Comments on: on narnia, philip pullman, and christian charity http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/2006/01/on-narnia-philip-pullman-and-christian-charity/ on young adult books Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:44:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rebecca LuElla Miller http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/2006/01/on-narnia-philip-pullman-and-christian-charity/#comment-153 Rebecca LuElla Miller Tue, 03 Jan 2006 18:22:27 +0000 http://paraklesis.com/childrens_publishing_news/?p=94#comment-153 With the hating women thing, I think the onus is on the accusers. What did Lewis ever do against women? The white witch was a representative of Satan, not women. Mrs. Beaver might be a better illustration of what he thought of women. Even the housekeeper, as I recall-- Mrs. McCready, who they were afraid of--proves out to be a friend, I think. Fact is, there aren't a lot of women in Narnia. But there weren't a lot in LofR either. BTW, in <i>Til We Have Faces</i> he wrote in first person, from a woman's POV. Was really, really good. I just don't see the hatred. And the racist thing. That others see parallels between the Calormen and some actual race of people says more about the critics than it does about Lewis. He was writing fantasy. His characters came from his reading and his imagination. As Sally has pointed out elsewhere, if Lewis really wanted to portray an enemy that would get people's blood boiling back in the early 1950's, he would have given them a German accent and made them blond-haired, blue-eyed. Becky With the hating women thing, I think the onus is on the accusers. What did Lewis ever do against women? The white witch was a representative of Satan, not women. Mrs. Beaver might be a better illustration of what he thought of women. Even the housekeeper, as I recall– Mrs. McCready, who they were afraid of–proves out to be a friend, I think.

Fact is, there aren’t a lot of women in Narnia. But there weren’t a lot in LofR either.

BTW, in Til We Have Faces he wrote in first person, from a woman’s POV. Was really, really good.

I just don’t see the hatred.

And the racist thing. That others see parallels between the Calormen and some actual race of people says more about the critics than it does about Lewis. He was writing fantasy. His characters came from his reading and his imagination. As Sally has pointed out elsewhere, if Lewis really wanted to portray an enemy that would get people’s blood boiling back in the early 1950′s, he would have given them a German accent and made them blond-haired, blue-eyed.

Becky

]]> By: Bryan Davis http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/2006/01/on-narnia-philip-pullman-and-christian-charity/#comment-152 Bryan Davis Tue, 03 Jan 2006 14:45:33 +0000 http://paraklesis.com/childrens_publishing_news/?p=94#comment-152 By the way, I read the discussion on the teacher and exposing the Santa Claus myth. I completely agree with you. I was amazed at the poor logic of the others, how they seemed to make a parallel with teaching against Christianity. That parallel is simply wrong. With Santa Claus, the parents know they're teaching a lie. I just don't get it. Don't ever lie to children. There's no need. If there's something you don't want them to know, just tell them you're not going to tell them. By the way, I read the discussion on the teacher and exposing the Santa Claus myth. I completely agree with you. I was amazed at the poor logic of the others, how they seemed to make a parallel with teaching against Christianity. That parallel is simply wrong. With Santa Claus, the parents know they’re teaching a lie.

I just don’t get it. Don’t ever lie to children. There’s no need. If there’s something you don’t want them to know, just tell them you’re not going to tell them.

]]> By: Bryan Davis http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/2006/01/on-narnia-philip-pullman-and-christian-charity/#comment-151 Bryan Davis Tue, 03 Jan 2006 13:21:34 +0000 http://paraklesis.com/childrens_publishing_news/?p=94#comment-151 Becky's examples of love in the book are good. How about some pro-female examples? Lucy is obviously the one with true faith who has to spread that to others. This is true throughout LWW, Prince Caspian, and Dawn Treader. Without her, Narnia would have been lost. For anti-racism, Puddleglum is a tremendous example of a hero from a strange race. The human children couldn't understand his pessimism and other habits, which parallels the misunderstandings between races and cultures in our world, yet Lewis makes him one of the greatest heroes in the series. By the way, you're not the last to blog on Narnia. I'm still holding off. But that's no surprise. My entries are so infrequent and narrowly focused, my topics are few. I think I will eventually mention the series (and the movie) as the classic example of what some of us are trying to do. Becky’s examples of love in the book are good. How about some pro-female examples? Lucy is obviously the one with true faith who has to spread that to others. This is true throughout LWW, Prince Caspian, and Dawn Treader. Without her, Narnia would have been lost.

For anti-racism, Puddleglum is a tremendous example of a hero from a strange race. The human children couldn’t understand his pessimism and other habits, which parallels the misunderstandings between races and cultures in our world, yet Lewis makes him one of the greatest heroes in the series.

By the way, you’re not the last to blog on Narnia. I’m still holding off. But that’s no surprise. My entries are so infrequent and narrowly focused, my topics are few. I think I will eventually mention the series (and the movie) as the classic example of what some of us are trying to do.

]]> By: Rebecca LuElla Miller http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/2006/01/on-narnia-philip-pullman-and-christian-charity/#comment-150 Rebecca LuElla Miller Tue, 03 Jan 2006 06:43:27 +0000 http://paraklesis.com/childrens_publishing_news/?p=94#comment-150 Mr. Tumnus repents of his initial intent and covers Lucy's presence in Narnia. The Beavers risk their lives to help the children. They in turn remain in Narnia to help Mr. Tumnus. That's just 3 examples of thinking of others at the risk of life that I thought of on the spur of the moment. Certainly that is love. I wonder what Pullman's definition could be. But as you indicate, there is a serious atheist blindness when it comes to Christians and Christian values. I wouldn't be surprised to see Pullman and his ilk marching up and down outside an abortion clinic with "Save the whales" signs. There is a tragic disconnect with what is and what ought to be. Becky Mr. Tumnus repents of his initial intent and covers Lucy’s presence in Narnia. The Beavers risk their lives to help the children. They in turn remain in Narnia to help Mr. Tumnus. That’s just 3 examples of thinking of others at the risk of life that I thought of on the spur of the moment. Certainly that is love.

I wonder what Pullman’s definition could be.

But as you indicate, there is a serious atheist blindness when it comes to Christians and Christian values. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Pullman and his ilk marching up and down outside an abortion clinic with “Save the whales” signs. There is a tragic disconnect with what is and what ought to be.

Becky

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