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“Sir,” said Tirian, when he had greeted all these. “If I have read the chronicle aright, there should be another. Has not your Majesty two sisters? Where is Queen Susan?”
“My sister Susan,” answered Peter shortly and gravely, “is no longer a friend of Narnia.”
“Yes,” said Eustace, “and whenever you’ve tried to get her to come and talk about Narnia or do anything about Narnia, she says, ‘What wonderful memories you have! Fancy your still thinking about all those funny games we used to play when we were children.’”
“Oh Susan!” said Jill. “She’s interested in nothing nowadays except nylons and lipstick and invitations. She always was a jolly sight too keen on being grown-up.”
“Grown-up, indeed,” said the Lady Polly. “I wish she would grow up. She wasted all her school time wanting to be the age she is now, and she’ll waste all the rest of her life trying to stay that age. Her whole idea is to race on to the silliest time of one’s life as quick as she can and then stop there as long as she can.”
“Well, don’t let’s talk about that now,” said Peter.
It was never addressed before and afterwards, it's never addressed again. She gets so caught up with nylons and lipsticks and invitations. Those are not bad things, but they just don't have lasting values. She has become more like King Miraz in Prince Caspian, where he tries to convince Caspian that the old days were just fairy tales and stories, and the Lady of the Green Kirtle in The Silver Chair who tries to convince Puddleglum, Prince Rilian, Eustace and Jill that Narnia never existed, "Everything you see here, this is all there is." Even Rishda is kind of like that, where all he cares about gaining more power, though he is an upper class Tarkaan, like Tash or Aslan or any of the supernatural didn't matter to him. “My sister Susan,” answered Peter shortly and gravely, “is no longer a friend of Narnia.”
“Yes,” said Eustace, “and whenever you’ve tried to get her to come and talk about Narnia or do anything about Narnia, she says, ‘What wonderful memories you have! Fancy your still thinking about all those funny games we used to play when we were children.’”
“Oh Susan!” said Jill. “She’s interested in nothing nowadays except nylons and lipstick and invitations. She always was a jolly sight too keen on being grown-up.”
“Grown-up, indeed,” said the Lady Polly. “I wish she would grow up. She wasted all her school time wanting to be the age she is now, and she’ll waste all the rest of her life trying to stay that age. Her whole idea is to race on to the silliest time of one’s life as quick as she can and then stop there as long as she can.”
“Well, don’t let’s talk about that now,” said Peter.
I think we all wish something were real, like superheroes or princesses or dinosaurs. I love dinosaurs, and I'm glad there's not some person out there that is trying to clone dinosaurs and building an amusement park to make money off it. I might bring this up because of the third Jurassic World movie coming out this June. I don't know if I'm excited for it, but from what I've seen in the trailer, I'm thrilled they've brought back the old characters. I love the movie Jurassic Park, I'm just glad that there's not a real one that exists.
Anyhow, there's no knowing what will happen to Susan. She thought she outgrew Narnia, but who knows how long it will last?
Statistics: Posted by jasmine_tarkheena — Sat Feb 19, 2022 11:41 pm
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Now obviously Narnia is not Neverland. There are lots of grown ups in Narnia and the surrounding lands. Lots of people even go to that world as grown-ups, the Telmarines, Frank and Helen. Though those are people who are meant to stay for some reason or other.
Another funny thing is that the Pevensies themselves have grown up in Narnia, but that didn't make them too old for Narnia while they were reigning.
It is pretty clear that first Peter and Susan and then Edmund and Lucy are getting to the Anglican/Lutheran age for getting to know Christ in our world : the age of confirmation and first communion (Catholics have since Pius X first communion at 7, though still usually confirmation same age as Anglicans and Lutherans).Another funny thing is that the Pevensies themselves have grown up in Narnia, but that didn't make them too old for Narnia while they were reigning.
Frank and Helen did not need to go back for that, in their case it was not Narnia that was their lesson for knowing Christ in Our World, it was Christianity as practised in our world which was their preparation for knowing Aslan in Narnia.
Four Pevensies had an option of same thing, possibly missed it by Susan not marrying and the rest not marrying either, and had to get back to England. They did not get any second extended reigns growing up there again. I could imagine Susan getting back as Swanwhite - alone, once she was widow after a husband in England (in that case it would no longer be Susan Pevensie but Susan NN coming to Narnia) and AFTER having very much learned to know Christ in Our World, and to a Narnian age where she would not by physically recognised as identific to Susan. On the other hand that would be against the words of Aslan as given? Perhaps still? Or shall one take "you will not return" as "you will not both return"? Or was there a passage preventing that, some time since I read books?
Frank, Helen, Telmarines are all (except the Telmarines who returned to the Island!) meant to make their salvation in the Narnian world.
And since usually, before the 16 year age limit got introduced in 18th C. as a first desperate means of limiting the outlawed practise of bride auctions, which themselves started late 17th C., marriage was licit once you were confirmed, the reason for this age of confirmation is that the minimum age of marriage was basically puberty.
Statistics: Posted by hansgeorg — Mon Jul 06, 2015 9:28 am
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Statistics: Posted by Benisse — Sat Mar 08, 2014 11:50 am
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And while Peter may have been told he's getting too old - you'll note he makes it back anyway, having become old enough to come back. Susan hasn't got to that point, apparently, but it gives me hope that she will eventually. She just needs to grow a little more.
Statistics: Posted by Petraverd — Thu Feb 13, 2014 3:49 pm
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Statistics: Posted by amarlie24 — Thu Oct 31, 2013 6:52 am
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And about grown ups being in Narnia, Frank and Helen weren't needed in England anymore, so they could come and live in Narnia were they were needed, because Narnia needed a king and queen. And when the Pevensies could grow up in Narnia, they were needed, but in PC, there was Caspian and everything was alright in Narnia so they could go home. Then they were needed in England to tell others about the Aslan in England and everything, and bring Eustace in England, but not all of them had to come back with Eustace, and in SC, Eustace could come alone with Jill, because he already knew almost everthing.
Eva
Statistics: Posted by Eva of Cair Paravel — Mon Aug 26, 2013 5:57 pm
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I kind of doubt that Lewis wanted people to stop reading Narnia just because they grew up. I don't think he would have put the dedication in the front of LWW if he had. So why were Peter and Susan, and later Edmund and Lucy told they had grown too old? I'm not sure, but I think Benisse is right in saying it is so other characters can have adventures. Would Eustace have grown as much (in the Prince Caspian sense) if Peter and Susan had been there and been playing the roles basically of older brother and sister?
Statistics: Posted by HermitoftheNorthernMarch — Mon Aug 26, 2013 5:57 pm
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"One was the ending of LWW, where the story stops rather abruptly with the children coming home to the nursery, as it were, just like any E. Nesbit or Mrs. Molesworth story. If you look at that ending the way Lewis wrote it, there's no emotion at all from the kids--no monumental sense of loss or shock or displacement."
On this point Mini, I think I understand what you mean, but I actually like it. Partly I like the trope of 'no matter what wild adventures you go on you always end up safe at home in the end', and partly I have my own explanation for the lack of emotion that satisfies me. It also helps me explain the other conundrum at the end of LWW, that of their only remembering England faintly like a dream. It seems to me that at least in this case the world travel was to them like waking from a dream.. where the world they are not in feels distant. It seems to me like they weren't strongly attached to whichever world they weren't in, which was a blessing to them really.
Statistics: Posted by Swanwhite — Mon Aug 26, 2013 5:56 pm
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*Reepicheep in PC, the ultimate oxymoron: a valiant warrior Mouse
*Trumpkin learning to not write the Pevensies off just because they are children when they meet at Cair Paravel in PC
*Shasta the low class fisher-boy shows surprising and redemptive courage and stamina not only in facing the lion at the Hermit's March but also in going on to warn Archenlanders and Narnians of the Telmarine invasion
*the tiny creatures who minister to King Tirian's thirst and hunger while he is lashed to the tree in LB
*the nameless Lamb in the Last Battle who speaks the Truth in a time of darkness on Stable Hill
Lewis perhaps cycles out older human children from the Chronicles so younger inexperienced ones can respond to the challenges in Narnia with fresh new eyes and be transformed in new ways by their contact with Aslan and Narnia. In their weakness and youth, personal transformation + virtue+ strength + courage shine forth all the brighter.
Statistics: Posted by Benisse — Mon Aug 26, 2013 5:55 pm
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(P.S. Ajjie, if you present your ideas in your university papers the way you do in your comments on TLC, your professors must love your work. You're so articulate and enlightening.)
Statistics: Posted by miniver — Mon Aug 26, 2013 5:54 pm
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@Ajjie: Oh, yeah, I remember this! Very good point yourself.
Statistics: Posted by Ariel.of.Narnia — Mon Aug 26, 2013 5:41 pm
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