Chapters 7-8
I love the dialogue in this book so much 😆
There's so much subtle (and some blatant) humour in the conversations. The extravagance, triviality, and inconsistencies in Lasaraleen's monologues make me chortle and I revel in the layers of arrogance, threat, and backbiting in the secret council.
I threw together this representation of the Tisroc, Rabadash and Ahoshta from random icons in piktochart.
In chapter 7, I like the way that the friend that Aravis ran into actually ended up being a friend who could help her and Bree and Hwin--however different Aravis and Lasaraleen were. They didn't need to like the same things, or even have the same ideas about what would make Aravis happy, for Lasaraleen to know how to help Aravis leave the city without notice, and to help Aravis end up where she needed to be.
In chapter 8, I like how it is shown what a hollow sort of greatness Ahoshta has, and how Aravis's decision not to marry for social position and riches has proven to be sound. Ahoshta may have had many privileges, but he was just the tool of a tyrannical and arbitrary ruler. It reminds me a little bit of a scene from Lewis Carroll's Sylvie and Bruno, in which the narrator is amused that the fairy child Bruno felt it was a great honor to wait at table for the fairy king, but then the narrator realizes that many things that are considered to be a great honor in the human world perhaps have no more honor in them than that.
They might not need me but; they might.
I'll let my Head be just in sight;
A smile as small as mine might be
Precisely their necessity.
-Emily Dickinson
Sorry, I'm late. (I'm caught up on the reading but not the drawing parts.)
This is for yesterday's chapters. I decided to draw Shasta and Corin for this. (I know Corin didn't use a sword, but I thought it would make the drawing more interesting.)
Love what I'm seeing here. The art piece looks great Kristi 😛
Thanks for the compliments for my drawings 😀
@Ajjie: Yes, haircuts too! That's another difference to consider! Thanks for sharing the fic: I hadn't read it before, and I think this is the first time I've seen an explanation for why no one put two and two together. If it had been a largely forgotten secret, then it makes sense that Narnia would have no knowledge of Cor.
@Rennie: I like the way you did Corin (he reminds me of young Thor in a way, haha!).
Chapter 6
Is it weird that I've only now really clued in that Cor returned to the house before sundown? For some reason, I always imagined that scene taking place at twilight, even though Shasta has light to see the desert and mountains by and the gates don't close till after he leaves the city.
Though Lewis points out the irrationality of Shasta's fears, they are understandable, and truly, Lewis helps us connect to that. Things like having something warm and solid at your back, facing the thing you're afraid of, and whatnot are familiar, things we've all dealt with at some point or another.
Chapter 7
Things seem to be clicking better this go 'round than before: I tend to imagine Lasaraleen as being a young woman (by modern standards) rather than probably still a teenager. Between the friendship between her and Aravis being compared to that of schoolgirls as well as Bree's comment about Tarkheenas marrying young, Las' more schoolgirl-like behaviour is making more sense now. I imagine that even once she gets to her twenties, she'll still be ditzy and all, though I'd hope there'd be a maturity to it as well. (That, or else I'm finally allowed to imagine characters as being older than intended, and Shasta and Aravis are not quite so young after all. 😆 )
I wonder if Aravis' interest in bows and dogs and things were at least partly influenced by her older brother? She may, of course, had had those interests all along, but I had assumed that perhaps her widowed father had a hand in cultivating them (without considering her older brother as well).
Given Lasaraleen's frequent visits to the palace, I wonder if her husband also has the right of standing on his feet and in his shoes before the face of the Tisroc....
You know, I've always thought of Las' comment about travelling with a peasant boy as "not Nice" as a way of expressing her distaste for Aravis' running away and such. I don't doubt that's at least part of it -- maybe even all of it --, but she might also be referencing to something along the lines of the scandals she likes to chatter about. A high-born lady travelling with a peasant would certainly fall into that category.
Much as I deride Las for being ditzy and shallow, I think she does care deeply about Aravis' well-being and future. The trouble isn't that she doesn't care (despite the appearance given by her self-centeredness), but only in that her idea of Aravis' well-being is the literal opposite of Aravis' own. She nearly cries at (what she perceives to be) her friend's thick-headed stupidity in refusing to marry the Grand Vizier. Maybe I'm finally letting myself see things from her perspective, or maybe it's because I've also heavily disagreed over friends' choices in life and thus can not only empathize but sympathize with the sentiment.
(Notice that the Grand Vizier does not have the right of standing on his feet and in his shoes before the face of the Tisroc.)
Chapter 8
The description of Rabadash's hurried formalities always brings a smile to my face. Hardly a respectful son, but it's such a great character moment. Their brief exchange of hostilities has a similar effect, though a more foreboding one.
Rabadash is, of course, confident that his plan will work exactly as he has planned it -- and is impetuous besides --, so he likely sees little risk to the reputation he's putting on the line.
The Tisroc's dry remark about the "live forever" business (and Rabadash's awkward silence) is hilarious. On the one hand, it's a mantra repeated day in and day out, and there seems to be some sort of belief/superstition about it... but on the other hand, every Tisroc before has died and every Tisroc prepares his sons to take the throne.
Just realized that Ahoshta's bit about sons being precious as carbuncles is the exact same simile used by Arsheeh!
Here we have another contrast: between fathers and sons. The Tisroc says outright that he loves glory and power more than his own sons ("natural affection is stronger than soup" much?), warns Rabadash that he will not bail him out of this crazy plan lands him in trouble, and complains that the "excess of paternal anxiety" makes him sleepy. Sleepy! Any parent worth his salt would not be thinking about sleep when experiencing an excess of paternal anxiety. Though we don't see Lune having to directly deal with the same conditions, his character is such that we know that he and the Tisroc have vastly different ideas about fatherhood.
Chapter 9-10:
All is heat and haze
and my mind is a maze
beaten down by the blaze.
The desert passage really hit me as a metaphor yesterday as I've been having lots of times lately where I've been emotionally or spiritually in deserts whether for a few hours or a few days. (Lewis talks about something similar with the “law of undulation” in the Screwtape Letters.) Some of the applications I've found from this story are as follows:
1. The desert is temporary even if it doesn't feel like it.
Shasta reaches a point where Tashbaan refuses to look any further away and the northern mountains refuse to look any nearer i.e. it feels like they aren't getting anywhere, but they are. When you're in a slump it feels as if it's always going to feel that way, but it's important to remember that there has been joy before, there will be joy again, and ultimately there will be endless joy with Jesus.
2. It's crazy to try and cross the desert on your own.
Because Shasta doesn't have experience with deserts he nearly attempts the crossing on his own. If he had, he would have died. It is also dangerous to isolate yourself when your mental health isn't doing well. We need connection with family and friends. With the help of Bree, Hwin and Aravis, Shasta is able to get through.
3. The desert isn't a punishment.
The fact that it's hard doesn't mean they are going in the wrong direction. They have to do this, and getting across it not only helps them, but countless others.
4. The grass really is greener on the other side.
There are deserts between you and your homeland. There are better things ahead, probably in this life and certainly in the one to come.
I'm enjoying all your thoughts.
@Ariel: It is interesting to wonder if growing up between two boys (and losing her mother) made Aravis less interested in "girl" things. My friend told me her daughter is turning out to be a bit of a tom-boy, possibly because she has a big brother she looks up to (she's not two yet).
@Swan: Thanks for sharing those lessons from crossing the desert.
Chapters 9-10
The desert passage (especially when they travel at night) always reminds me of my family's trip to Namibia in 2005 when we were running behind schedule and had to drive for what felt like forever in a barren landscape. There was this one point where we started to imagine trees lining the sides of the road as though we were approaching a town but they weren't there, it was just some optical illusion. It reminded us of the words in the song Blessed Be Your Name that say:
"Blessed be your name, when I'm found in the desert place, though I walk through the wilderness, blessed Be Your name."
I feel like these chapters are so full of really powerful lessons and symbolism though it's hard to sum them up. Let me try:
- Stories sometimes romanticise things in unrealistic ways: you can't "gallop for a day and night"
- Sometimes it looks like you aren't making progress when you are: Tashbaan refused to look any farther away (Swan mentioned that)
- Fairness doesn't always mean everyone being treated the same: "It's all right for you...you've got shoes on". (Some people have advantages that mean they don't need the concessions others do" Aravis' "looking prim" seems to be a subtle hint that she she takes too much pride in her advantage and is missing the point
- I can't decide if the scene where they all fall asleep and wake late is a chastisement (a bit reminiscent of Jesus' disciples sleeping when they are supposed to be praying in Gethsemane), or if it's a reminder that the body needs rest and sometimes you need to let it rest even if you feel like you should be doing something else.
- The people who think they know best aren't always right, and sometimes those with the best ideas are too shy to argue: Bree thinks that he knows a "little more about forced campaigns" and Hwin says nothing further since she's "a very nervous and gentle person"
- After the desert comes the fertile valley (Swan touched on that too)
- You don't know how fast you can go (or how resilient you are) till you're pushed to your limits
- "if you do one good deed, your reward usually is to be set to do another and harder and better one"
- Sometimes you're not as great as you think. It depends who you're comparing yourself with. "As long as you know you're nobody special, you'll be a very decent sort of Horse"
On the last point, Bree reminds me a bit of Reepicheep. Worrying a little too much about his reputation or "honour" in a why that reveals pride rather than humility.
I end with this quote because the last part really struck me. Maybe I'm reading too much into it but:
"P-please," said Hwin, very shyly, "I feel just like Bree that I can't go on. But when horses have humans (with spurs and things) on their backs, aren't they often made to go on when they're feeling like this? And then they find we can I m-mean - oughtn't we to be able to do even more, now that we're free? It's for Narnia!
I know this is part of the "having more strength to do impossible tasks than we think we have until we are pushed to our limits. But I was also thinking about how, as Christians, once we're freed from things that were a burden (like the Law) we should actually be better at doing the things we struggled with before. We get this kind of teaching in some of Paul's letters and James, I think (can't think of specific verses off-hand). So although we live under grace and it's okay if we mess up or don't live perfect lives, we should actually be better and living good lives because we're doing it because we want to not because we have to. Not sure if that entirely makes sense, I'll read what I wrote again in the morning just to check :p
Oh, nearly forgot this. I asked AjjieSis to help me recreate a scene from the book while I was still at my parents' house. Since they have better options for "props" than I do, and she has lots of horse things. We chose the one of Aslan chasing the heroes to the Hermit's place. It's not very "actiony" and I could have posed it better but we didn't have a lot of time to spend on it. All the things were my sister's except the tree and the duplo lion (which is technically mine, I think, but our duplo all lives together).
Once a daughter of Eve. Now a daughter of the Second Adam.
Here's day 4's drawing.
I drew Las and Aravis in a similar way I did for Corin and Shasta. Enjoy!
I like this detail from Aravis's escape from Tashbaan in chapter 9:
[...] and a moment later [Aravis] was out in midstream with a huge real moon overhead and a huge reflected moon down, deep down, in the river.
It seems to speak of the calm of crossing over out of danger and into safety. Of transitioning from things feeling hectic and rushed and nervous, to slowing down with a new understanding that things will be okay now. And of hope that future challenges can also be overcome, of not being alone, of brighter things ahead.
In chapter 10, I like the calm little world that Aravis and the horses find when they are with the Hermit. They get to take life one step at a time, doing things in a simple way, focusing on recovering and resting, and they are allowed to stay for a time in a space apart from the hectic events they have just experienced. They are safe from Rabadash and his soldiers, safely away from those who might be looking for them, safely across the desert, and with someone who can take care of them and keep them out of harm's way. Soon they will be ready to continue on with their journey, but for now they can rest.
They might not need me but; they might.
I'll let my Head be just in sight;
A smile as small as mine might be
Precisely their necessity.
-Emily Dickinson
@Swan: Excellent observations on the desert journey! Each point is poignant.
@Ajjie: I like your note on the pushing one's self to do something because he is free. That is very true to life as well.
@Ren: I like the way you did Las! She looks a little flighty and a whole lot invested in making sure she looks just right. 🙂
Chapter 9
It seems a little bit of a pity that Aravis missed out on the Tisroc's gardens (thanks to the way Lewis spoke of it). She's obviously got good reasons for rushing through, but I'm sure it was a beautiful place.
Props to the groom for staying put with the Horses, despite his intense fear of ghouls.
I wonder if Shasta's respect for Aravis has shown growth here. He wishes he could swing into the saddle the way she does. After at least a few days in Aravis' company, he's only now admiring this skill of hers (at least, in so many words).
Hwin's gentle leadership is subtle but effective. Besides her disagreement with Bree about setting out despite their weariness, she set the pace for the next leg of the journey. She's more exhausted than Bree and less used to long marches, but she is determined to see the mission through with favourable results if she gets to say anything about it. So where Bree fails to lead, she steps up to make up for his lack.
Chapter 10
Swan and Ajjie discussed the desert, but I've a similar thought about another leg of the journey: the hermit's instruction to run in a straight line: over level or steep, over smooth or rough, over dry or wet. The Christian walk is much like this: we are to run the race with our eyes on a fixed mark, neither straying to the left or to the right, no matter the terrain. There'll be ups and down, tough and gentle, easy and difficult. "But run, run: always run."
Interesting how Aravis easily calls the hermit "father" in response to him calling her "my daughter". It's a reciprocation, but interesting all the same.
The hermit strikes me as a very calm and straight-forward man. He shows no particular alarm or concern when his visitors race to his gate, pursued by a lion. His correction (first of Aravis' claim of luck and of Bree's dejectedness) is swift and direct, even as it is gently delivered.
I'll post more on today's chapters tomorrow, but isn't Chapter 11 just.the.best?! In the meantime, here's another picture recreation I made last year for Badger's Burrow.
Once a daughter of Eve. Now a daughter of the Second Adam.
I've been reading and appreciating everyone's reflections though I haven't taken the time to respond to them lately! I may come back to do so later, but I decided to go ahead and post mine for today:
Chapters 11- 12
I made a short clay animation of Aslan's paw print from the end of Chapter 11:
https://youtu.be/mj-ycKhBHKk
I'm officially caught up on everything now lol!
I present to you, Aravis scratched from Aslan and a sweet lil' hedgehog greeting Shasta 😀 (@Ajie , I hope you like the hedgehog 🙂 )
Love what everyone put in here! (Really like what you did Swan! Looked amazing!)
In chapter 11, I like that people are impressed at the way Shasta mounts a horse and assume that he will have no trouble riding--but he has so much trouble with the horse that both he and the horse end up thinking very little of each other. It is a very fun/funny illustration of the way that things are often not what we assume. Shasta was a very good rider because he was taught to ride by a horse, but only in circumstances where he was happy with the horse being in charge. He was completely unprepared for riding a non-talking horse.
(I might have chosen the "I was the lion" scene for this chapter--but I wrote a song about that recently, so I thought it would be fun to think about something else this time.)
In chapter 12, I like the cozy scene where Shasta has breakfast with Duffle and Rogin and Bricklethumb, and then falls asleep while they are in the middle of telling him all about their view of Narnia. Bree and Hwin and Aravis already reached a point where they could rest and recover, and now it is Shasta's turn. He doesn't get so much of a rest as the others do, but it is a nice moment in the flow of the story where Shasta and the readers get to take a breather and just enjoy Narnia for a while before Shasta is off for Archenland again.
They might not need me but; they might.
I'll let my Head be just in sight;
A smile as small as mine might be
Precisely their necessity.
-Emily Dickinson
Loving your next two sets of pictures, Ren. Adorable hedgehog!! >'.'<
The paw-print animation turned out so well, Swan!!
I agree with you, Happy, how the two scenes where the characters get a chance to rest are really special. And they weren't something I'd thought much about so thanks for bringing it up.
Chapters 11-12
So, cheating again on this one because the "I am the Lion" passage is clearly the most powerful in these chapters (or actually the book). This is from 2011, but not actually from the Summer Challenge that year. In fact, I had forgotten this, but I think that this was partly what inspired me to think of doing "reflections" while reading the books. I actually read HHB about a month before we read it again for the Summer Challenge and I was struck by the different encounters the four characters have with Aslan. This is the one I wrote for Shasta:
http://hedgepickle.blogspot.com/2011/06/on-first-meeting-aslan.html
Once a daughter of Eve. Now a daughter of the Second Adam.
Nice, Ren!
Thanks for sharing that link, Ajjie; love to see what other people get out of this scene.
Chapter 11
This is my favourite chapter (haha, no surprise there, given how many of us love it!). This was the one that hit me between the eyes a few years back and rocketed HHB to the #1 spot of my favourite Chronicles. But I'll get to that in a sec.
I may have just realized that both the Tisroc and Lune are described as fat. Of course I've known this since the beginning and always imagine each of them in that way, but I think this is the first time I've noticed it in relation to each other... because each of them are so different about it. The Tisroc's fatness is like a status symbol: he's wealthy (jewels everywhere), powerful from his throne (many people to do his bidding), and overall seems self-indulgent (gets off the couch with a great creaking and a sigh, physically does very little, is concerned about nothing but his own power and glory). Lune's is like a symbol of well-being: he's active (hunting and personally fighting), merry (has good humour), and big-hearted (welcoming Cor home in all ease, opening his home to Aravis).
Gotta respect Lune for attending to the issue at hand before sorting out Shasta's identity. He's clearly thinking about the latter, but the danger to the kingdom is too pressing to risk for his own (understandable and parental) curiosity. How his heart must have burned, though! And especially once Shasta is separated from the company!
Something I've discovered recently is that I love scenarios in which characters are in a low spot and then are brought out of it. This is exactly what's happening with Shasta here: all the ills and dangers and scares and trial and struggles up till (and including) now come crashing down on him all at once and hard. As easy as it is to think of it as a pity-party (because we have the benefit of seeing the bigger picture), I can't judge him too harshly for it -- I've had pity-parties over far, far less! Here, alone with his thoughts and his troubles, Shasta reflects on all that's befallen him, and (in the moment) there's nothing to see but misery, a dark fog over his life.
The feeling continues once he's realized he's got a companion: surely, it can't be anything good -- it's only another terror, another horrible thing waiting to happen. This companion frightens him with silence and proximity, a vicious mind game to torment Shasta. But then the companion says he was only waiting for Shasta to speak, to recount his troubles, to pour it all out; that, and the warm breath on Shasta's hand opens him to a sort of comfort.
But then comes a greater comfort: "I was the Lion." Shasta had told his story as he saw it then; Aslan filled in the blanks with glimpses of the bigger picture -- the joining with Aravis, the comfort and protection at the Tombs, the push of fear for the sake of reaching Lune, and the life-saving act too far back for Shasta to have known about otherwise. For the first time, Shasta is allowed to see that everything, everything connects together somehow, that there was a purpose through it all, that he had a role to play in a bigger story and/or there may yet be a destiny in store for him.
And then the greatest comfort of all: "Who are you?" "Myself." Even before Shasta could see Aslan, he knew that there was something wonderful about his companion, because he was no longer afraid, but awed. And then once he could see Aslan, he acted upon that awe, for "No one ever saw anything more terrible or beautiful." Shasta was still far from understanding Aslan or his circumstances (past, present, or future), but all he needed know right in that moment was what he received, and that was sufficient.
Chapter 12
"... at least it wasn't luck at all really, it was Him." I daresay this counts as a profession of faith: a page ago, he'd been asking if the encounter with Aslan was a dream, but now he easily credits Aslan with his journey over the pass as yet another intervention by the Lion.
(I wonder what became of this horse...?)
There's a lesson to be learned in the reactions to Shasta's news: sitting about on matters of importance does no one any good. These easy-living creatures had grown so accustomed to peace in their own neighbourhoods that nothing was urgent enough to truly worry about, much less act upon. More than that, everyone is capable of acting: rather than passing the buck, one could consider how one can do something about an issue.
Duffle is a wonderful individual, and I don't think he gets enough credit. The other Narnians are friendly enough, but Duffle is the one to notice and address Shasta's needs, throwing open the doors of his home to the stranger and making sure he is properly tended to. The definition of hospitality right there.
Neither of the boys have any real idea of battle, but at least Shasta's got the good sense to not rush into it, however exciting it might be. Corin is a sight too eager, despite being better informed (or perhaps because of it, given songs and stories of honour and glory). Each one's temperament is consistent with what we've seen so far and will carry on for the rest of their lives, it would seem.
