Re: Top 10 Favorite Characters (BOOKS ONLY)
Posted: Jul 09, 2012 10:23 pm
My username is its own testimony of who I think is the superlative of "favourite," so knowing that Aslan is my favourite favourite /favourite/ character, I will see from the other characters in the book ...
(The way Ithilwen said, Aslan strikes me as the best fictional representation of Christ. His character is deep and his wisdom unfathomable. He is the pillar upon which all the stories rest. Without Aslan, the stories themselves are pretty helpless. Aslan is the rock upon which the stories lie.)
Such a hard question. These are the ones that I've decided on now, but I could easily change this list because I love all the characters in a different way. .... There are far too many to write, so I'm just going to write three which come to mind now.
1. Shasta
The first time I read HHB, I think I was completely engrossed with the story from the start because Shasta was such a fascinating character. I think this is also because he is the one out of the entire series that I relate to the most. C.S. Lewis constantly vocalizes how Shasta feels about something or what he reasons. A lot of the book is focused on Shasta's intuitiveness and what he thinks to himself. (and C.S. Lewis, I feel, did this for all the characters, but I think because I can relate to Shasta best, Shasta's character struck me as definitely unique.) I can relate to his fear, his turned-offness at Aravis, how he acted at the tombs, and his encounter with Aslan. The passage where Aslan is with him is, for me, the most beautiful passage in the entire chronicles. It is the one that speaks most deeply to me, because it reminds me of things God has taught me in my own life when my response was precisely that of Shasta's.
The interesting think about Shasta is that we get the idea that he has grown up very lonely in his life - he hardly left the cottage that Arsheesh and him resided in, and we're not told he had any close friends or acquaintances, so he seems rather lonely and searching. And I find it very powerful that Aslan tells Shasta that he was not alone in his life, and Aslan was the one coordinating events in his life and leading, guiding, and protecting him.
(Arsheesh himself is an interesting character. I've always been interested in how Aslan kept specifically Arsheesh up and led him to be by the beach so that he would find Shasta.)
After that novel...
2. Jill Pole
She did not grow up like the Pevensies or like any of the characters (except maybe Eustace.) We know nothing of her parents, but judging by some things, we can tell that she has basically been thrown in the Experiment House. Despite this, she is fiercely loyal, extremely brave, and very adventurous. I find her first encounter with Aslan really beautiful. It's really something how Aslan responds to each unique character. He is unchanging and acts the same, but his way of dealing with the characters is different - such as how he deals with Lucy is different than how he deals with Jill. I love the passage where she meets Aslan for the first time. After the one in HHB, this encounter with Aslan is my favourite... though Eustace's Undragoning ties.
3. Lucy Pevensie
Lucy is also one of my favourites. She is sweet, very considerate, compassionate, thoughtful, and very sensitive to those around her. Aslan's titles for her - "Lucy the Valiant" and "Lioness" are especially apt. Lucy, despite her struggles, seems like the kind of friend who would always encourage you. I love the way she bonds with Aravis in HHB. Lucy's character shines so beautifully throughout all the books - she was the first to find Narnia; her first encounter with Narnia was just like ours. Her faith in Aslan is inspiring. I really enjoy the passages by her and Aslan - they interacted so closely, and she was so able to let down all her guards and be completely herself before Aslan. (as we see her talking to Aslan in Prince Caspian.)
... I have quite a bit to say about my favourites so I'll hit post for now.
(The way Ithilwen said, Aslan strikes me as the best fictional representation of Christ. His character is deep and his wisdom unfathomable. He is the pillar upon which all the stories rest. Without Aslan, the stories themselves are pretty helpless. Aslan is the rock upon which the stories lie.)
Such a hard question. These are the ones that I've decided on now, but I could easily change this list because I love all the characters in a different way. .... There are far too many to write, so I'm just going to write three which come to mind now.
1. Shasta
The first time I read HHB, I think I was completely engrossed with the story from the start because Shasta was such a fascinating character. I think this is also because he is the one out of the entire series that I relate to the most. C.S. Lewis constantly vocalizes how Shasta feels about something or what he reasons. A lot of the book is focused on Shasta's intuitiveness and what he thinks to himself. (and C.S. Lewis, I feel, did this for all the characters, but I think because I can relate to Shasta best, Shasta's character struck me as definitely unique.) I can relate to his fear, his turned-offness at Aravis, how he acted at the tombs, and his encounter with Aslan. The passage where Aslan is with him is, for me, the most beautiful passage in the entire chronicles. It is the one that speaks most deeply to me, because it reminds me of things God has taught me in my own life when my response was precisely that of Shasta's.
The interesting think about Shasta is that we get the idea that he has grown up very lonely in his life - he hardly left the cottage that Arsheesh and him resided in, and we're not told he had any close friends or acquaintances, so he seems rather lonely and searching. And I find it very powerful that Aslan tells Shasta that he was not alone in his life, and Aslan was the one coordinating events in his life and leading, guiding, and protecting him.
(Arsheesh himself is an interesting character. I've always been interested in how Aslan kept specifically Arsheesh up and led him to be by the beach so that he would find Shasta.)
After that novel...
2. Jill Pole
She did not grow up like the Pevensies or like any of the characters (except maybe Eustace.) We know nothing of her parents, but judging by some things, we can tell that she has basically been thrown in the Experiment House. Despite this, she is fiercely loyal, extremely brave, and very adventurous. I find her first encounter with Aslan really beautiful. It's really something how Aslan responds to each unique character. He is unchanging and acts the same, but his way of dealing with the characters is different - such as how he deals with Lucy is different than how he deals with Jill. I love the passage where she meets Aslan for the first time. After the one in HHB, this encounter with Aslan is my favourite... though Eustace's Undragoning ties.
3. Lucy Pevensie
Lucy is also one of my favourites. She is sweet, very considerate, compassionate, thoughtful, and very sensitive to those around her. Aslan's titles for her - "Lucy the Valiant" and "Lioness" are especially apt. Lucy, despite her struggles, seems like the kind of friend who would always encourage you. I love the way she bonds with Aravis in HHB. Lucy's character shines so beautifully throughout all the books - she was the first to find Narnia; her first encounter with Narnia was just like ours. Her faith in Aslan is inspiring. I really enjoy the passages by her and Aslan - they interacted so closely, and she was so able to let down all her guards and be completely herself before Aslan. (as we see her talking to Aslan in Prince Caspian.)
... I have quite a bit to say about my favourites so I'll hit post for now.