MinotaurforAslan wrote:"That is what would have happened, child, with a stolen apple. It is not what will happen now. What I give you now will bring joy. It will not, in your world, give endless life, but it will heal."
When my dad and I were discussing this during our first reading, we came up with the conclusion that Aslan was saying that it was better to die in this world, and go on to be with God in heaven, then to be stuck living here in this sinful world forever.
Also note that Aslan says endless life, not eternal youth, like the elves in LoTR possess.
Yes it sounds more like what happened to Voldemort than what happened to the LOTR elves. This is the extract from GOF (p. 566 my ed) which was his idea of endless life, and which reminds me so much of Aslan's talk to Digory.
"Aaah...pain beyond pain, my friends; nothing could have prepared me for it..... I was less than spirit, less than the meanest ghost... but still, I was alive. What I was, even I do not know...I, who had gone further than anybody along the path to immortality. You know my goal, to conquer death."
And Dumbledore replies to Voldemort in the following HP book, Order of the Phoenix (p. 718)
"...your failure to understand that there are things much worse than death has always been your greatest weakness".
Whether it is the White Witch or Voldemort the 'endless life' is a corrupt one, full of pain, regret and despair, devoid of joy and happiness, brought about by sinful choices, like trespass, theft and in Voldemort's case, murder. As Aslan would say, death would be preferable.
Isn't that also what was said on the gates of the garden?
Come in by the gate or not at al
Take of my fruit for others or forbear
For those who steal or those who climb my wall
Shall find their heart's desire and find despair.
