An Introduction To Plots, Issues And Themes

The Magician’s Nephew (1955) ◦ Themes : ◦ Creation ◦ Fall from Grace ◦ Temptation ◦ Forgiveness Diggory and Polly touch some magic rings, and are drawn into the world of Charn, where they wake the evil queen Jadis from a frozen slumber. She follows them to earth, and in an attempt to send her back, the children accidentally transport themselves and the evil queen to Narnia at the moment of Narnia’s creation. Aslan sends them on a quest for a silver apple to protect Narnia from the evil queen. Diggory fulfils the quest, and in turn is granted an apple to heal his own dying mother.

Literary Terms Title : The Magician’s Nephew ◦ Author: C. S. Lewis ◦ Genre: Fantasy ◦ Audience: Children Characters List the characters in the story and give a thorough description of each one. Determine the protagonist(s) and antagonist(s). ◦ Diggory (protagonist) Polly (protagonist) Aslan Uncle Andrew (antagonist) Jardis (the witch) (antagonist) Point of View: Who tells the story? ◦ The story is told from the point of view of Diggory and Polly. Setting ◦ The setting is London and Narnia, Charn and the Woods Plot Outline Diggory and Polly go to another world by use of magical rings. There they find an evil witch who by accident returns with them to their own world. In an effort to get her out, they take her, Uncle Andrew….

Literary Terms Conflict ◦ man vs. man man vs. environment man vs. himself man vs. animal ◦ There’s man versus man. Conflict with the witch (major conflict). And some conflict with Uncle Andrew in the beginning (minor conflict). ◦ Man versus himself. Diggory must fight against his instinct to save his mother in order to do what is right. Theme: The main theme or message of the story in universal terms that apply to everyone, regardless of age, race, or gender. ◦ There’s a common thread between Uncle Andrew and the witch. It’s made very clear. Both of them feel they are higher than authority and that the rules that apply to “commoners” do not apply to themselves. ◦ The story correlates greatly to the creation account and fall as described in the bible. ◦ Good vs Evil

Random Stuff ◦ Charn, and the world of which it is the capital city, are the birthplace of Jadis, the evil White Witch who later takes over Narnia. When visited briefly by Digory and Polly, the protagonists of the novel, the city is totally deserted, lifeless and crumbling, under a dying sun. Rivers have dried up, and neither weeds nor insects live. All life on the world of Charn had been destroyed by Jadis through an evil magic spell. In the novel, the city stands as an example of the dead end that can result if a civilization succumbs to evil.capital cityWhite WitchNarnia ◦ Wood : A place between worlds where you can choose where you go. ◦ From this dust, Andrew succeeded in making the magic rings, which could take people from various worlds to the "Wood between the Worlds" and back again. magic rings

Summary ◦ Narnia is one of many magical worlds ◦ This story, takes place in the late nineteenth century in London, ◦ Two children, Polly and Digory, are sent out of this world by Digory's evil Uncle Andrew. Digory is in London because his mother is dying ◦ Uncle Andrew is an arrogant visionary who believes that the rules of morality do not apply to him. ◦ He has made two types of rings from magic dust, one he thinks will send the children to another world and one will bring them back from that world. ◦ He tricks Polly into touching the yellow ring whereupon she vanishes; then he tells Digory about the green rings which he believes will bring them back and shames Digory into going to rescue Polly. ◦ Polly and Digory soon find out that Uncle Andrew is wrong about the rings. ◦ The yellow rings send them into a wood between the worlds where there are many small ponds of water. ◦ Each pond leads to a different world when one wears the green rings. Digory and Polly decide to explore one of the other worlds. ◦ The world they land in is an old world called Charn. There they find no living creature until they inadvertantly wake up Jadis, who had been the evil Queen of Charn. ◦ It was she who had spoken the word of magic that killed every living thing on her world.

MAIN/EXPERT GROUPS Expert Groups ◦ No 1: Chapter 1 ◦ No 2: Chapter 2 ◦ No 3: Chapter 3 & 4 ◦ No 4: Chapter 5 & 6 Discuss the Literary themes Main Characters Point of View Setting Plot Outline (so far) Conflict Theme Group work ◦ Go from Main group to Expert Group. Discuss Expert group answers and then bring them back to Main Group.

Chapter 1 – “The Wrong Door” Find four setting clues for this story (time period/ place) ◦ Long ago when your grandfather was a child Sherlock Holmes was still living ◦ A boy had to wear a stiff Eton collar everyday and schools were nastier ◦ "In those days in LONDON there lived a girl named Polly Plummer."

Chapter 1 – “The Wrong Door” Name three reasons for Digory’s bad attitude about London ◦ He lived in the country with a pony and a river ◦ His father was away in India ◦ His mother is dieing so he has to live with his aunt and uncle

Chapter 1 – “The Wrong Door” Why did Digory think that his Uncle Andrew was mad? ◦He has a study that Digory isn't allowed into; he tries to say things at dinner and Digory's Aunt [his sister] shuts him up; and Digory heard a yell out of the study as he was walking past the foot of the stairs.

Chapter 2 – “Digory and His Uncle” What do we know of Mrs. Lefay’s background? ◦ She was Uncle Andrew's Godmother. "She certainly got very queer in later life. Did very unwise things. That was why they shut her up." (Uncle Andrew) ◦ She didn't go to an asylum. ◦ She was always kind to Uncle Andrew. ◦ She went to prison but they let her out before she would die. ◦ Uncle Andrew was one of the few people she would allow to see her when she was dying. ◦ A few days before her death she asked Uncle Andrew to retrieve a little box from a secret drawer in an old bureau in her house and then made him promise that as soon as she was dead, he would burn it, unopened, with certain ceremonies. He did not keep his promise. ◦ She was one of the last mortals in this country who had fairy blood in her (she claimed there had been two others: a charwoman and a duchess). ◦ Uncle Andrew jokes that Digory is talking to one of the last men (possibly) who really had a fairy godmother.

Chapter 2 – “Digory and His Uncle” What were the promises Mrs. Lefay asked of Uncle Andrew? ◦ To burn the secret box without opening it after performing "certain ceremonies." He did not keep his promise.

Chapter 3– “The Wood between the worlds” With adjectives, describe the Wood Between the Worlds and how it made people feel. ◦ The Wood Between the Worlds is filled with soft, green light that is bright and warm. It is a quiet place with no sounds. There are dozens of quiet feeding water to the densely packed trees. Digory describes it as a "rich" place. It is a peaceful place that makes people feel so comfortable that they tend to forget all their worries and concerns and feel as though they belong there and have always belonged there.

Chapter 3– “The Wood between the worlds” What are the similarities between the Wood and the tunnel? ◦ The wood and tunnel are similar because they are both passageways between different places with multiple doorways/gateways.

Chapter 3– “The Wood between the worlds” What is the difference between Uncle Andrew’s ideas about the rings vs. the “real” story of how the rings work? ◦ yellow: takes you to the woods green: takes you out of the woods to different worlds

Chapter 4– “The Bell and the Hammer” List four major events in this chapter that involve sight or sound (in order 1. The light when they arrive is unlike anything they have ever seen; it is dull, red, and depressing. 2. When they stop to listen to see if they can hear anything, it is so quiet that all they hear is the thumping of own hearts. 3. When they come to the chamber full of people they are wearing vividly colored, expensive-looking clothes and expressions that gradually change from peaceful to scary. 4. They strike the bell.

Chapter 5 – “The Deplorable Word” ◦ Explain the destruction of Charn ◦ The final robed figure, the queen that Digory admires and Polly does not, is awakened by the bell and they have to hurry from the room where she was to escape the palace which is falling down. Jadis says that Charn was destroyed when her sister would not yield the throne and broke the promise during the war not to use magic. After the final battle had gone on for three days and the last of Jadis' soldiers had fallen, she used the Deplorable Word and a moment later she was the only living creature remaining in Charn.

Chapter 5 – “The Deplorable Word” ◦ List some similarities between Uncle Andrew and Jadis --They are both evil. --They both dismiss Polly and Digory because they are children. --They both ignore Polly and concentrate on interacting with Digory. --They both poke around with secret knowledge that is not meant for them (the deplorable word and the Atlantean box of Mrs. LeFay). --They both think that they are somehow bearing the weight of the world and are above mere common fold. --They both often have an expression on their faces described as "hungry and greedy."

Chapter 5 – “The Deplorable Word” ◦ Define deplorable and say what it means here as “the deplorable word” “ It is not certain that some wicked one of your race will not find out a secret as evil as the Deplorable Word and use it to destroy all living things. And soon, very soon, before you are an old man and an old woman, great nations of your world will be ruled by tyrants who care no more for joy and justice and mercy than the Empress Jadis. Let your world beware. That is the warning. [3] [3] Evil Human’s power of self-destruction A weapon of mass destruction

Chapter 6 – “The Beginning of Uncle Andrew’s Troubles” ◦ What new information do we learn about the rings? You don’t have to touch the rings you just have to touch someone else who is touching it.

Chapter 6 – “The Beginning of Uncle Andrew’s Troubles” ◦ What were gains and losses for Jadis in Other Worlds (the Wood and London)? GAINS & LOSSES Gain was they got back to Uncle Andrew's study, the loss was they brought the witch back with him.