So here is my continuation of my Narnia thoughts. I told you all my thoughts about The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and now I'll move on to the next book in the series: Prince Caspian.
The story of Prince Caspian is a young boy who is the heir to the throne of a people group called the Telmarines who have conquered and mostly eradicated Narnia and it's people. But when he gets a tutor who starts feeding his curiosity about the ancient stories of Narnia before the Telmarines had taken over, Caspian finds himself longing to be in the old days. He flees from the castle when his uncle, King Miraz, has a son of his own and no longer requires Caspian to be his heir. His tutor tells Caspian to run to the woods where Narnians are still living in secrecy, giving him the magic horn gievn to Susan Pevensie that will bring help wherever it is blown.
Caspian finds the Narnians and they agree to join him and take back the Telmarine throne in return for being free Narnians again under his rule. After the small army gets desperate, they blow the magic horn which calls the Pevensies back into Narnia where they join with Caspian's army to help defeat Miraz and reclaim Narnia for the Narnians.
The Narnians, under Caspian's leadership, are victorious in the battle against Miraz after Aslan teaches all of them their own lessons about faith. Caspian is named King of Narnia and the Pevensies return to England after being told Susan and Peter will never be able to return to Narnia.
Some of my favorite quotes from Prince Caspian:
"She was at death's door, but when she opened her eyes and saw the bright, hairy head of the lion staring into her face, she did not scream or faint. She said, "Oh, Aslan! I knew it was true. I've been waiting for this all my life. Have you come to take me away?"
"Yes, dearest," said Aslan, "But not the long journey yet." And as he spoke, like the flush creeping along the underside of a cloud at sunrise, the colour came back to her white face and her eyes grew bright and she sat up..."
"Aslan," said Lucy, "you're bigger!"
"That is because you are older, little one," answered he.
"Not because you are?"
"I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger."
"Why have your followers all drawn their swords, may I ask?" said Aslan.
"May it please Your High Majesty," said the second Mouse, whose name was Peepicheek, "we are all waiting to cut off our own tails if our Chief must go without his. We will not bear the shame of wearing an honour which is denied to the High Mouse."
"Ah!" roared Aslan, "You have conquered me. You have great hearts. Not for the sake of your dignity, Reepicheep, but for the love that is between you and your people, and still more for the kindness your people showed me long ago when you ate away the cords the bound me on the Stone Table (and it was then, though you have long forgotten it, that you began to be Talking Mice) you shall have your tail again."
There are, of course, many more quotes I could add! I am going by the book for this blog post, of course, because the book contains so much more of a storyline than the movie (although I DO love the movie). For example, when Lucy claims to see Aslan, no one believes her but Edmund and even he is swayed to follow Peter's directions after they vote on it. Then Aslan tell Lucy in a dream to follow him even if no one else will (clearly a Biblical reference and a reference to the very life of a Christian) and she awakens them all to tell them to follow Aslan. One by one, Edmund, Peter, Susan and finally Trumpkin the Dwarf, see the Lion as they start to believe they are actually following him. Each is praised or chastised according to the faith they displayed.
Another awesome part left out of the movie is when Aslan, Susan, and Lucy go on a wild romp to find more soldiers to help fight in the battle. They pass through village after village and encounter weary souls in every one. The tired and oppressed people, at the sight of the Lion, leave behind their work and obligations and follow him without a worry or a care (a symbol of revival) and the merry and wild band arrive at the edge of the river to halt the Telmarine soldiers and Aslan releases the River which frightens the Telmarines into surrender. Some of my favorite people they encounter in this village are the burnt out school teacher who Aslan refers to as "Dearheart", the little boy being beaten who is freed and immediately joins the band, and the old woman close to death who rises from her deathbed and serves Aslan.
Books are so often much more in depth than a movie adaption and Prince Caspian is no exception! It is truly a lovely book!
The end of the book tells us that Caspian is Aslan's chosen king for Narnia and, even though he feels unworthy and unsure, that he will be (and DOES become) one of the greatest kings Narnia would ever have.
Peter and Susan are told they have learned all they can from Narnia and Aslan intends on them to take what they have learned and apply it to their own world, to England. This, to me, is kind of what we should do with the knowledge we as readers gain from these stories. These books can be a powerful witnessing tool!
So...yep. There's my thoughts on this book :) Oh...and Prince Caspian's character is TOTALLY inspired by Alexander the Great! (seriously...go look him up!)
