Turkish Delight cure?

[Glumpuddle]

Probably the Queen knew quite well what he was thinking; for she knew, though Edmund did not, that this was enchanted Turkish Delight and that anyone who had once tasted it would want more and more of it, and would even, if they were allowed, go on eating it till they killed themselves.
--LWW, ch. 4

He had eaten his share of the dinner, but he hadn’t really enjoyed it because he was thinking all the time about Turkish Delight—and there’s nothing that spoils the taste of good ordinary food half so much as the memory of bad magic food
--LWW, ch. 9

I was reading LWW last night, and it occurred to me that Edmund is never cured of his Turkish Delight craving. Seems a bit odd, no? I guess we just have to assume the magic eventually wore off.

[Dylan]

That is weird, Lewis did never mention it.

[Louloudi the Centaur]

He had eaten his share of the dinner, but he hadn’t really enjoyed it because he was thinking all the time about Turkish Delight—and there’s nothing that spoils the taste of good ordinary food half so much as the memory of bad magic food
--LWW, ch. 9

This entire scene takes place before Edmund realizes his mistake of following the White Witch, and more significantly, the sacrifice of Aslan. Do we hear of Turkish Delight after any of these scenes in the book? I think Edmund was cured later on, after Aslan's death.

[Glumpuddle]

We have to assume that Edmund was cured of course. But it's a bit strange that Lewis didn't make a point of it. We can only guess...

Perhaps it would not be much of a stretch to suppose that Edmund's craving for turkish delight died along with the Witch's winter. The spell that made it always winter and never Christmas obviously faded, so perhaps it's reasonable to assume that the power of the enchanted turkish delight faded there as well. Both spells came from the Witch.

Whatever the case...a bit odd that Lewis didn't mention it.

[...] and more significantly, the sacrifice of Aslan. [...] I think Edmund was cured later on, after Aslan's death.

Hmm, care to elaborate on that? I don't see how Aslan's death could be a factor. Edmund belonged to the witch because he was a traitor. I don't think eating the turkish delight made him a traitor. Going to the Witch and telling her where his siblings were was the treason.

[Ithilwen]

I think maybe Edmund's craving lasted as long as Jadis had power over him. Kind of the way sin has power over us before we come to Christ. But after we come to Christ, Christ has triumphed over our sin. In the same way, I think, when Aslan died for Edmund, saving him from the Witch, it also saved him from the craving because that was a part of her power over him.


~Riella

[waggawerewolf27]

It depends on what the Witch put into the Turkish Delight, a popular Christmas time confection to have around to entertain people. You can find one recipe here.

To make this confection, some recipes use gelatin, a product that is neither kosher nor halal. Otherwise, recipes would have to depend on lemon juice, rosewater and other ingredients to get the jelly-like texture. When the White Witch could rustle up prettily packaged delicious Turkish Delight at the wave of a wand, without even a microwave handy, it might contain other substances missing from normal Turkish Delight.

My guess is that Edmund tried other non-enchanted Turkish delight, such as the Calormene style Turkish Delight Lazaraleen offered to Aravis, in HHB, or maybe Edmund tried Turkish Delight back in England, and found that it was nothing to be addicted to, after all.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Not sure why the Turkish Delight would have to be kosher or halal. It's not like Edmund was Jewish or Muslim. I didn't realise that this point was never addressed in LWW but I always assumed Edmund was cured when Aslan breathed on him. I guess it would've been too dark for Lewis to show someone eating themselves to death. That and the redemptive ending wouldn't have been possible.

[stateofgreen]

I think maybe Edmund's craving lasted as long as Jadis had power over him. Kind of the way sin has power over us before we come to Christ. But after we come to Christ, Christ has triumphed over our sin. In the same way, I think, when Aslan died for Edmund, saving him from the Witch, it also saved him from the craving because that was a part of her power over him.


~Riella

I agree with this.

Rosewater flavoured Turkish Delight (in my personal opinion) tastes awful. So Edmund's taste buds were deceived into thinking it was some great tasty treat, when really it wasn't.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_delight

[narnialuver]

I think He just forgot or he thought that there where more important things to think of. but the white which did put the craving on him but he still loved it

Rosewater flavoured Turkish Delight (in my personal opinion) tastes awful. So Edmund's taste buds were deceived into thinking it was some great tasty treat, when really it wasn't.

He asked for it himself. it's English food also. so white which would give him a more Narnian food if he where under a spell.


and I love Turkish Delight and Rosewater!

[Anhun]

Honestly, I think the food ingredients are irrelevant. As luver just said, Edmund asked for it himself. If he had wanted sauerkraut, she would have given him enchanted sauerkraut. And he would have wanted to eat *that* until he keeled over. She put a spell on the food to make it addictive.

I like Ithilwen's suggestion that the waning of the witch's power in general corresponded to a waning of Edmund's addiction. As she, along with her various spells (such as the winter spell), became less powerful, her spell over the food became less powerful. It was easier for Edmund to resist. When she was vanquished he was completely cured, and he could go back to enjoying regular food.

Also, and I know this is neither here nor there, I had a turkish-delight-filled chocolate bar a while back and it was quite yummy.

[narnialuver]

yeah! While the witch lost her power the spell when't away Just like how winter was turning into spring. and when aslan was talking to Edmond aslan may have addressed that.

Anhun: Was it Nestlé's Big Turk.

[DiGoRyKiRkE]

MOD NOTE:

Guys, keep this thread on topic. Talking about Turkish Delight recipes and how much one likes/dislikes a particular food item was not the intent of this thread. Get back on topic, or I'll have to start asking you guys for edits.

[Lion's Emblem]

Hmm, I never really thought about this. I just assumed that it was an idea that was given to the reader and not something we actually had to be told was undone. To me, when Edmund saw the White Witch for what she truly was, that's when his desire for Turkish Delight went sour. As though her actions would give him a sickening feeling so would the thought of eating more of Turkish Delight. If Edmund had any further delights for the treat, it's safe to assume that Aslan cured him of it. As a contrast to the sickening feeling from Jadis and the Turkish Delight, Aslan would bring the opposite effect to Edmund.

[Anfinwen]

The Cordial might have had something to do with the cure; but I think it is likely that Edmund had already conquered his craving before then, when he recognized what it had done to him and decided to fight against his desire.

"'If Id known you had got in I'd have waited for you,' said Lucy, who was too happy and excited to notice how snappishly Edmund spoke or how flushed and strange his face was."

"When at last she was free to come back to Edmund she found him standing on his feet and not only healed of his wounds but looking better than she had seen him look - oh, for ages."

[Lilygloves]

I always assumed he was cured of the desire to eat Turkish Delight when he went to the Witch's house and realized she was a horrible person. He realized she would never make him king and tried to convince himself it was only a dream. After that, it didn't seem as if he would want anything from him.
But if he literally had to be cured, I would assume it would be after Aslan talked to him or after he was cured because he looked better than ever.

[Varnafinde]

The Witch asked him what he most wanted to eat, and he answered 'Turkish Delight', so he already had the craving to some extent from England. But she added the magic, and that's what changed things.

I think it was Lucy's cordial which healed him of the 'magic craving'.