{"id":24,"date":"2021-09-28T23:21:35","date_gmt":"2021-09-28T23:21:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.viu.ca\/narniaandthebible2021\/?page_id=24"},"modified":"2021-12-15T05:54:40","modified_gmt":"2021-12-15T05:54:40","slug":"the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.viu.ca\/narniaandthebible2021\/at-the-wardrobe-door\/the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader\/","title":{"rendered":"The Voyage of the Dawn Treader"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Voyage of the Dawn Treader<\/strong><\/span>: Myth, Philosophy, and the Bible<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Photo by Moira Nichol<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Voyage of the Dawn Treader<\/em> is the third novel to be published in C.S. Lewis\u2019 series of seven Narnia novels. This story is structured very differently from the first two books in the series because its a romance<\/em>. It follows a long quest, with many exciting adventures, and a path of personal discovery. As an academic, Lewis\u2019 love of Myth, Philosophy, & Christian Apologetics weaves its way its way into the text as he uses Myth, Philosophy and Biblical references to convey his message of spiritual renewal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As in most monomyths and Romance novels, Lewis\u2019 characters follow a “Heroes Journey”. That is, the call to adventure usually via the supernatural; the crossing of a threshold; facing temptation; physical and mental challenges; a revelation and transformation; atonement; finally, a return to home after being changed by these experiences.  https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hero%27s_journey<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The characters in VDT are called to a quest; the Quest to find the Seven Lords and the Utter East \u2013 Aslan\u2019s country. Along their journey they are each changed by their experiences. Eustace by his transformation into a dragon and back, Lucy by her use of the Magicians book, and Edmund in his disagreement with Prince Caspian.\u00a0We see a hint of this in Lewis’ account of Lucy and Magician’s book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cBut when she looks back the opening words of the spell, there in the middle of the writing, where she felt quite sure there had been no picture before, she found the great face of a lion, The Lion, Aslan himself, staring into hers.\u201d  (Lewis:165)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo: M.Nichol (Edinburgh Castle)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Join us as this web-page explores several events in the Voyage of the Dawn Treader<\/em>, where Lewis engages the reader in the elements of myth, philosophy, and the Bible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Eustuce Scrubb, and his cousins Edmund and Lucy Pevensie are thrust into Narnia and aboard the Dawn Treader, <\/strong>they have no inkling about the adventures that awaits them or the people they will become. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the beginning of the story, Lewis uses the theme of the \u201cPlatonic Trinity\u201d to tell the story of the spiritual journey of the Eustace, Edmund, and Lucy. These characters are representative of Plato\u2019s description of the three parts of the soul: the logistikon<\/em> (reason \u2013 Eustace, as he prefers science), the thymoeides<\/em> (spirit \u2013 Lucy, as she shows the most compassion), and the epithymetikon<\/em> (appetite \u2013 Edmund, his love of Turkish Delight) <\/strong>. https:\/\/books.google.ca\/books?id=Y19LAwAAQBAJ&pg=PP1&lpg=PP1&dq=platos+tr+trinity&source=bl&ots=ieb8EFNOt-&sig=ACfU3U1FyUrtQ-1jXbp_2YmmyEtlUOlpRw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjCqbDNrqv0AhUF6p4KHVn1DP4Q6AF6BAglEAM#v=onepage&q=platos%20tr%20trinity&f=false<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Lone Islands<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Photo: Moira Nichol<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The first destination on the journey is the Lone Islands; this is a group of three islands belonging to the Kingdom of Narnia. Deciding to disembark the ship to take a stroll on land Lucy, Edmund, Caspian and Reepicheep are unprepared for the treatment that awaits them there (Lewis 40). They are quickly taken in by slave traders, who have no recognition of Caspian or respect for Narnia (Lewis 43). <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Lone Islands, the Bible, and Moral Ambiguity <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Caspian notes that he \u201cnever understood\u201d why the Lone islands even \u201cbelong to Narnia\u201d and Edmund explains that they\u2019ve been a part of Narnia since before he and his siblings first came through the wardrobe (Lewis 39). Considering how little Caspian knows about his<\/em> colony, it would seem that the Narnian Kingdom has mostly abandoned the Lone Islands. They soon discover that the Governor of the Islands has become corrupt and greedy and is using the slave trade for financial gain. Caspian, appalled by this, ends the slave trade, removes the position of governor, and appoints Lord Bern as \u201cthe Duke of the Lone Islands\u201d (Lewis, 62). Therefore this section of the novel manages to criticize slavery while sympathizing with ideas of colonialism and monarchy. Having virtually no understanding about the issues facing the islands (slavery didn\u2019t develop out of a vacuum), he swoops in to save the day and quickly departs to continue his adventure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This moral contradiction is echoed by the Bible, which is a very large book (or multiple books), that doesn\u2019t always agree on everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article from Christianity today gives some examples that indicate a pro-slavery stance in Biblical scripture:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/history\/issues\/issue-33\/why-christians-supported-slavery.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In \u201cThe Use of the New Testament in the American Slave Controversy: A Case History in the Hermeneutical Tension between Biblical Criticism and Christian Moral Debate\u201d J. Albert Harrill suggests that to find antislavery content in the Bible a \u201cless literal reading\u201d of the text is required (Harrill 153). According to Harrill, going by \u201cJesus\u2019 so-called Golden Rule, \u2018Do unto others as you would have them do unto you\u2019 (Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31)\u201d, was and is the way many antislavery christians get around the many conflicting narratives in the New Testament (Harrill 153). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raphael<\/a> – Web Gallery of Art<\/a>:  <\/a> Image<\/a> <\/a> Info about artwork<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n