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The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

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The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a fantasy novel by C. S. Lewis. It is the third book in The Chronicles of Narnia, and the fifth in chronological order. It was originally published in 1955.

Contents

Synopsis

The two younger children from the previous stories, Lucy and Edmund Pevensie, are sent on holiday to the house of their obnoxious cousin Eustace Scrubb. As chance or fate has it, the three children are pulled simultaneously into a maritime-themed painting which is a portal to the world of Narnia. The ship depicted in the painting is the Dawn Treader, and it is onto this ship that the three children are fished out of the sea by King Caspian .

Once safely on board, Lucy and Edmund are overjoyed when they are greeted by their dear friend Caspian who, having shepherded his kingdom to peace and prosperity, has undertaken a quest to find the seven lost lords who were the loyal retainers of his late father, King Caspian IX. Eustace, however, is much less enthusiastic.

On the ship they travel to different islands including the Lone Islands, Dragon Island, Death Water Island, the Island Where Dreams Come True (also known as the Dark Island), Duffer Island, and finally the Island of the Star.

They manage to find all seven lords. Two of them are dead, two of them are alive, and three of them are in a deep sleep on the Island of the Star. The only way to awaken them is to sail to the edge of the world and leave one member of the crew.

They continue sailing and find lilies in the sea and merpeople and the water turns sweet. Caspian says that he has seen Aslan, the great lion. Aslan says that Reepicheep, Edmund, Eustace, and Lucy must go to the end of the world.

Lucy, Edmund and Reepicheep venture in Reepicheep's small craft through an ocean of flowers. They eventually reach a wall of water that extends into the sky. Reepicheep paddles his craft up the waterfall, and is never again seen in Narnia.

Reepicheep goes on and Edmund, Eustace, and Lucy walk in a strange land where they find a lamb. The lamb turns into Aslan who tells them that Edmund and Lucy will not return to Narnia and that they should learn to know him by another name in their own world. He then sends them home to their world.

In this volume Lewis describes Eustace's conversion (when he gets turned into a dragon and is saved by Aslan). Chiefly, the story is an exciting adventure story in the tradition of the great sea-voyages of classical mythology, particularly the story of Jason and the Argonauts.

Christian parallels

The role of Aslan as a Christ-like figure is developed further; he appears at the end as a lamb, a Biblical image for Jesus. And, while the story is generally much less steeped in Christian imagery than others in the series, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is unique in that it contains what might be called the "" of the Chronicles of Narnia. When asked by Edmund whether or not Aslan exists in their world he replies:

"I am... but there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there."
This is arguably the most succinct and precise reason Lewis provides for the children's adventures and, indeed, his most direct statement of the purpose of the Narnia novels for the young reader.

Additionally, it can be viewed that Eustace's turn from bratty, into the post-dragon person, realizing how bad he was and becoming a hero, is much like the "saving" of born-again Christians.

Perhaps, as well, there is an allegorical connection between the character of Eustace and the account of Saul's conversion in the Book of Acts.

The Holy Grail

Parallels may also be drawn with the Arthurian legend of the Holy Grail. Three knights set off for the grail—Galahad, Percival and Launcelot—of whom Launcelot turned back in sight of the Sangrail, while Galahad and Percival both partook of the Grail. Galahad was subsequently raptured, while Percival returned to the realm of mortals.

In a similar vein, three groups on the Dawn Treader were on quest to seek the uttermost East, where Aslan's Country is rumored to dwell. Caspian, King of Narnia, was turned back due to his love for Ramandu's daughter and because he is reminded that, as King of Narnia, he has a responsibility to his country, in sight of the Last Sea. The Pevensie children and Eustace met with Aslan, and were returned to their own world in England. Reepicheep, bravest and Chief of the Talking Mice, was the only voyager on the Dawn Treader entirely without fear, and disappeared into the waters of the Uttermost East, where in the words of C.S. Lewis, "...he vanished, and since that moment no one can truly claim to have seen Reepicheep the Mouse. But my belief is that he came safe to Aslan's country and is alive there to this day."

Reepicheep is indeed encountered there in the closing chapters of The Last Battle, making him presumably unique in the history of Narnia in having been bodily assumed into Aslan's country while still alive (cf. Enoch the patriarch and Elijah the prophet).

Adaptations

External links

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
The World of Narnia
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | Prince Caspian | The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | The Silver Chair | The Horse and His Boy | The Magician's Nephew | The Last Battle
The Chronicles of Narnia>Books Characters Creatures Places

 

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