Some of my fondest memories from elementary and middle school are my teachers reading books to our class. I can’t recall ever going over fairy tales or nursery rhymes in school. However, there are a handful of books that have influenced me and still hold a special place in my heart. It is extremely difficult to have to choose between all the amazing stories I have read and discuss only a few captivating moments. With that being said, I would have to narrow my choice down to one book: "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S Lewis.
"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" is far and away my favorite book from my childhood. The first time I heard of this book was in third grade. Our teacher told us that we would be reading the book for that upcoming month or so. Everyday the class would gather around the rug and our teacher would read to us while we listened. I remember being totally fascinated by the story. This was the first time I was completely enthralled and emotionally invested in the plot and characters in a book. I looked forward to nothing more than being able to sit on the rug and listen to my teacher read the book.
There are two elements of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe"that really stood out for me. One element is something we discussed in class: I was afraid while listening to the story. I wasn’t terrified but I had more of an ominous and suspense-filled sensation throughout the novel. I specifically remember getting a twisting knot in my stomach when Mr. Beaver discussed how some of the trees were turning to the Witch’s side. I also recall the same feeling when the children arrived at Mr. Tumnus’s house to discover that the Witch’s police took him. It was moments like that that kept me interested and entertained while listening to the book. To this day, I still crave and desire to feel these emotions when I read books.
The second factor that made me fall in love with this book was my admiration for Aslan. To this day, he may be my favorite character in any book I have read. My appreciation for this character began even before he was actually in the story. We first hear of Aslan when Mr. Beaver mentions him to the children while they are having dinner. C.S Lewis then goes into detail about how each of the children create different depictions of who Aslan is and what he means to them. I remember hearing that and doing this myself. I don’t recall if they mention if he is a Lion or not at this point. Even so, I do remember that a Lion was the first thing that came to my mind. Some other characteristics that crossed my mind were strength, courage, and leadership. When Aslan came into the story, all these thoughts and feelings that I had surmised earlier in the story came to be true. He proved to be a great leader that everyone in Narnia aspired to be like. However, I did not admire his leadership fully until he sacrificed himself to the Witch for Edmond. Not only does he love Narnia enough to die for it, but he also realized that the freedom of Narnia is more important than he is. The fact that he was able to recognize this and expose himself to such humiliation during the crucifixion proved his leadership.
Words cannot express my deep affection for this novel. Whenever I reflect on my childhood and my early school career, I will always think of this book first. I know that when I am older and have kids, or even if I am a teacher, this will be the first novel I will introduce them to. Hopefully, the book will make them as happy as it made me, and that they fall in love with it like I did.
