The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a prolific book by a world-known author C.S. Lewis. While many compare it to the Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R Tolkien, it can be argued that the work has much more in common with fairy tales and children’s stories. Its plot structure, characters, world, and mechanics are similar to those employed by folk tales and are best suitable for introducing children to the world of reading. This work will focus on discussing the various aspects of Lewis’ book that are reminiscent of fairy tales, while also noting significant differences.
First, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe heavily features sentient animals and talking animals. This is similar to fairy tales, which often give animals human traits or an ability to communicate with each other, using specific animals and associating them with character traits. In this way, a fairy tale fox is often selfish, cunning, witty, and charming, while a wolf may be intimidating and angry. Similar to that, animals in the Lewis book heavily feature in the plot, and influence it. Animals such as foxes, beavers, wolves, and lions exist in Narnia, among other, more fantastical creatures. They are portrayed as having a considerable level of intelligence and character, capable of supporting both the protagonists and the antagonists of the book. In this way, they act as a proxy of regular human characters and bring a touch of whimsicality into the story.
In connection with the previous point, there are also many common fairy tale tropes present in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The existence of magic, greedy witches, the main characters’ journey to defeat evil, and moral lessons. All of these traits allow Lewis’ book to be better understood by young readers, who may not be prepared to read a larger book in an unfamiliar format. The narrative introduces magical portals and different worlds to capture children’s sense of wonder, help them navigate a world they don’t yet understand, and provide them with the courage to ask the right questions. This type of engagement is invaluable in slowly easing younger kids into reading classical literature. The heavy presence of common narrative devices and tropes assists in building familiarity and teaches children to look for patterns in writing.
Another notable commonality between fairy tales and the work of C.S. Lewis is that children feature as main characters. While not all fairy tales use children as their protagonists, an overwhelming majority do. Not only is it a useful device to justify over-explaining common things, but it is also a great way to emotionally connect with a younger audience. Children want to see their stories told. They want to be involved in the society they live in and to see themselves as an important part of life. While living under the protection of adults, reading books and listening to stories with other children as characters gives them a sense of recognition and empowerment – something children often lack. Lewis recognized the importance of creating media for children, one that will prime them for a better future and a brighter tomorrow. Because of this, his main characters are also children, those who have to navigate dangerous, difficult, and painful situations – much like the readers in the real world. However, the protagonists also enjoy the gratification of success and the support of their loved ones, something that younger audiences need to embrace.