The Complex Morality

: C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Interpreted from a Christian and a Secular Perspective.

Abstract

The essay discusses the moral lessons that are conveyed in C.S. Lewis´ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The didactic lessons are examined from a biographical point of view and with a New Critical close reading. The essay argues that the lessons can be interpreted in two different ways: from the secular and the Christian perspective. The focus is on the five most important lessons: forgiveness, self-sacrifice, friendship, compassion, and temptation. The essay concludes by stating that the lessons of the novel are possible to interpret both from the secular and the Christian perspective and that the novel is complex and multidimensional.