Demonstrations of Good v. Bad in Myth - Kate Bennett

 At risk of sounding foolish, I admittedly didn’t realize that “good v. bad” was a relevant theme of this course until it was mentioned by Dr. Redick the other day. Of course, the second that it was mentioned, a million instances of Lewis’ work flooded my brain - I guess I just needed the explicit reference to it. Regardless, I knew I wanted to make a blog post expanding on it. 

The dynamic of good and bad can be noted throughout all of the works we’ve read by Lewis thus far. In The Chronicles of Narnia, Aslan is an obvious depiction of all that is good. A creature of patience and grace, Aslan comes to represent what the Narnians only hope to emulate in themselves. By contrast, the White Witch is a stark example of the bad. She is reckless, merciless, and fails to consider the impact she has on others. Lewis has mentioned before that he hopes to convey important moral lessons to children through his story. The clear distinction between Aslan and the White Witch is an outstanding example of the type of lessons Lewis wishes to teach. 

Moreover, in The Space Trilogy, Ransom is set up to represent a positive image of humanity, while Weston and Devine are made to represent the dangerous side of humanity. Ransom is a gentle, understanding man that connects with the beings of Malacandra and uses them not as a means to an end, but simply to fulfill a valuable relationship. Weston and Devine, on the other hand, are too self-absorbed to care about making connections with Malacandra, and it ultimately costs them the success of their entire mission. 

Till We Have Faces is an interesting case for the comparison of good v. bad. Depending on one’s interpretation, any one of the characters of Till We Have Faces could be taken to be good or bad. Orual was a passionate, loving sister. She was also incredibly and overwhelmingly jealous of those that seemed to threaten their relationship. Psyche is always a loving sister, and a kind woman that simply wishes to help people. However, her choice to abandon Orual at a time when she needed her most, in order to obey her new husband, is arguably impactful. Finally, the role of the Gods is intriguing in this context. Ungit, or Aphrodite, could easily be disliked for calling for the sacrifice of Psyche, but she could also be praised for having no tolerance for their foolery. 

Overall, Lewis is clearly enamored by the dynamic of good and evil between all of the characters he has created over the years. By producing these contrasts, both children and adults alike are able to process the concepts of good and bad, right and wrong, in the forgiving embrace of myth.