Heroes and Narnians: quasi-deep thought for the day

[kalquessa]

On my run today, my train of thought found its way into the subject of the Narnian Chronicles and which of them is now my favorite. When I was younger, I would always name Voyage of the Dawntreader as the book I liked best of the series, but now I think my loyalties have shifted to The Silver Chair, not least because of Puddleglum and especially

Comments

[captnofmyheart]

I love your thoughts on this matter - and while it has been AGES since I read the Narnia chronicles, I can see where the conversations that Tolkien and Lewis used to have with each other about the nature and purpose of having 'fairy tales' and myth and how important they are to the human experience, not to mention a Christian understanding of God and His Creation. In an indirect way it highlights the scorn I have for those who like to call all the made-up stuff 'hogwash' (and some even go so far as to call it evil witchcraft) - they completely miss the point. And it also highlights what anthropologists figured out about humans : play is exceptionally important to developement, and may even be a survival mechanism...something built into humans so that God can reach out to them?

Anyway, that's my muddled thought for the day. Thats a great observation!

[grey_bard]

I think your juxtaposition is wiser than you seem to believe. There isn't any "only" about Joss's quote - even if it isn't speaking to a specifically Christian faith, I think it *is* honestly meant to speak to a real and deep faith in the goodness and heroism that the human spirit is capable of.

[kalquessa]

I think it *is* honestly meant to speak to a real and deep faith in the goodness and heroism that the human spirit is capable of.

Perhaps you're right. I tend to assume that anything produced by Hollywood is automatically as anti-faith as it can get and that things like this are just a case of a stopped clock being right twice a day. But I am overly cynical. It's quite possible that they could genuinely be giving an admiring nod to faith, here.

[grey_bard]

Even if it isn't precisely *religious* faith, I don't think you necessarily lose your soul just because you write about vampires on television. But then, what do I know? Maybe there's a secret pact with the devil they all sign to get into Hollywood, and agents *do* eat babies! Hey, that would make a good movie...

[scionofgrace]

I think your right. It's the same idea expressed two different ways.

I love Puddleglum's speech, that even if Narnia isn't true, it would still be worth living by.

[dessieoctavia]

Icon love! Is it gackable?

[scionofgrace]

Sure! I made it myself (the picture, of course, is by Pauline Baynes), so all I ask is a credit.

Puddleglum is the best.

[dessieoctavia]

I will! Thank you so much!

[prester_scott]

Joss Whedon, along with many other pagans and pagan artists in particular, is merely tapping into a reality that they know only in a shadowy way. Lewis, on the other hand, had met the Archetype Of All Heroes face to face, and become an heroic disciple himself; so his vision was much clearer.

[jelly_doughnut]

Forgive me for not directly engaging in the deep-thoughtness of your post, but I have just come from class in Richmond and my brain is mush. I did want to say that, if you do like The Silver Chair then you may want to check out the BBC's version of it. Personally I like Tom Baker (the 4th Doctor) in the role of Puddleglum.

...personally I like The Horse and His Boy

[kalquessa]

I had no idea that the BBC Puddleglum was also a Doctor! That makes me love him even more than I already did! Such spot-on characterisation by that worthy thespian.

[terrylj]

The longest-running (seven seasons) and most-shown-in-America Doctor, which means that he's generally the favorite and most recognizable among Americans.
He was the one with the hugely long and multi-colored scarf.

*has no Fourth Doctor icon, so uses a Seventh Doctor one at you instead*

[scionofgrace]

Personally I like Tom Baker (the 4th Doctor) in the role of Puddleglum.

::coughs in shock:: No way. Oh, I totally have to see that now. He would be PERFECT.