The Magician's Nephew

Narnia, where Talking Beasts walk, where a witch waits, where a new world is about to begin… While the Narnia series were initially meant to be a children’s book by their author, C.S. Lewis, they have amused kids and adults alike for more than half a century. Being the first book of the Narnia series, the setting was not merely in London or Narnia—but a plenty much more extraordinary places. As I followed the footsteps of the two main characters—Digory and Polly, I witnessed the simple friendship among the two, the birth of Narnia, and the mischief which the atrocious witch brought with her wherever she went.

Digory would not have explored these magical places if it had not been his uncle’s evil scheme. Digory was tricked into traveling to the unknown world to save Polly, but in the end he saved Polly AND got an apple from Narnia to save his mom. I believe this is the spirit while facing challenges—embrace them, because things always turn out better than what we thought. Although dangers might ride before us as we step into the unknown, if we don’t take the risk of losing something, the surprises might never come to us.

Among all the worlds through which Digory traveled, the place I adored the most is the Wood between the worlds. The Wood wasn’t in any of the worlds, but once you found this place, you could get into them all. It was an in-between place, and nothing ever happens there. I would like to create a space in my mind that resembles the Wood—in fact, I believe everyone should keep a wood of their own in mind. Every now and then, people would be overwhelmed by abundant of information and works, and the fast pace of life drains people’s energy. Therefore, it is essential to save a part of our mind for the Wood. Think of nothing and heal the tiring soul. And then, we can take on any challenge ahead of us.

Another thing that surprised me was that the first king of Narnia was a cabman from London. He didn’t have much education, as he admitted, but was chosen due to his kind heart. The justice and sympathy in him qualified him the first king of Narnia. Apparently, a kind heart alone does not make a person be capable as a ruler in the society today. However, will a person become a great ruler while he or she only possesses intelligence? Not quite. If I had to choose one ruling class from the two above, I would prefer the thoughtful one. A ruling class without compassion for its people will only lead to devastation, just like the Witch—or Queen Jadis. She was powerful, beautiful, and yet cruel. She ended up her own world. On the other hand, a small place where everyone is friendly will be fine enough for me.

Professor Lewis created a series of books that recalls our childhood memories, and the friendship between Digory and Polly reminded me of my own—the simple friendship between kids which can be broken by an argue but easily fixed by a candy. Now, I still bicker with my friends but spend less time trying to repair the relationship with them. Then, we’re washed away from each other by tons of work and incidents. Therefore I believe once in a while, we need the books to let the things deep in our heart emerge, and reading the Narnia series is definitely one of the best choices to bring back our joyful memories.