The One Ring... In Voyage of the Dawn Treader

[Ithilwen]

In Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Eustace puts a ring on his arm which he took from the treasure pile. After he turns into a dragon, it becomes stuck, and causes him great pain. Once it's off, no one else wants it, and it is thrown to a place too high to reach from below, and too low to reach from above, and stays there, perhaps, forever.
This always seemed to me like it was a symbol for something. If it is symbolic, what do you think the ring could be symbolic of? Eustace's greed, when he took the treasure? Eustace's old self in general?
I was thinking maybe it stood for the guilt Eustace felt about the way he treated the others. Now that he sees his true self as a dragon, he is pained by it, but doesn't know how to change. In a similar way, the ring causes him pain, but he doesn't know how to get rid of it. In the end, the ring is thrown where no one can ever reach it again, symbolizing Eustace being finally freed from his guilt, now that he is a new person.
What do you think it might mean?


~Riella

[Shy Galadriel]

An interesting perception E+J; I actually, honestly, never thought of the ring at all. But now that you mention it... I think it may have to do with the Bible verse that has to do with "as far as the East is from the West so far is your iniquity taken from you." That would also apply to the arm-ring, don't you think?

[OakDryad71]

I agree, Shy. I believe the arm ring symbolized the grief and burden only Eustace was and could carry on a personal trial, as we all in our own seperate distinction of our sin nature burden. No one else could carry it...as in the text "...and it is thrown to a place too high to reach from below, and too low to reach from above...", and likewise no one else could experience it in the exact same way. It was unique only to Eustace, and Aslan, like Christ, knew this, and extracted the ring...the stones He removes from our lives, and throws them in the fartherest place, the deepest sea, never to be seen again. This is what makes our personal relationship with God so personal. This, I believe, is what Lewis meant.

[Shy Galadriel]

Good thoughts. and welcome OakDryad! I hope you enjoy Narniaweb!

[Aravis Narnia]

I simply thought of it as a symbol of greed and all the problems it could cause. Like Marie Antoinette's greed leading partially and indirectly to the French Revolution. Eustace's greed led him to show his dark side, revealing itself as a dragon. Greed is also shown in Caspian during this book, though he never transforms.

[OakDryad71]

True also, Ara. Both yours and Shy's points are valid. Both points also point to the same outcome. The exposure of true human nature. However, it was through this example of the refinement of character in Eustace that Lewis made an example of all of us in our choices. Aslan appears to teach many things of instruction through the personal trials of the characters of Narnia. To me, this is the only real test of character.

[beloved]

I always thought is was meant to repersent greed, epecially after it caught right above the inscription. If you came to an Island where there was a shiny gold and dimond braclet but just below it you see that some may have died here you could easily guess that the gold here was cursed.
It reminds me of Pharaoh when he hardend his heart and God let is stay that way, let him live with his decision, ultimately leading to the death of his son. When Eustace had decided to stay there, keep the treasure for himself, and even when he was a dragon to get revenge, he sealed his own fate and was made to live with his choice. Throwing away the braclet, i think, was a symbol of throwing that part of himself away, casting it off like the dragon skin.
Now there is a catch here since Caspian threw the arm ring. I don't think that is something to ignore. As much as we can do nothing about our own skins without Aslan we must seek fellowship with friends like Caspian to help us remember everyday that we cast away our old self and people have been put in our lives to help us.

[Valiant]

I think it shows what one can become when one is greedy.

[aragorn2]

I never even thought of it having any meaning, I just thought that the only reason the ring was there was so they can know Octesian died there.

I don't think everything in the Chronicles has to have some kind of meaning.
But to might. It would be awesome to be shown all the things we are missing