The Symbolic Significance of Settingsin Lewis's Works

Abstract

A setting is one major aspect of a fiction that helps contribute to themes and dramatic effects. In The Chronicles of Narnia, the major setting, Narnia, is the otherworld, the fantasy world, that is different in time and space from the real world. Lewis realizes that the otherworld could be the symbolic means through which he takes readers into the world of spirit informed by Christian beliefs and Christian truths. The settings have symbolic imports that help Lewis convey his thematic contents, enhance characterizations, add substances to the plot-structures, and evoke imaginative responses of the readers. In The Chronicles, the settings play a crucial role in illustrating Lewis's philosophy of nature, his portrayal of the power of good and evil and, most of all, his themes. This paper examines the symbolic significance of the settings in The Chronicles of Narnia. Among the seven books of The Chronicles, following three works are analyzed in detail: The Magician's Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and The Last Battle. Firstly, the three major settings of The Magician's Nephew are the Wood Between the Worlds, Charn, and Narnia, including the Garden in the North of Narnia. Secondly, in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, four major settings have symbolic significance: Professor Kirk's house and the wardrobe in the spare room, Narnia under the White Witch, Narnia under Aslan, and the Stone Table Hill. Lastly, The Last Battle, begins with the deterioration of Narnia, moves to its destruction by Aslan, and ends with "Further up and further in" into the paradisial land. The setting is aptly drawn to intensify these three movements.