Prince Caspian
I just got back from seeing The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie: the action was great, the characters were great, and some scenes were hilarious. Trumpkin, the good dwarf, is quite skeptical of the existence of Aslan--after all, Aslan hasn't be seen for thousands of years. This dwarf even goes as far as to say that he does not believe Aslan exists. If you do not know, Aslan is supposed to be God in Lewis' series. Essentially, the dwarf represents the people that state they do not believe God exists. Towards the end of the movie, Aslan asks to be shown Trumpkin. Aslan proceeds to roar loudly in Trumpkin's face, showing him that he does exist. The existence of God has been proven! So, it feels good in a movie, but definitely doesn't describe true reality. I did like one theme, however, I doubt Lewis meant what I'm about to say.
Lucy is the youngest of the four children. Like in the first movie, Lucy sees Aslan. Susan and Peter do not believe her but Edmund does; although he doesn't see Aslan with his own eyes, he believes Lucy. To put this in Christian terms, Lucy has "child-like" faith; that is, she trusts her belief in Aslan enough to continue believing in him despite her older siblings wondering faith. You see, as we grow older, we lose our "child-like" faith. We "grow up," which is why Susan and Peter aren't allowed to go back to Narnia ever again; they are now too old.
The older we get the more we question our child-like faith: Why should I believe in something I can't see? It was so easy to do so when I was a child. Why should I believe Jesus was the literal Son of God? It was so easy to do so when I was a child. Why should I believe the Bible is the true Word of God? It was so easy to do so when I was a child. We start to think too much to maintain our child-like faith. Consequentially, Susan and Peter get too old to maintain their child-like faith.
Aslan, at the end of the movie, says something like, "You will never return to Narnia but do not forget what you have learned." To me, and probably not Lewis, this statement shows that we are going to our grow our child-like faith; this is inevitable. Some of us choose and advocate the maintenance of child-like faith. Never question! Never ask why! Keep believing!
But our child-like faith should just be a minor stage in our spiritual development, if any thing. We shouldn't get stuck in our child-like faith; for it is simply a stage we must eventually get over, although most of us do not. The point of child-like faith is to grow out of it, but do not forget what you have learned from it. Through this child-like faith, however brief it is, we learn to question and to continue our infinite search for truth. We learn to accept true reality, despite how hard it may be to understand. We also look for other means of creating meaning: art, music, philosophy, spiritual thought, myths, etc. Child-like faith is for the spiritually weak. By growing out of it, we become stronger and more powerful.
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This I think is the message lewis was trying to get across. If you look at the lion the witch and the wardrobe, only lucy truly has that child like faith. Coming into prince caspian, the same is true. I think Azlan(or rather lewis through azlan) meant not necessarily that they had outgrown child-like faith (I wish that were so), but that they had been taught that their pride in themselves(this was a recurring theme in peter's actions) had been shown to be hollow when they tried to succeed without asking for azlan's(god's) help. Only when they had been humbled, and had opened themselves up to receiving azlan's(god's) help, were they able to triumph. Once they learned this message, then and only then did azlan deem them 'grown.' In other words their child-like faith doesn't disappear; it matures into an even deeper and stronger version of what it was.
This is what I think Lewis' message was, and I wholeheartedly disagree with it (though I do agree with the point of view implicit in your interpretation of the movie).
I remember thinking it was good I was reading them with a child because, as an adult, they wouldn't be for me and I probably wouldn't enjoy them. I would be out.
I didn't think about God etc because ... well, because I rarely do.
I just read something recently that quoted Albert Einstein talking about religious belief being for children. You're in good company with your thinking, Koios.
I remember reading them as a little kid. Before the 1st movie came out a couple of years ago, I bought all of the books in the series and read them in a week. I really enjoy the adventure.
I posted an article about Einstein's letter and the comments he made with regards to religion on my blog. I very much agree with his comments :)
I can't say that I've ever understood "child-like faith." I just don't think that childish "because I said so" belief is something that an adult is truly capable of. But then I'm probably way off base in that assumption.
Sorry about that.
I have to say that I don't quite agree with the 'childish' ness of blind faith. It's one thing when you are a child and your head is full of fairies, angels, Santa, God and ... Frosty the Snowman. But in my opinion, adults who worship and lean on a god are coming across as desperate for some kind of safety net or reward system. I don't know. I don't get it..
But, there's still something to child-like faith. I mean, even Nietzsche names his highest stage The Child in Thus Spoke Zarathustra. There's something to it, and it doesn't necessarily have to do with belief in a man in the sky or drastic rewards and punishments.
So, what is it?
I don't get what the need is either. Maybe it's fear of the unknown or the need for approval? Probably a different reason in different people.
I went to see the first Narnia movie and I though the strongest religious inference was the drugging of Lucy by the creature who spiked her tea. Must have been reading too much about Priests molesting children, I guess.
"The last stage of the child is not merely a rebellion but a true revolution and might as well be described as enlightenment in eastern philosophy. So, according to Nietzsche the second childhood is the real one, and for Westerners this might even ring a “biblical bell”. In the stage of the child a person becomes utterly free from past and the future. This is the stage of creativity and interdependence... This is the stage of wisdom."
Hahahaha...nice one!
^I'd like to see this too.
I need to read Thus Spoke Zarathursta. Why did he name this stage of wisdom the "child" stage?
extraordinarily good point, lightandstorm - reality is things don't always work out the way they "should" - whether one believes in a god or not - believing in god does not "guarantee certain outcomes" - no matter who you are - it would be nice if for once, that is conveyed in movies
in general, i would like to say that when i read these books as a child, i thoroughly enjoyed them - a great talking lion, lots of other talking animals, swords, mice, voyages - what's not to like - i faithfully went to Catholic Sunday school for years and never once read any kind of Christianity into these books - not one of the times i read them - i recently read them again, and was stunned - it was so hard to keep the religious imagery out of my head - honestly, it sucked a lot of the enjoyment of the adventure out - however, i am looking forward to the movie - talking lions that sound like Liam Neesom, kings and queens and Princes, epic battles, and talking mice still get to me