No Sex in Narnia? How Hans Christian Andersen's "Snow Queen" Problematizes C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia
2009; Mythopoeic Society; Volume: 28; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
0146-9339
Autores Tópico(s)Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices
ResumoC. S. LEWIS'S THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA (1950-1956) are remembered by many adults as favorite books from their childhood. excitement of finding a hidden world in a wardrobe, possibility of being a king or queen in a fantasyland, existence of fauns, dryads, and unicorns--all of these create a sense of magic and wonder that is nearly impossible to resist. recent successes of movie adaptations of Lion, Witch and Wardrobe (2005) and Prince Caspian (2008) show that these stories continue to appeal to readers and viewers today. When Chronicles are read with a more critical eye, however, reader will notice a marked lack of sexuality and treatment of sexual desire in stories, particularly when compared with some of Lewis's other writings such as Perelandra, Pilgrim's Regress, and Surprised by Joy. this lack of sexuality and erotic love is consistent with Lewis's desire to create a world of innocence for children, it is also problematic in that it allows others to write themes of sexuality and desire into story in ways that Lewis cannot control. One of most obvious ways this happens is through Lewis's use of characters and imagery from other authors, most notably Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen. These outside influences not only bring sexuality into Lewis's narratives, but desire they portray takes on several non-traditional forms as well, including desire by a boy for an older woman. Even for those who are not familiar with stories such as The Snow Queen, language that Lewis uses to talk about joy and desire, as well as his inclusion of familiar mythological creatures such as satyrs and incubuses, introduces possibility of deviant sexuality into his world of innocence. Recent movie adaptations of Lewis's Chronicles, as well as works by contemporary fantasy authors Philip Pullman and Neil Gaiman, further compound question of sexuality introduced by such imagery, revising image of Narnia or writing other fantasy worlds as places in which sexuality, sometimes joyful, but sometimes unnatural and disturbing, can exist. All of these images--both those used by Lewis as well as those created by others--work together to bring sexuality and desire into Chronicles of Narnia, calling into question innocent world that Lewis worked hard to create and valued so highly. From very beginning of C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, major relationships between males and females are defined by friendship or by family, rather than through sexual desire. most obvious example of this is four Pevensie children from Lion, Witch and Wardrobe, who are siblings. As Shasta realizes in Horse and His Boy [HHB], Although they're king and queen, they're brother and sister, not married to one another (61). Significantly, however, this is not only male/female relationship in Lewis' Chronicles that is defined through friendship or familial ties; these ties are rule, rather than exception. and Digory in Magician's Nephew are neighbors, not brother and sister, but there is no sexual relationship between them: Polly and Digory always great and she came nearly every holiday to stay with them at their beautiful house in country (184). Similarly, Jill and Eustace in Silver Chair and Last Battle are classmates, but not sexually linked: they were always good friends (Silver Chair 216). Therefore, while of pairings of children visiting Narnia include both a boy and a girl, these relationships are either familial or amiable--never sexual. Occasionally, marriage or possibility of marriage is mentioned, but even then, desire itself is distant, if it exists at all. When Susan and Lucy become Susan Gentle and Lucy Valiant, the Kings of countries beyond sea began to send ambassadors asking for [Susan's] hand in marriage, and all Princes in those parts desired [Lucy] to be their Queen (The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe [LWW] 181). …
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