Having finished some recently acquired books, I decided to continue my rereading of books I read long ago.
I'd recently seen some references to The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis - the last of the Narnia books - so I chose that one.
I've reread some the Narnia books already. Indeed, I've reread The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and The Magician's Nephew multiple times because they were on summer reading lists for my students. But I haven't read Battle since I first read the series decades ago.
That first reading was in the winter of 74/75. I had taken a year off from college, traveled to New York, and went to work as a peer counselor (I was only 19!) at Covenant House. My "salary" was $50 a week and an apartment on the Lower East Side. Covenant House at the time had a number of rent-control apartments scattered through lower Manhattan; mine had apparently been a three-room office.
When I moved in, I found some books left behind. Among them were the Chronicles of Narnia.
At Christmas, I headed back upstate by bus to visit my family. I grabbed the Narnia books, and read them on the bus ride upstate, at my parents' home, and on the bus ride back.
As I reread Battle, I discovered I remembered very little of the story. I did recall the Ape, but nothing else.
Definitely heavier than the standard "children's" book.
It was nice to see some favorite characters from earlier books reappear or at least get mentioned.
Then there was the issue of Susan, one of the original four children from Lion. She did not return with the others for this last battle.
"Oh, Susan!" said Jill. "She's interested in nothing nowadays except nylons and lipstick and invitations. She always was a jolly sight too keen on being grown-up."
"Grown-up, indeed," said the Lady Polly. "I wish she would grow up. She wasted all her school time wanting to be the age she is now, and she'll waste all the rest of her life trying to stay that age. ..."
That resonated. What she was doing seemed not all that bad. but like too many other young people she apparently got caught up with the ways of the world, and in the process lost direction and her faith. I myself fell prey to some of those temptations. One can turn around and repent, but there was no indication in the book that she would. She certainly was not with the others when the events occurred that led to their return to Narnia.
The section also reminded me of the parable of the sower and the seed from Matthew 13:
“Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. ...
“Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. ...
Susan had apparently been choked by the thorns. Not good for those nylons!
As for the creatures of Narnia, they fit in with the parable as well. Some were faithful, and produced a rich yield, But others were led astray, believing lies and getting caught up in the world of power. Some of them, like the unreliable dwarves, were too concerned with their own wants and desires, and were incapable of seeing.
But there were others who were initially led astray, then who repented and followed the true path - like the donkey - and so were able to go "further up and further in" with those who had remained faithful all along.
I was also glad to see there was salvation for those who followed, through no fault of their own, false gods, but who heeded the natural good promptings of their souls and ultimately found that which is true. In Narnia - and in our world - salvation is a possibility for all, even "non-believers."
And I was amused to see a little Platonism! Ah, that Professor Lewis!
A good reread.
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