PDA in the Chronicles of Narnia: Depictions of a Child's Love - Kate Bennett

     Now that I have completed The Chronicles of Narnia, I want to speak of a central theme I noticed throughout all of the books: affection. I had never read The Chronicles of Narnia prior to this class, but I feel as though this concept might have interested me still as a child. In every book, characters (mainly the siblings) can be seen paying their appreciation to a friend or ally by embracing them in a hug or kiss. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Lewis depicts Susan and Lucy kissing and nestling into Aslan's mane as they discover that he is to be killed by the White Witch. This became one of the primary ways that Lucy would go on to greet Aslan in later books, as can be seen from their reunion in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. 

   These displays of affection were not limited to the girls. In the book Prince Caspian, Peter thanks a Narnian creature for helping the siblings on their journey with a kiss. Lewis writes, "He turned and found himself face to face with the Badger. Peter leaned forward, put his arms round the best and kissed the furry head: it wasn't a girlish thing for him to do, because he was the High King" (p. 396). Even Edmund, who had once been so cold and standoffish, is frequently depicted as being Lucy's strongest advocate - publicly defending her in times of conversation and never being too proud to admit that he needed his family to succeed.

    I found the siblings' comfortability with affection to be incredibly refreshing. While we've made the distinction that myth is not solely for children, I can't help but think of how I would have felt reading this as a child. To some extent, humanity seems to view public displays of affection as taboo - or out of the ordinary. We all know that we enjoy human connection, but we tend to feel as though this connection needs to be kept privately. While this is completely understandable for some displays of affection, the kind of affection displayed by the characters of Narnia is a much more powerful notion. In fact, had I read these as a child, I think I would be more willing to express affection than I am now.

    As class progresses, we keep coming back to this idea that humans desire communion and fellowship with other people. Lewis' use of affection between the Pevensie siblings (and the creatures of Narnia altogether) absolutely speaks to this notion. There seems to be something innocent and childlike about the care-free attitudes of the children, but I think it continues to teach us as we grow older. We do not have to lose our inclination to care for others affectionately as we grow older. Even if we remove the physicality from the situation, it still stands that Lewis has taught us to appreciate yourself and others out loud. Life is too short and adventures are too great to not say how you feel about those you love. Overall, the type of fellowship and love displayed by the Pevensie Siblings throughout The Chronicles of Narnia has evoked quite the emotional response out of me. Their care for each other always served as a breath of fresh air, especially amidst all the chaos of their adventures.