Sunday, April 27, 2008 - Prince Caspian Challenge--Week Five, chapters nine--eleven
Week Five
First, make sure you’ve read all three chapters before you read any further here…. ;)
Chapter Nine
What Lucy Saw
This chapter, along with the following ones you read this week, are central to theme of not just Prince Caspian, but often to our Christian walk. I’m excited to hear your thoughts on this chapter!
Lucy is the first to see Aslan, but the others don’t believe her (except maybe Edmund). Why do you think Lucy is the first to believe, and why does Edmund consider what she has to say over the others?
Lucy makes a comment to Susan when she hears about some of the wild creatures. "Wouldn't it be dreadful if some day, in our own world, at home, men started going wild inside, like the animals here, and still looked like men, so that you'd never know which were which?" What is your take on this related to the modern real world? What view do you get the impression C.S Lewis had?
Chapter Ten
The Return of the Lion
Lucy says that Aslan appears bigger to her. Aslan answers that he appears bigger--but not just every year, but every year she grows. Although this could refer to a physical sense of growth (as we will see later on in the book), this also has a spiritual side. What does this signify? Taking this into our lives, does God (or the world) appear bigger to us as we mature spiritually?
As they continue to go the wrong way, the children find themselves becoming more and more miserable. You think they maybe are starting to question their choice of ways? I suspect Peter, especially was mad at himself for choosing this way. What do you think prevented the children from turning around and choosing the path that Aslan had shown Lucy?
"To know what would have happened, child? No. No one is ever told that." Aslan tells this to Lucy. This is a familiar saying of Aslan’s; it is the frequent theme in Horse and His Boy. Why is Aslan so adamant not to show what would have happened?
Chapter Eleven
The Lion Roars
Susan apologizes to Aslan and Lucy. She said she knew “deep down inside” that it was Aslan who was calling them all the time. Yet she refused to listen. Why did Susan choose to follow her own instincts rather than Aslan, when she knew it was him?
Peter doubts Lucy saw Aslan, because he “never used to be” invisible to them. Remember what I told you about Peter’s logic back at the beginning of the study? Do you see any other examples since then that shows Peter trusting in his own reasoning rather than faith in Aslan?
Did you notice the order of realization of Aslan? It is the same as it was at the beginning when the children realized they were being drawn into Narnia by magic. Here, the children saw Aslan in the same order--Lucy, Edmund, Peter, and Susan.
I just love when Trumpkin meets Aslan. Trumpkin is such a skeptic up until this point (not unlike the Bree of Horse and His Boy, if you are familiar with that story! Remember when Bree meets Aslan for the fist time?). Trumpkin kind of reminds me of some people we all know in the world these days. They are often “intellectual skeptics” of our faith, and it takes God coming down to their emotions (Aslan coming to Trumpkin physically) for them to gain true faith. I can’t imagine how Trumpkin felt, though--guilt, shame, fear, and even excitement--because I think, all along, Trumpkin wanted to believe in Aslan, but felt that that kind of belief was unreasonable and illogical.
For those of you who are familiar with Greek and Roman legends, you will recognize Bacchus and Silenus. Although they have changed a bit from the mythology (they were far wilder--Bacchus was the god of wine and intoxication; Silenus his teacher, companion, and was said to have the gift of prophecy when drunk), they still have a bit of a crazy wild side. I realize they are celebrating, and are mirthful, but I may have to agree with Susan--I’d only want to be around them with Aslan!
Assignment: read chapters twelve through fourteen. Yes, that’s three again!
Comments
Sunday, April 27, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Chris
Hey! Yeah I did see the youtube video of switchfoot playing the PC song! I had heard the song before--but that was the best. Such an amazing song! It will take switchfoot to huge new popularity.
Ah and yes summer classes....just make me grad on time--not early lol but hey least they only last half the summer.
Sunday, April 27, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by lotrsavvy
Ben? Ben who? The guy who plays Prince Caspian plays the father, when he was young, of the main character in Stardust. I thought Stardust was the best recent fantasy movie I've seen (besides LOTR and Narnia). It was really cool. :) I just didn't like it that the pirate captain was gay. bleh.
Jennifer
Monday, April 28, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Jocelyndixon
Hey there!
I'm glad you'll be taking the Prayer Challenge with us! I can't wait to see what country you pick.
Blessings!
MJ
Monday, April 28, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by sharla88
Lucy is alwase the first to belive it seems. I guess because she is the purest and the youngest, because she was the one who found Narnia in the first place so I'm sure that gives her a specal tie.
The quote about the wild men, I sort of thought of the way christians are to day. There are people out there who call themselfs christians but they are liars and are wild on the inside and that can be hard to tell because they seem so reall, Like real christians who love the Lord, but are hiding their true selfs.
It seems as we grow as Christians we see how much more we have to learn and all of the aspects of Christianity grows as we do.
Peater does seem to trust himself more, but then when he sees Aslan he stops doing that and you see the true king that he is. Did you notice that? He takes charge speaks more clearly and trust the things he does. hmmmm LOL
Hey NP for the little plug! I ment to link you I'm sorry I did not I'll have to fix that... Good read this week only a bit more before the movie comes out!! WOOO hehehe
GB~
sharla~
Monday, April 28, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Striker
Thanks! I wouldn't really call myself a good writer, I thought it was kinda bad...
~Striker
Sunday, May 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Seth
1. Because remember how it was in LWW? It was supposed to be the same because Edmund could believe Lucy because he had found out that Lucy was right once when everyone else thought she was wrong. Lucy was the first to see Aslan because "she had faith enough for all of them!"
2. We can't judge people by what they say they are or they look like--you can't judge by appearance.
3. If he grows and seems bigger, he also seems more majestic and powerful. So it's not just physical growth.
4. The children didn't follow Aslan because they didn't see him and they thought he would appear to all of them or else it wasn't really him, just Lucy's imagination.
5. He doesn't want people to know what they shouldn't know; if they knew it would have made them question them the rest of their lives.
6. She wanted to follow her own instincts because of human nature. People want to do what they want.
7. To Peter it seemed more logical that Aslan would show himself to them all. For instance, he showed logic in figuring out it was Cair Paravel that they were at. That didn't really go against Aslan though.
Sunday, May 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Earthling
1. Lucy is *always* the first to believe in just about everything. It's no coincidence she's the first to go to Narnia, the youngest, the first to recognize Narnian pull, and the one with the most faith. She also had a very special relationship with Aslan in the first book, more simplistic and unconditional than the rest of the children. It makes the most sense that she would be the first he appeared to in Prince Caspian. Edmund, on the other hand, wanted to believed her for a couple reasons. One, he was the one that truly experienced the darkest side of Narnia, so he was more willing to believe in the powers of Aslan. Two, he once hadn't believed Lucy when she first came to Narnia--in fact he was really spiteful to her about it. He must have learned his lesson when he discovered Narnia, so he's definitely more willing to believe her now!
2. I agree with Sharla that this could refer to Christians nowadays. They claim to be Christians but are inwardly ultra seeped in the world. I think we all now people who are like this but I've never really thought about it this way. The way Lucy phrases it makes it quite frightening, especially knowing it DOES happen in our world. I think C.S. Lewis really wanted to get that point across that men do go wild on the inside here, but don't always look like it from the outside.
3. The older Lucy gets and grows in her faith in Aslan, the bigger he appears. When she was younger, Aslan was a hero and a wonderful friend. Now she is learning to completely rely on him as she grows older. He is more majestic, more powerful than she could ever have imagined even since LWW. Lucy is starting to come out of the child like love for Aslan (but still has the child like faith) and pursing a sense of deeper, awe-filled relationship with him.
4. I think part of it was pride, but a lot of it was just plan logic that has turned into "my way must be right because it makes the most sense." The kids are relying on their minds and their experiences more than on Aslan. They can't imagine going the way that Aslan directs, because they can't see that way being the right one. They can't see far enough ahead to know that it is the right one, and now their way seems to make the most sense to them. Were they wrong though! I do think the fact that they couldn't see Aslan played a huge deal. I'm sure they never would have never gone their way. They weren't exactly trying to disobey Aslan, but instead, he wasn't "with them" (they thought), so they "forgot" him and tried to do it their way. They needed to learn that Aslan *was* with them, and they needed to follow him, even if they couldn't see him.
5. This has always been a hard issue with me regarding the Chronicles. We see it everywhere...but why? I guess it boils down to a simple faith issue--you either trust Aslan or you don't. You may get a second chance, but you still have to suffer the consequences of your first choice, and don't deserve to know what may have happened had you listened.
6. Susan said she just wanted to get out of the woods, so she was physically exhausted and that affected her choice in not really wanting to follow Aslan. But I think it was more than that...yes, coming back to the whole reason v. Aslan thing--it was hard for her to accept that Aslan wanted them to go the way that seemed harder, that looked far more dangerous and impossible.
7. Well, Peter is the High King, a great leader, so it makes sense that he would trust his own decisions, to a point. Just not above Aslan's, which is something he needs to learn. He's a great leader, but Aslan's better, and when their ways seem opposite, Peter needs to learn to choose Aslan over reason. For instance, he refused to listen to Lucy because it did not seem reasonable to him. Aslan never appeared invisible to him before; Aslan always showed the way clearly before. Now it's all different, and that throws Peter off. He thought he had Aslan figured out, thought he was predictable. That's Peter using his own reasoning too. Aslan's not a tame lion, you know!
Sunday, May 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by MaidenCapitolaBallot
Once more I am late.
Before I start I wanted to ask you something. Have you been watching all the trailers for the movie? I have, and if you have ai was wondering what you thought about the way the changed Peter and Susan? And also if you have they have two new ones in which they show two scenes from the movie that I am sure you would like :). They are on NarniaWeb.
Well Lucy was the first to enter Narnia. She is the most innocent one out of the four. She loves Aslan, not better then the others, but they have a special connection. She would follow him anywhere without a moments thought, as seen later on. It is that way with some Chirstains. Some who have given their lives wholely to God, they seem to know Him better.
Ed considers because he doubted in the first and he knows that Lucy would not lie about this. Also Aslan saved his life.
The men going wild on the inside? I think it is like men who say they are Christains but who do not act like it or have any love for God whatsoever. They just want to appear good.
As she grows, or as we do, spiritually, we learn more about God and he appears bigger. Suddenly we learn about complex things about Him and see Him for what He is. He appears so much more bigger then when we were first saved.
I would say pride. To trun back would be to admit they were wrong. Perhaps Peter was feeling upset cause he is the High king and should be able to do this, the others are relying on him and he feels like he is letting them down. Maybe he felt he had to prove himself again.
If he did Lucy would have sorrowed that things had not gone that way, maybe have blamed the others or herself, and then may have dispaired and telling her would not change what had happened.
Pride, maybe she also wanted to prove that she was still quite grown up, like last time when she left. She is a queen here, and last time was a grown up queen. And being the oldest girl perhaps wanted to prove she could still do things like before.
When he led them to the gorge and found it had chaged. He thought he knew what it should be like. I can't think of any other places right off though.
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