The image and heart of nobility

[PrinceOfTheWest]

Clearly, one of the greatest characters in Dawn Treader is Reepicheep. In Caspian he's just another one of the Old Narnians, if one who's there for color and comic relief. But he is always the very picture of knighthood and honor. His personality and ideals really come out in Treader.

What do you love most about the noble Mouse? Has he inspired you? Have you learned from his ideals?

I'll give one example that's always moved me. Reep had no reason to love Eustace. He'd been insulted by him at their first meeting, gravely offended by the cheap trick Eustace played on him by swinging him about by the tail, and even had to accuse Eustace of trying to steal water after the storm. If anyone had reason to avoid and disdain Eustace, it was Reepicheep.

Yet when misfortune befell Eustace and he found himself a dragon, Reep went out of his way to comfort and reassure him regarding his fate. This couldn't have been out of friendship or personal affection, for there was neither between them. What motivated Reep was his nobility and honor: comforting the distressed was simply something a knight did, no matter how much he liked or disliked the person. This is nobility in action: not putting on airs or making high-sounding statements, but doing what one must do because that is part of who you are.

Has Reepicheep been a role model to anyone else? If so, how?

[Driad54]

A Reepicheep is much needed in this modern day society of ours.

[MrBob]

Reep is the penultimate version of a valiant knight. The rules of chivalry meant more to him than anything else. Note how Lewis really gave him no other emotion other than those which exemplify the chivalrous attitude of the perfect knight.

In this sense, Reep never liked nor disliked anyone, he merely felt a duty to protect those whose honor was earned. Eustace was a person who was under the priotection of Queen Lucy and King Edmund. As Reep says to Lucy (end of ch. 1): "Am I to understand that this singularly discourteous person is under your Majesty's protection?" This after Eustce was shocked to see Reep and ordered anyopne to take him away.

It was only because of Lucy and Edmund's wishes (implied) that Reep did not take care of Eustace at once. Yes, he did defend himself after Eustace flung him around, but after that, it was time to talk duel.

When Eustace turned into a dragon, it was Reep's duty to comfort Eustace. This was his chivalrous duty. When a friend is not feeling well (or the protectorate of a friend), a knight must do all he can to help the friend. To do any less is a dereliction of duty.

MrBob

[~Lava~]

I love Reep. He is the ultimate hero in the books; he, alone, seemed appropriate to be the first one to go, living, into Aslan's Country.

[Copperfox]

Reepicheep's compassion for Eustace-as-dragon is also MY favorite thing about him. Frankly, Reepicheep's obsession with HIS OWN dignity is NOT a role model for ME, who have managed to endure unjust, undeserved humiliations for most of my life.

To me, Puddleglum is a MORE heroic character than Reepicheep; for when he expects total disaster, he nonetheless resolves unflinchingly to stay faithful to Aslan IN the disaster.

[PrinceOfTheWest]

MrBob, I think you've put your finger right on it. To Reep, how he felt about a topic didn't matter - the question was what his duty was and how he could best discharge it.

How different that is from our modern attitude! In our post-Romantic culture, we think that the things we most feel like doing are what we really should do, and that doing something as a duty is a lesser motive - as if you're just doing it because you *had* to.

But Reepicheep demonstrates that laying down his personal preferences to serve the noble ideal of knighthood doesn't quench our individuality, but rather enhances it. In fact, when the party discovers Eustace missing on Dragon Island and Rhince makes a snide but understandable comment about it being good riddance, Reepicheep's response is worth quoting at length:

"Master Rhince", said Reepicheep, "you never spoke a word that became you less. The creature is no friend of mine but he is of the Queen's blood, and while he is one of our fellowship it concerns our honor to find him and to avenge him if he is dead."

I notice a couple of things here. First is the noble concern for their duty toward Eustace regardless of their personal preference. But notice also the gentility of the rebuke to Rhince. Even when Reep is holding up the ideal of knighthood, he does it with courtesy toward the party he is correcting. The tenor is very much "come now - I know you can do better than that." He expects those around him to rise to his standards - and they do.

Can we do the same?

[PrinceOfTheWest]

Y'know, CF, I think you have a bit of a point, but I think it's more pertinent to Reep as he's portrayed in Caspian than as he shows up in Dawn Treader (perhaps he did a bit of growing?) I see him being concerned for his honor, though it isn't his primary concern (e.g. he's willing to set it aside "for the convenience of a lady"). He's concerned about living up to a high calling, and encouraging all those with him to do the same, but I don't see him prickly about his own name.

One thing to keep in mind about Reep - he grew up as part of a hidden and threatened society in an occupied country. He lived "underground" (literally as well as figuratively), and was part of a dramatic retaking of his country that was a shortened version of the Reconquista that Christian Spaniards endured to reclaim their land from the Moorish conquerors. The life of the sword, of drawing first and asking questions afterward, would have been what he learned growing up. Being a knight meant that sometimes he was the only thing between the helpless and a deadly threat, and the code by which he lived would have had to be stern enough to bear that load. There couldn't have been a lot of room for taking time to understand the opponent's point of view, or evaluating the options presenting themselves in this situation. Thus you would expect some pricklishness and sensitivity to threat, much as you could from Spanish knights of the 15th and 16th centuries.