The Deplorable Word

[lamer]

Hmm, everyone who's read MN knows what I'm talking about. Basically if you didn't Jadis knows this secret word. If she says it, everyone in the land but her dies.

My question is, why didn't she say it? She would have saved her life right before Aslan killed her... sure it's desperate but I would have...

[CSLewisFan]

The deplorable word would only work in her world. Not in ours or in Narnia.

You'll have to hear from the definitive expert, PrinceoftheWest, to be sure, but I think that is how it works :)

-Austin

[EveningStar]

The word that stopped a whole world in its tracks was.... "Christianallegory!" :D

[PrinceOfTheWest]

"definitive expert"? When did this happen? :)

[CSLewisFan]

"definitive expert"? When did this happen? :)
Well, I don't know. I do know that one doesn’t become a definitive expert overnight. I tried that already ;)

-Austin

[Seravian]

An allegorical interpretation: I always thought the Deplorable Word was an allegory for the Atomic Bomb. Charn was like a developed World. I don't really think that was the case in a World like Narnia, where everything was rather natural. Thus, I don't think an Atomic Bomb would have worked in the Middle Ages, for you wouldn't have had the devices needed for its launch.

Well, if Jadis had the wand the moment she came to ask Aslan's for Edmund's life, why didn't she turn Aslan into stone? The same reason i think applies for the use of the Deplorable Word.

The other thing is I think Jadis was too afraid in that moment
to think about the Deplorable Word. Imagine a Lion jumping right above you. And now add the Fact that it is THE Lion: an inmortal Lion that you know since the dawn of time in Narnia!!! She couldn't have even concentrated.

And last but not least: I always put into doubt whether Jadis really died in the LWW. I personally think her spirit endured. Her spirit is Evil, and Evil doesn't die.

[Namaste]

If memory serves, I don't remember reading this in LWW, but I do remember seeing it in The Magician's Nephew.

And Prince of the West, you are the expert. You blow so many of us away with your Narnia knowledge. :D

[PrinceOfTheWest]

Well, you raise a lot of issues here. First off, the Deplorable Word probably does not represent a direct comparison to either a fission or a fusion bomb, partly because neither of them have the capability to do what the Deplorable Word would - i.e. destroy all life. (Neither was the One Ring an allegory for nuclear weapons.) Aslan warns the children at the end of Nephew that before they die, great nations will be ruled by great tyrants. I would guess that with the idea of the Deplorable Word, Lewis meant the evil capabilities of man (and other races) and their deep capacity for depravity.

It's clear from Nephew that Jadis' powers were restricted outside of Charn. Her attempt to blast Aunt Letty failed, and probably most of her innate magic was weakened or rendered impotent, at least in our world. She didn't even try to curse Aslan in Narnia, she just threw the lamppost crossbar at Him - to no effect. Aslan explains that she will live in the north, "growing stronger in Dark magic", implying that the magic of the Narnian universe was something she had to learn anew (though her experience in Charn undoubtedly helped her learn more quickly). She probably couldn't find a Deplorable Word that would work in Narnia because there may not have been one.

Regarding her turning Aslan to stone: the book gives a better picture of how the meeting went. The Witch was petrified to come face-to-face with Aslan, and Mrs. Beaver observes that she never meets His eyes. Besides, even if she could have mustered enough courage to raise her wand, the spell probably wouldn't have worked. Remember, even Aslan's breath had the ability to undo that spell - it's unlikely that it would have worked on Him.

The question of the Witch's "immortality" has been debated (extensively) elsewhere. Your idea that her spirit would endure is probably correct, since spirits by their nature endure. But the implication that it would survive because it was Evil and Evil doesn't die is presuming that Evil has an independent existence. I'm pretty sure Lewis would side with classic theologians in saying that evil is parisitic, a corruption of good, and thus does not necessarily endure forever. Good can exists without evil, but evil cannot exist without a good to corrupt.

[EveningStar]

I am not a zoroastrian, not a dualist. Therefore I do not believe that Good and Evil are inverse energies.

God builds a TV from a thousand parts and Satan smashes it with a rock. To me these are not inverse acts, for that implies that God crudely unsmashed the TV into existance or that Satan skillfully disassembled it.

If there were a scholarly analysis of Narnian Magic (sorry, out of print!), it would POSSIBLY say that evil magic was a way of distorting good powers to be used in ways its creator never intended. Much like someone killing a rival by pushing a radio into the bathtub. Neither the electrical service nor the radio was designed as a method of execution, but the power was invoked through an understanding of how it could be distorted for other purposes.

[PrinceOfTheWest]

Well put, Magister - very effective illustrations of the point Lewis tried to make so often: that God and Satan were not opposites. Satan doesn't even come close to God, but he can spoil things for a little while.

I don't know about God building a television, though. If anyone were to build that, it would be the Enemy (:D).

[Seravian]

Thank you, Prince of the West. Your words are simple and exact. Your answer is comprehensive and logical. Your argumentation is well explained and solid. As a consequence, I learned something new about the Chronicles today! :)

I especially agree with is about my mistake about Evil presuming an independent existance. You are absolutly right and I agree with "I'm pretty sure Lewis would side with classic theologians in saying that evil is parisitic, a corruption of good, and thus does not necessarily endure forever. Good can exists without evil, but evil cannot exist without a good to corrupt."

Are you actually a Theologian? :cool:

[PrinceOfTheWest]

Only an amateur one, though I've read a lot of Lewis. My brother is, though - he's got a doctorate in Theology, and we have lots of great discussions. My profession is in computers (which reminds me - I've got to get back to work :))

God bless!

[EveningStar]

Yes, he's a theologian, for he seeks to know God more fully. You are. I am. Isn't it wonderful? :)

[Seravian]

It is! And the Fact that this learning and development of Faith comes out of Narnian interests (or topics) demonstrates how strongly present Aslan is in the whole thread of Narnian Stuff! :)

[lamer]

Wow. Awesome response, Prince.

I understand now. As with Seravian, I learned something new in Narnia today :D