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Lewis was a master at articulating deep truths in ways that were very accessible, especially to young minds. This resulted in many fictional works, especially his most famous fictional book titled, The Chronicles of Narnia. This fictional children’s work starkly contrasts his other highly academic work.
On children’s literature, he once said, “If you want to write a good book, do not limit it with age.” If children can enjoy good fiction, adults should be able to enjoy it as well.
Lewis insisted Narnia was not allegorical. Aslan as a potential Christ figure aside, any of the other characters would be hard-pressed to fit into a spiritual allegory. In this way, Lewis made a distinction between myth and allegory. A myth uses characters to expound on ideas and concepts rather than actual historical biblical figures.
It is possible to use The Chronicles of Narnia as a lens through which to view reality. Or we can read our reality into Narnia – both perspectives are good and helpful. We can interpret one by the other. The real world and Narnia can be brought into sharper focus by tracing themes in both.
The impacts of Lewis’ fictional work can be summarized as enchantment and reality. It can be summarized as enchantment because there is a willingness to be enchanted by the world of Narnia. Lewis brings the wonder and excitement of Narnia to life in the minds of his readers. It is through these books that we can see the realities of our own world in an accessible and understandable way. He also weaves in a clear distinction between good and evil and has his characters fight sin in themselves which creates well-rounded and relatable characters.
Brittany Proffitt lives in Dallas and is a writer and content manager for So We Speak.
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