C.
S. LEWIS
The
Silver Chair
Chapters
1-8
STUDY QUESTIONS
1.
What is the setting of this story? Where does
the story begin in Chap. 1? What is the school
called? Which books were not encouraged at that school? What did Jill and Eustace have in common? How do they attempt
to get into Narnia? How does Jill cause trouble on the cliff?
2. Lewis compares Aslan to the lion statues in London’s Trafalgar Square. There are some wonderful pictures posted on the
Internet (see: http://www.photoguide.to/london/trafalgarsquare.html). The lion’s faces are huge and majestic. How does
Jill feel about the lion when she wants to take a drink?
Is the lion harsh or cruel? Compare
what Aslan says to Jill with Isaiah 55:1 and with Jesus’ words about water to the
woman of Samaria in John 4:7-15. What does
Jill admit to Aslan, and then what task does He give to her?
What four signs is Jill commanded to remember?
3. In Chap. 3 the castle is described as “many-turreted.” What does “turreted” mean? The owl, Master Glimfeather, reveals where they are
located inside of Narnia. Where is it? It had been less than a year since Eustace had
traveled with Caspian on the Dawn Treader. How
many Narnian years does Eustace estimate to have passed since then?
4. Why do the owls call a parliament? Are they
loyal to the true king? What are they afraid
will happen to Jill and Eustace? Why has the
old king sailed off for Terebinthia? What do
the children learn from Glimfeather about the lost prince and the great, green serpent? The serpent is a symbol for the devil in the Bible
(cf. Gen. 3:13; Rev. 20:2). What is it about
snakes that make them such a good symbol for evil? What
do the owls think has happened to the prince? Do
they think he’s been killed? Why?
5.
How would you describe a Marsh-wiggle? What
earthly creature would you compare it with? Does
Puddleglum’s name seem appropriate? Why? How would you describe his personality? Would you like to have him as a friend? Do you know anyone like him? Do you think he will make a good companion?
6. In Chap. 6 we get to hear Jill pondering about giants.
Where did she think all the stories about giants came from? What first convinces her that the supposed rocks
were in fact real giants? What game are the
giants playing (basically just throwing something at a target)? That night the “wiggle” and the children
“bivouacked.” What does that mean? Who
do they meet the next day? Is there anything
suspicious about them? What? What does the lady promise they will find at
Harfang?
7. Jill has a rough time when they try to explore the trenches of the ruined city. When she pretends to explore around a dark corner,
Eustace can tell that she “funked it” (i.e. shrunk in fear and failed to what
she said). What had caused Jill’s fear? What mistake did Jill make about the signs? Why? Who
alone voted against giving up the search? What
does the Porter call Puddleglum?
8. What motivates the Queen to offer Jill “possets and comfits and caraways” (a
hot, sweet drink; a fruit candy; and a herbal medicine)?
Describe Jill’s room. How
big is it? The nurse calls Jill a “poppet”
(small doll—a term of affection). How big
is the doll which the nurse brings Jill to play with?
What does Aslan do when Jill realizes that she has forgotten all the signs
in her dream? What does she see when she looks
out the window the next morning? What plan do
they make to escape?
C. S. LEWIS
The
Silver Chair
Chapters 9-16
STUDY
QUESTIONS
9. Lewis uses the expression “made love” for the way Jill acted so sweetly and
affectionately toward the Giants—to fool them and put them off their guard. What horrifying events at lunch time convinced them
that they must get away from Harfang immediately?
10. What is the mantra (short saying recited often as a kind of password) in Underland? Can you see any connection between that saying and
the words of Jesus in Matt. 7:13? How big is
the cave? What else do they discover on the
shore of the underground lake? Where does the
Warden of Underland take them? What is the
name of the sentry? When the Black Night at first laughs at their quest and interprets the
writing “under me” as an accident of nature, how does Puddleglum respond? What does this reveal about Puddleglum?
11. How long had Prince Rilian been held in
the power of the evil enchantment? Which
member of the group can smell danger in the air? How
do they first recognize that this must be Rilian? What
is the first thing Rilian does with his sword?
12. Chap. 12 is one of the best chapters in the book.
The witch’s arguments reflect the ideas of Sigmund Freud (1856-1939),
the famous psychiatrist. Freud was an atheist
and like the witch, he argued that our most deep-seated wishes about God and heaven are
“illusions”—false beliefs. C.S.
Lewis (1898-1963) pointed out weaknesses and
fallacies in Freud. For example, Lewis pointed
out that many Biblical ideas are just the opposite of wish-fulfillment. We wish that the teachings about our sin and God’s
judgment were not true! Lewis also pointed out that sinners have a
deep-seated wish to get away from God, and to be left alone.
In that way, Lewis argued, atheism may be even more of a wish-fulfillment
than belief in God. Lewis argued that healthy
desires usually point to real things which exist (like an appetite for food). How does Puddleglum overcome the witch’s
arguments here?
13. God’s judgment upon sin once took the form of a world-wide flood (Gen. 6-8). It is prophesied that God’s final judgment
will involve a great fire (2 Pet. 3:10-13). How
are both types of judgment used in Chap. 13? As
they prepare to battle the Earthmen, what discovery encourages Rilian? How does Rilian prepare his troops for battle? What do Jill and Eustace do to prepare? Why is Rilian light-hearted?
14. What is the name of the captured gnome? Where
does he want to go? What does he call the
Witch’s country? How does he describe the
“real” gems of Bism? How are they
different? Who in the group wants to accept
Golg’s invitation to visit Bism? Why?
15. What surprise meets Jill and the others when they finally reach the surface of Narnia?
16. Whom does Jill help to prepare breakfast? Who
comes to care for Puddleglum’s burnt foot? Why
do Centaurs eat such a big meal? How do Jill
& Eustace get back home? When they stop
for a while on the Mountain of Aslan, what do they witness taking place? Can you see any parallel with Luke 19:41 or Jn.
11:35? Where did the Head (principal) of
Experiment House end up?
N.Lund/Oxford Tutorials
8/12/02