Magic and miracles are two sides of the same coin in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and it can often be difficult to tell where a spiritual miracle ends and a magical happening begins.
In order to convey spiritual ideas to a child audience, fantastic and supernatural tropes are used (we're talking to you, White Witch).
In this book, magic can be good or evil, or even simply a fundamental structuring principle for the world. Magic doesn't always work in the same way twice, and miracles may be more complicated—and painful—than expected.
Questions About The Supernatural
- What are the "Deep Magic from the Dawn of Time" and the "Deeper Magic from Before the Dawn of Time"?
- Why does C.S. Lewis choose to describe events like Aslan's resurrection as "magic" instead of "miracles"?
- Consider the White Witch's magical powers, which include turning people into stone, creating an endless winter, and disguising herself as a tree stump. Why are freezing and stasis such important aspects of evil magic in this book?
- Why doesn't the wardrobe always work as a magical gateway between worlds? Why is it sometimes a door to Narnia and sometimes just a wardrobe?
Chew on This
By describing Aslan's resurrection as magic instead of a miracle, C.S. Lewis focuses on the fantasy-adventure dimension of the story, rather than the religious doctrine underlying it.
C.S. Lewis chooses to describe Aslan's abilities as magic, rather than as miracles, because magic is an integral part of the world of Narnia and has clear, inviolable rules, while miracles imply an interruption or exception to a world's rules.