STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Who are the main characters introduced in Chap. 1? How are they related? The "old Professor" is Digory (from the Magician’s Nephew). Why are the children sent to stay with him? The wardrobe is the same one which Digory made from the wood of the apple tree at the end of the Magician’s Nephew. Whom does Lucy first meet inside Narnia? What kind of creature is it? How is it described?

2. In Chap. 2, what names or titles does Tumnus use for Lucy? What does he call her? Why? Notice the titles of his books. Do any of them strike you as strange or humorous? What curse has the White Witch put upon Narnia? What has Tumnus agreed to do for the Witch? Why?

3. What do we learn about Lucy and Edmund in Chap. 3? Why did Edmund get into the wardrobe? What was his motivation? Did he want to visit Narnia too?

4. In Chap. 4, it help’s to know that the White Witch is Queen Jadis from the Magician’s Nephew. When she first sees Edmund, what does she think he is? When Edmund says he’s a boy, what title does the witch give him? How does Edmund feel when Lucy tells him what she’s learned about the Witch?

5. Edmund does "the meanest and most spiteful thing he could think of" in Chap. 5. What is it? Why does he do it? Do you know anyone like that? Have you ever done anything like that? Can you imagine doing something like that? What reasons does the Prof. give for trusting Lucy more than Edmund when their stories disagree?

6. In Chap. 6 the children discover that Edmund has been in Narnia before and that Tumnus has been arrested by Maugrim, Captain of the Witch’s Secret Police. What kind of images does the name Maugrim suggest to you? Does it seem like a good name for a character like him? What was Tumnus charged with? Whose fault is it that Tumnus was caught? Which creature first leads the children as a guide through the forest? What does a creature like that symbolize? Can you think of any reason to associate that kind of bird with hope?

7. In Chap. 7 the children hear about Aslan for the first time. Each of them responds differently. How do each of them feel when they first hear about him? Why do you suppose they react so differently?

8. In Chap. 8 the children learn more about whom Aslan is. What do the Beavers tell them? What more do the children learn about the Witch? Is she human? If she isn’t human, why would she pretend to be human?

9. What seems to frighten the Witch in Chap. 9? Why?

10. In Chap. 10 the children meet Father Christmas. How is he described? How is he like the traditional image of Santa Claus? How is he different? What is he doing in the middle of this story? What does he seem to represent? What does he give to the children? Are they toys?

11. In Chap. 11 Edmund is forced to face the true nature of the Witch. What does he learn about her? What name does she detest? Why do you suppose that is?

12. Peter fights the Wolf, Maugrim, in Chap. 12. How does Aslan honor him? What does Aslan say to Peter? What did Peter forget to do?

13. In Chap. 13 the Witch claims Edmund as her "lawful prey." Does this seem proper or fair? How does Aslan seem to think about this? What new things do we learn about her magic? What conversations does Edmund have, and with whom?

14. In Chap. 14 Lucy and Susan follow Aslan to the Stone Table. There are many parallels between Aslan’s sacrifice in this story and Jesus’ crucifixion in the Gospels (e.g. Matt. 26:38, 67). Can you find any of them? Do you think the author did than intentionally? Why, or why not?

15. The description of Aslan’s resurrection in Chap. 15 also reveals similarities with the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection in the Bible (e.g. Matt. 27:51-56; 28:1-2; Mk. 15:40; Lk. 24:1-3; 22-27, 36-43; Jn. 20:26-28). Can you find any of them?

16. Some readers think that there are also some Biblical parallels to the liberation of the frozen statues in Chap. 16. They point to passages like Matt. 27:52-54; Eph. 4:7-10. Do you see any similarities?

17. In Chap. 17 Edmund is knighted by Aslan. Why? What titles are given to the four children? Why do they follow the White Stag? What do you think the White Stag represents in the story? What would it give them if they were able to catch it? Do they catch it? What brings them back to England from Narnia? Do you think that’s an accident? Why, or why not?

N.Lund/Oxford Tutorials
8/10/02