Swan: Missed your poem about the wax figures the first time - so thought provoking. "Handy Brandy Dandy Andy" made me smile. I also noticed the fact that Jadis could turn things to dust in her world with a word but needed a wand to do so in Narnia and could only turn them to stone. It strikes me that Charn was a world where words were especially powerful in a way that they aren't in others. But it's also a somewhat encouraging thought that Jadis' power was still diminished in Narnia, even in the 100 year winter when it seemed she had it under her sway - her power was still limited and less than what it had been. It's as though Aslan allowed her a degree of power (for reasons we don't understand), but limited it both in degree and time till he would come back and intervene. (Reminds me a bit of when God gives the devil some control over Job's life but sets a limit on that).
Cleander: I love your Charn poem!! It reminds me of something Tolkien-ish.
Hobbit: Your pictures are amazing, as usual. The winged monster is probably my favourite, but I like all of them. Jadis is great (look at those bare arms that drive Aunt Lettie mad!). I also like how your pictures have an anime-ish feel to them while still recognisably drawing on the Baynes images. Polly, in particular, gives me a mixed feeling of traditional and modern.
Ariel: Yes! Is Frank not a dear!? His telling them all to shush when he's trying to hear the music is just great. And the scene in today's chapter just shows why he's the best choice to be King.
Luthien: Great to have you joining us and I love your points. The comparisons to Beowulf and Rings are really good. The use of rings is an interesting choice. There's always the obvious suggestion that he was inspired by Tolkien but it does make sense that they were both drawing from Anglo-Saxon imagery. Of course, you get the whole idea of a great lord seeming to gift rings but having ulterior motives in the Lord of the Rings back-story. But what Lewis does here is distill that rich imagery down into a more domestic setting of an amateur magician with delusions of greatness gifting his rings to two children whom he believes will serve his purpose. Your point about a great leader being the first into battle gets made even more strongly in today's reading (and really contrasts Andrew with Frank)
------"...would you be the first in the charge and the last in retreat?"
"Well, sir," said the Cabby very slowly, "a chap don't exactly know until he's been tried...I'd try - that is, I 'ope I'd try - to do my bit."
Some general comments by me on today's readings and a few early things:
I meant to say on Day 2, when we were reading the WbtW chapter, how much it reminded me of the descriptions of Aslan's country. It's as though Lewis were already playing with ideas of a perfect, untouched world (reminiscent Plato's Ideal Forms) which he perfects in the Last Battle.
Something that never struck me before, is the age difference Uncle Andrew and Jadis. I've always thought of them both as adults contrasted with the kids. But for some reason Uncle A being quite a bit older than her (in appearance) has struck me more this time. (No wonder Lettie was scandalised!) I say "in appearance", of course, because Jadis' story suggests she has already lived a very long time and seems to age slowly (either because of her race or by magic).
Chapter 11 is really one of the greatest chapters (though they're all great). It starts with the hilarious scene of the animals trying to work out what Andrew is and ends with that beautiful scene between Aslan and the Cabby. The Andrew-scene might be comic relief, but has some really powerful messages. I really like the the way Lewis works-in warnings about how easy it is to delude ourselves that something is (or is not) true until we start to believe our own lies. (A very poignant message in today's "post-truth" age). Also, Andrew here belongs very much to the same category as "the dwarfs who refuse to be taken in" in LB.
I also really like the idea of the animals not being able to understand what Andrew is because of their unfamiliarity with certain concepts and how their lack of knowledge leads to them not knowing how to interpret what is hair or a face or clothes. Or even whether the is animal or plant and which way up he goes. I feel that there's a strong message about misunderstandings and misinterpretations here.
Also, from today's readings, I love the three conversations with Aslan: Aslan and Frank I've already mentioned and makes me smile so much. I love that Frank's first thought is to his wife and that Aslan doesn't even take a moment's hesitation or pause to make a comment before he grants him his request to have her by his side. Aslan and Digory's conversation is a powerful confession/repentance scene where Aslan makes Digory confess all he has done wrong, but does not reprimand him harshly but with kindness and mercy. (It's also notable that Aslan forgives Digory but requires him to do what he can to right his wrongs. I'm not suggesting that he has to work for his for his salvation/forgiveness but I think it is an important lesson that once we are forgiven we should do what there is in our power to do to right the wrongs - like Jesus requested of Zacchaeus). And then I love how Aslan' asks Fledge if he wants to be a winged horse before making him one. Even though the should of already known the answer, I really like that token of him asking his permission first.
Also Rooiman ("Redman")'s name is now Vleuel ("Fledge")! (You pronounce it something like "Flew-el")
And that ended up being longer than a journal entry