Edmund

[PrinceOfTheWest]

In Dawn Treader, Edmund almost fades away. After being a central character in Lion, and a firm "co-star" in Caspian, Edmund's role in the third Narnia work is fairly minimal. He's there for the important junctures (the capture by the slavers on the Lone Islands, being part of the landing party on Deathwater, etc.), but doesn't have much of a role.

Part of this is due to the brevity of the story. Dawn Treader is just longer than a novella, and there isn't room to focus on everyone. The vignettes which make up the story have their focus on various parties (e.g. Caspian in the Lone Islands, Lucy on the Island of the Dufflepuds), and there didn't seem to be time to fit Edmund in.

But he's still King Edmund, the senior king (technically) on the voyage, and he has occasional parts. Like the hinge of a door, these parts are small but important. We can use this thread to explore some of them.

[PrinceOfTheWest]

It isn't surprising that Edmund is the one to welcome the un-dragoned Eustace back to the fellowship of the Dawn Treader. Given his personal history, Edmund was particularly situated to be sensitive to Eustace's position, and to treat him with dignity and compassion.

In the midst of that discussion, Edmund says something that is so simple yet so profound that if he'd said nothing else in the entire book, that alone would have been worth having him in the story:
[Eustace]: "Who is Aslan? Do you know him?"
[Edmund]: "Well - He knows me."
In that simple statement, Edmund shows a profound understanding of Aslan and his own relationship to Him. Edmund couldn't truthfully say that he "knew" Aslan in the sense that one can know another. Aslan was to great and too mysterious to be truly known by any man.

And yet, Aslan chooses to befriend men - to know them personally. Aslan doesn't just know of Edmund (as you might from reading his name on a list), or know about Edmund (as you might from interviewing those who know him). Aslan knows Edmund - personally and intimately. Edmund probably realizes that Aslan knows him through and through. In four simple words, Edmund says volumes about Aslan, himself, and the nature of their relationship.

[Adanedhel]

I've experienced self-induced isolation and being known but nothing compares to being disappointed.

[~Lava~]

It is also interesting to note that Ed gets really uncomfortable around the Witch's knife in a way that no one else would. She tried to use it on him so he knew when he saw it that it was the one that she used on Aslan. It seems to me that Ed probably knew himself better than any one else knows themselves.