I just finished it *SPOILERS*

[calingaladha]

And I cant believe they all die; that shocked me so!

I do wonder though, wouldn't Eustace and Jill still be alive, considering they weren't on the train? They were still in the new Narnia though...and also, I'm pretty sure Susan wasn't on the train, although after reading it I wish she had died. and not been sent back to Narnia.

I wonder what happened to the toffee tree...I don't remember it being mentioned at the end :(.

I don't read into any supposed 'religious' themes in the Chronicles, being atheist and all, but correct me if I'm wrong; wasn't Lewis an atheist as well, for at least some period of time?

And long live the BBC movies of these books ^^ because I dont trust Disney anymore

[rosymole]

hey there Cali!! great to see you post here!
FYI, some of our members (for some reason?!) havne't read al the books so if you post a spoiler notice that would be cool!

As to your Q's, there are many mysteries within the CoN and LB is full of them...and you are correct Sue wasn't on the train so maybe she ended up back in Narnia but who knows..
The toffee tree was en route to the the garden on the hill so if they turned back it might still be there?
As for the 'God' things in CoN, Lewis became converted to Christianity in his 30's, I think, and it affected him in such a way that he felt the need to spread the word, but as your an Atheist that's still cool, we are understanding of all beliefs and faiths here so feel free to speak your mind, but in anice way of course, coz were al nice too!!
come and join in all the debates and chats..we are very nice !!

[Hope96]

Welcome to the site!

What Rosy said is correct. Lewis was an atheist. But from what I understand, he converted to Christianity because he began this quest to prove that there was no God and while trying to prove this he came to the realization that there is a God and Jesus Christ was exactly who he said he was.....the son of God.

[calingaladha]

Oops sorry about the spoilers, I'll fix that

Haha Im so used to being ridiculed for being an atheist(I live in tennessee)

anyhoo...i was wondering more about Eustace and Jill and if they died and thats why they stayed or what

[inkspot]

I think that Eustace and Jill "died" in the best possible way in TLB: they were fighting for Narnia when they were overcome by their enemies and forced into the stable. Their deaths were not in our world, but in Narnia. They couldn't die in our world at the train crash because they were physically present in Narnia at that time. (I know, they didn't get run through with a spear or something, and we don't see them at the point of physical death, but flying through that stable door symbolizes being killed by whatever terror the Calormenes believe is in there.)

I think Christian evangelicals who believe in the Left Behind/Rapture theory might acquaint their passing from this life to eternal life with being alive at the time of the return of Christ, they will never actually die, just move from this plane of existence to the next.

Cali, as an atheist, do you see any symbolism at all in the Narnia books? I have been curious on this point. Or do they just seem like good adventure stories without any kind of symbolism at all?

[calingaladha]

There is some symbolism, just not religious ones

I think Aslan symbolizes hope, courage and fear all at the same time. He brings fear to those who are weak-hearted or evil, and hope and courage to those strong in love and Good.

The 4 children (Lucy,Susan,Edmund,Peter) may symbolize the four seasons and the contrasts between them.

Eustace and Jill, at least in the beginning, are like night and day
Eustace is always all mopy and dark, while Jill at least tries to see the bright side of life

Uhh...thats all Ive theorized, but Im sure it makes no sense to you XD

[Hope96]

Hey Cali. I'm from Tennessee too. What part of TN are you in?

[calingaladha]

tiny town called Tullahoma is where I LIVE but I am FROM Colorado :)

[Hope96]

Hmm....Tullahoma? I believe I've heard of that town, but I'm not sure what part of TN it is in. I live in the northeastern part of Tennessee. Up in the corner of the state that borders with Viriginia.

[inkspot]

Im sure it makes no sense to you XD
It makes sense to me.
What is XD?

[holyboy]

What is XD?

I think its like a smilie.

[inkspot]

I think its like a smilie.
Oh, okay, thanx!

[Gibby]

tiny town called Tullahoma is where I LIVE but I am FROM Colorado :)

High country or plains? I live on the plains of Colorado. I can't imagine leaving the wide open space to live somewhere surrounded by trees. That would make me claustrophobic.

[Gibby]

I don't read into any supposed 'religious' themes in the Chronicles, being atheist and all, but correct me if I'm wrong; wasn't Lewis an atheist as well, for at least some period of time?



After Lewis became a Christian, he also wrote to explain the logics behind believing in God. I read Mere Christianity last summer, and he masterfully explains the logical reasons for belief in God which is not easy to do; showing others and explaining the unseen. But this was my take on the book. Anyone else read Mere Christianity? If so, maybe a new thread is in order.

[Checkmate]

Good for you...

[calingaladha]

Its a squinty smiley.. :) XD

[Johan 72109]

Hehe... This site needs more smileys... I mean, the number of times I've wanted a 'slightly disturbed' smiley (for threads involving BC), or an 'incredibly witty' smiley (to make up for my complete lack of said wit)... We need to get a petition going or something... ;)

[calingaladha]

High country or plains? I live on the plains of Colorado. I can't imagine leaving the wide open space to live somewhere surrounded by trees. That would make me claustrophobic.

High country. I was born in Colorado Springs, but I lived out in Elizabeth for about 9 years

[legolas]

there is a place called "elizebeth" thats interesting. i've never heard that.

[calingaladha]

Its a small town nearest to Parker(if i remember correctly) but we lived way out in the boonies of it. 40 min. from the nearest grocery store, and we had a well(the kind with running water, so if there was a drought or something, water was in short supply) we had dust storms, cacti, antelope-type things, foxes, coyotes that came to beg for food outside the fence at night, and 4 acres of land at least

[Hope96]

High country or plains? I live on the plains of Colorado. I can't imagine leaving the wide open space to live somewhere surrounded by trees. That would make me claustrophobic.
I have been to CO before, and it is beautiful there. But I wouldn't want to live anywhere but here in the mountains of East Tennessee. I don't feel claustrophobic at all. I went to Texas a few years ago on a business trip thing and I remember thinking...."Man I cannot wait to get home to the hills, mountains, and trees." It was so unbelievably flat. To me, mountains are MUCH better. :)

[inkspot]

Isn't it funny? I grew up in the desert in AZ, and you could see for miles into the sunset or off to the mountains far in the east ... I miss it! Now I live in the piney woods, and I would love to see the sun set over the flat, tan desert again with nothing but land, lots of land and starry skies above ...

[Hope96]

Yea, I guess when you are born and raised in a certain place your heart just yearns for that kind of place again. Being in TN my entire life I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

[Gibby]

Yea, I guess when you are born and raised in a certain place your heart just yearns for that kind of place again. Being in TN my entire life I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

I was born and raised in Wyoming, and I don't yearn for the sideways snow and below zero weather for weeks on end in the winter. But I do know what you mean.

[inkspot]

I was born and raised in Wyoming, and I don't yearn for the sideways snow and below zero weather for weeks on end in the winter.
LOL!


10thingy

[benjamin_narnialover]

Yea, I guess when you are born and raised in a certain place your heart just yearns for that kind of place again. Being in TN my entire life I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.
very true. i live in vancouver on the west coast, and i love living next to the ocean, mountains and the coniferous trees. whenever i go travelling, i do pine a bit for my home scenery.

calingaladha, have you read LWW and if you have did what symbolism or allegory did you notice in that?

[Sam]

After Lewis became a Christian, he also wrote to explain the logics behind believing in God. I read Mere Christianity last summer, and he masterfully explains the logical reasons for belief in God which is not easy to do; showing others and explaining the unseen. But this was my take on the book. Anyone else read Mere Christianity? If so, maybe a new thread is in order.

That was such a great idea- it's one of my favourite books ever, so I've started one. Thanks for the inspiration.

[Bitter Milton]

Maybe when Eustace and Jill were at the station, they were somehow killed in the accident. That's what i always assumed.

[inkspot]

They can't die in the train crash -- they are in Narnia already. If that were true, they would had to have been in two places at once.

[TimmyofOz]

From what I read everyone was involve in train crash. It appears the train had a braking problem, derailed and crashed into the station where Peter and Edmund (who had the rings) were waiting for the train. Jill, Eustace, Lucy, Aunt Polly and the Professor were on the train. Also by chance the Pevensie Parents happen to be also on the train too. I guess Aslan transported them all away as they died and their bodies were never discovered in the wreckage. Only Susan was not present.

[holyboy]

"...So Peter and Edmond were to meet us at a place on the way down to school...- and the Professor and Aunt Polly and Lucy came with us...And we were just getting to the station where the others were to meet us, and I was looking out of the window to see if I could see them when suddenly there came a most frightful jerk and a noise: and there we were in Narnia"

- Eustace, Page 50-51 Lions Edition

"There was a real railway accident." said Aslan softly, "Your father and mother and all of you are - as you used to call it in the Shadowlands - dead."

-Page 171 Lions Edition

I know there's another quote, but I cannot find it. Eustace and Jill were on the train when it crashed, and from what we were given we could only assume that they died in the crash

[borntofly]

yeah, the train they were on was in the crash.

[inkspot]

Why did Eustace and Jill arrive so much earlier in Narnia than the rest if they were all in the same crash? I am confused.

[waterhogboy]

Well - I think Alsan only wanted them first. Peeps arrive only when aslan so decrees.

[inkspot]

Yeah, right, that's a good point, WHB.

[unleavened]

Yup, one theme that runs throughout Lewis' books is that time is somewhat irrelevant to God.

[Narnia12]

Hey I finished the book about 3 months ago the last Battle!!!!!!! :)

[Inklet]

What did you think?

[borntofly]

Why did Eustace and Jill arrive so much earlier in Narnia than the rest if they were all in the same crash? I am confused.
By the rest do you mean Peter, Edmund, Polly , Lucy, and Digory? Becasue they never got to Narnia, they went to Aslan's Country, and so I think that they went there as soon as Jill and Eustace went to Narnia...but like Unleavened said, time is irrelevent to God...