the lines between truth and fiction, thus highlighting the power of unconditional faith.

“I have heard of those little scratches in the crust that you Topdwellers call mines. But that’s where you get dead gold, dead silver, dead gems. Down in Bism we have them alive and growing. There I’ll pick you bunches of rubies that you can eat and squeeze you a cupful of diamond juice. You won’t care much about fingering the cold, dead treasures of your shallow mines after you have tasted the live ones in Bism.”

The Earthman’s description of the kingdom of Bism creates wonder and intrigue. The fantastical idea of drinking a “cupful of diamond juice,” for example, emphasizes the wondrous nature of Narnia’s realms, which all seem like heightened, brighter versions of the real world. This reinforces the idea that Narnia can be read as a Christian Allegory, with different realms representing Heaven, Hell, and everything in between.

“‘Puddleglum!’ said Jill. ‘You’re a regular old humbug. You sound as doleful as a funeral and I believe you’re perfectly happy. And you talk as if you were afraid of everything, when you’re really as brave as—as a lion.’”

Jill’s comparison of Puddleglum to a lion cements his role as a spiritual guide. Puddleglum is characterized by his unwavering faith in Aslan, and his association to lions further frames him as pure-hearted.