Introduction
It is impossible to imagine the world without literature and its advancements. It is so because all peoples create some writing pieces, meaning that this field has many universally acknowledged features. Archetypes are one of them, and Carl Jung developed this term to denote a pattern or model that represents features or ideas shared among people throughout the world (Owings par. 1). The presence of these phenomena means that literary works from different times and countries can have similar characters. The Christ figure, the hero, the optimist, the skeptic, and others are the most common archetypes. Even though such characters should have similar features, some authors manage to embody them with specific qualities. Thus, the essay will compare the archetype of Satan and evil in Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia and Pullman’s His Dark Materials.
The Archetype of Satan in The Chronicles of Narnia
Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of novels depicting the adventures of Lucy Pevensie and her relatives and friends in the fantasy world. All these books have many characters who bear particular features, but the given essay focuses on the White Witch, the series’ antagonist. She subjects many creatures in Narnia to suffering, and the following paragraphs will present specific arguments from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to explain why one can claim her the archetype of Satan.
To begin with, one should explain that the book under consideration is full of Biblical allusions. Firstly, an evident allusion refers to the situation when the White Witch, Jadis, meets Edmund, Lucy’s brother, and makes him bring his siblings to her for some Turkish Delight (Lewis 29). This case demonstrates that Edmund suffers from gluttony, a deadly sin, while his acceptance of the sweets resembles how Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the forbidden Tree. Secondly, another Biblical motive is found when Aslan, a lion and the Lord of the Wood, resurrects after the White Witch has killed him (Lewis 120). This fact allows for supposing that Aslan is the archetype of Christ. It means that the author draws much attention to bringing a religious agenda to his work. One can suggest that this step is necessary to make the literary work understandable and enjoyable for many people worldwide.
Since the essay’s topic is to analyze the archetype of Satan and evil, it is necessary to identify what characteristic features allow for claiming that the White Witch represents this archetype. Firstly, the name speaks for itself, and Lewis used it to demonstrate that this character is not positive. Furthermore, the author explicitly states that the Witch is capable of committing wrongful actions. For example, she mentions that she has a right to kill every person for treachery (Lewis 103). Secondly, the Witch’s seduction of Edmund evidently reflects the features of her archetype. Xu et al. explain that this situation allows for associating the character with the ancient serpent from the Bible (172). Thirdly, the confrontation between Jadis and Aslan also demonstrates that the White Witch is the personification of Satan. It is so because the lion saves people from the Witch in the same way as Jesus Christ saved people from their sins (Harshini and Nagalakshmi 4496). This information allows for concluding that Jadis and Satan have many shared features.
The following step is to consider what motives and intentions are behind depicting the antagonist in this way. A literary point of view denotes that an antagonist is necessary to create a conflict that drives characters throughout the novel. However, one can suggest that deeper meaning can be found behind relying on the archetype of Satan. One can state that Lewis depicted the White Witch to show that “mankind craves for more power and when they achieve it, they become more selfish, cruel, and greedy” (Harshini and Nagalakshmi 4496). The justification for this thought is found when it appears that Jadis wants to be the Queen of Narnia and turn all the people into slaves. Furthermore, the character tends to turn her enemies into stone statues with her magic wand’s help (Lewis 70). It means that there are some philosophical motives behind associating the White Witch with Satan.
The information above demonstrates that the White Witch explicitly represents the archetype of Satan and evil. It is so because the character is capable of killing enemies, seducing people, and committing other wrongful actions. One can say that this representation was necessary to match the religious agenda of The Chronicles of Narnia. Since the literary work is full of Biblical allusions, it is not a surprise that the main antagonist is associated with Devil. Furthermore, this character also helps Lewis meet literary requirements and comment on essential philosophical topics. As a result, one can suggest that the image of the White Witch is an example of how an author can benefit from investing efforts in developing and introducing a specific archetype into their work.
Analyzing the Archetype in His Dark Materials
Pullman’s His Dark Materials is the second series that will be analyzed in this essay. This trilogy tells the story of Lucy Belacqua and Will Parry, who travel through multiple parallel universes. The given paper draws attention to this book series because it focuses on religious affairs, considering such topics as destiny, morality, innocence, sacrifice, and others. It is worth mentioning that His Dark Materials have witnessed much criticism over the last years. It is so because many experts claimed that the book series promoted atheism and denigrated Christianity (Vain par. 4). Furthermore, Pullman made controversial and provocative statements in his interviews, admitting that any organized religion is corrupt because it has a specific hierarchy (Vain par. 5). This state of affairs resulted in the fact that the book series was considered dangerous and many religious organizations tried to ban it.
The information above demonstrates that it is reasonable to consider how the religious agenda is represented in His Dark Materials. Firstly, Pullman introduced Bible in the first book of the series, The Golden Compass. The discussion of Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit is necessary to demonstrate that the characters draw attention to religion (229). Secondly, the author describes that there is life after death, but he depicts it differently when compared to traditional Catholic views. It refers to the fact that there is no heaven because deceased people go to the Land of Dead “with no hope of freedom, or joy, or sleep, or rest, or peace” (Pullman 653). Thirdly, one should admit that the book series offers an unexpected description of God. According to Pullman, God is depicted as a powerless being that “could only weep and mumble in fear and pain and misery” (708). This information allows for suggesting that the author offers an unusual interpretation of Satan’s archetype.
In His Dark Materials, Mrs. Coulter is the leading antagonist. However, her character passes through notable changes throughout the novel. Initially, she is an appealing woman because Lyra spends time well with her (Pullman 56). Furthermore, Mrs. Coulter is depicted as a charming and beautiful person. However, Lyra understands that something evil and brutal is hidden beneath an appealing surface when Mrs. Coulter’s daemon attacks Lyra’s Pan, and the woman fails to take some action to stop it (Pullman 63). Mrs. Coulter’s real nature becomes evident when it appears that she is the head of the General Oblation Board. This organization deals with severing children from their daemons, subjecting young individuals to suffering and causing their death (Drake 17). Another change in the character refers to the fact when Mrs. Coulter sacrificed their life to kill Metatron, the strongest angel, and save Lyra (Pullman 707). This information demonstrates that the character under consideration has many negative features that allow for associating it with the archetype of Satan and evil, while some positive traits are also present.
It is reasonable to comment on Pullman’s motives to provide Mrs. Coulter with such characteristic features. On the one hand, the given character was introduced to demonstrate that there can be a disagreement between people’s appearance and their internal worlds. Even though Mrs. Coulter is a charming woman, it does not prevent her from torturing people and witnessing children dying without experiencing any sorrow. On the other hand, Pullman depicted the character having some positive traits to demonstrate that everything is complex in the world. Even though Mrs. Coulter is considered the leading antagonist, it does not mean that she cannot commit some good actions. This representation is in line with Pullman’s alternative approach to religion, which is represented in his book series. It denotes that the world is full of controversial issues, meaning that even the archetype of Satan and evil can be positive under some conditions.
Conclusion
The essay has compared how the archetype of Satan is presented in Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia and Pullman’s His Dark Materials. The identified information allows for concluding that the authors have differently depicted the image under consideration in their books. On the one hand, Lewis has followed a conventional approach regarding the given archetype. That is why the White Witch is a purely negative character that does evil and subjects other creatures to pain and suffering. Jadis serves to reveal that people tend to become cruel when they obtain power.
On the other hand, Pullman introduces the archetype in a more controversial way. It is so because Mrs. Coulter, the antagonist of his book series, combines both positive and negative features. The writer depicted the character in this manner to demonstrate that there can be an imbalance between people’s appearances and inner worlds. Furthermore, Pullman indicates that even the archetype of Satan can do good under particular conditions. Thus, the comparison has demonstrated that authors can use different effective strategies to present the archetype of Satan in their works.
Works Cited
Drake, Taylor. “The Cannibal Mother: Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass and the Sexual Anxieties of Bluebeard Folktales.” The Onyx Review: The Interdisciplinary Research Journal, vol. 3, no. 1, 2017, pp. 9-20.
Harshini, Priscilla, and M. Nagalakshmi. “C. S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia – The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as an Allegory.” Journal of Critical Reviews, vol. 7, no. 11, 2020, pp. 4494-4499.
Lewis, Clive S. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. HarperCollins E-Books, 1994.
Owings, Shannon. “The 12 Literary Archetypes.” Medium, 2020.
Pullman, Philip. His Dark Materials. The Golden Compass – Book I. The Subtle Knife – Book II. The Amber Spyglass – Book III. Random House, 2007. Web.
Vain, Madison. “Why the His Dark Materials Books Were Once Considered Dangerous.” Esquire, 2019.
Xu, Yumei, et al. “The Christian Elements in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” Advances in Social Science, Education, and Humanities Research, vol. 310, 2019, pp. 170-172.