NarniaWeb Community Forums

I was wondering, does anyone know what happened to Caspian's mom? Did she dye giving birth, or did miraz kill her along with his father? Mods if this is the wrong place for this please move it!

sadly, Lewis never explains this
in a letter to a child who had written him concerning the want for more Narnia books, Lewis said that if the child wanted more Narnia tales, he could write his own

hope that helps!



-Libby

Yes, but why Lewis didn't try to explain it in one of the books in which Caspian appearances? Or maybe it could be explained in the films. The new adaptation of SC is an idea, but maybe it will be explained? It's so sad!

There is a theory put forth by several people on this forum (and several scholars actually) that C.S. Lewis intentionally avoided the subject of mothers, due to his lack of experience with one. His own mother died when he was very young (ten years old), and I don't think that he had enough of an emotional connection to portray the proper relationship that a mother has with their child.

I find it interesting to note that the only mother we actually see in the series (Mabel Kirke) is terminally ill. His mother died from (presumably) stomach cancer, and that is the same illness from which Mabel Kirke (supposedly) suffers. Sickness was the only way that he knew how to relate to mothers (or at least the dominant way).

The Pevensie's mother is barely mentioned. Cor and Aravis both have dead mothers. Caspian's mother is dead. Rillian's mother really has no role in SC other than to act as the catalyst which starts the events of the book, and Tirian's mother is never even mentioned (to my knowledge).

Either way, the subject of mothers in Narnia is talked about so little, that I think it could be argued that it was intentionally avoided by Lewis.

That makes sense Digorykirke, Guess C.S. Lewis left it up to his readers imaginations to come up with answers.

Can be. I really forgot about Lewis' mother. That's why Lewis didn't want Narnia to be filmed: he wanted readers to imaginate all, that's why he responsed for one child's letter that if any child wants more Chronicles of Narnia, it must write them on its own.

I do remember in Prince Caspian Dr. Cornelius says

But then your royal mother died, the good Queen and the only Telmarine who was ever kind to me.

I was always under the impression that Caspian's mother died when he was a little boy, maybe two or three, so he doesn't remember her very well. That's just the impression I got when I read the book The thought of Miraz killing her never occured to me, I just thought she got sick and died (queens have a habit of doing that in stories)

It was probably from sickness. If Lewis intended it to be portrayed as a murder, he would have specified that; just like he specified the murder of Caspian's father.


~Riella

DiGoRyKiRkE wrote:I find it interesting to note that the only mother we actually see in the series (Mabel Kirke) is terminally ill. His mother died from (presumably) stomach cancer, and that is the same illness from which Mabel Kirke (supposedly) suffers. Sickness was the only way that he knew how to relate to mothers (or at least the dominant way).

The Pevensie's mother is barely mentioned. Cor and Aravis both have dead mothers. Caspian's mother is dead. Rillian's mother really has no role in SC other than to act as the catalyst which starts the events of the book, and Tirian's mother is never even mentioned (to my knowledge).

Either way, the subject of mothers in Narnia is talked about so little, that I think it could be argued that it was intentionally avoided by Lewis.

There is also Alberta Scrubb, who can hardly be called motherly. We don’t know very much about her other than she raises her son to be arrogant and bigheaded. When Eustace changes into a much nicer boy she thinks he has become common place. Maybe Lewis found writing about mothers was too painful for him.

As for Caspian’s mother I’ve always assumed she died when he was a baby or toddler since he doesn’t seem to remember her.

That's a good point. I didn't think about his mother very much. I always assumed she died, because Dr. Cornelius didn't mention her murder, just that she died. And it was probably when Caspian was very, very young.

I never really thought about it to be honest. I always just asumed she died when Caspian was young or possibly in child birth.
Maybe Lewis just didn't mention it because it wasn't important to the story.

I assumed that she died when Caspian was a little boy- but not due to childbirth complications. That he had a memory of her. Cause unknown- may have been illness, but definitely not in a violent way.