The Last Battle

Cover of first edition (hardcover)
Author	C. S. Lewis
Illustrator	Pauline Baynes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Series	The Chronicles of Narnia
Genre(s)	Fantasy novel
Publisher	The Bodley Head
Publication date	1956
Media type	Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
Pages	184 pp
ISBN	NA
Preceded by	The Magician's Nephew

The Last Battle is the seventh and final novel in The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis. Lewis was awarded the Carnegie Medal for the book in 1956. The Last Battle is the name of the seventh and last novel in C. S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia. ... Image File history File links TheLastBattle(1stEd). ... Clive Staples Jack Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an Irish author and scholar. ... Pauline Baynes (born 1922, in Hove, Sussex) is an English book illustrator, whose work encompasses more than 100 books. ... For other uses, see Country (disambiguation). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... “Narnia” redirects here. ... Look up Fantasy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary For other definitions of fantasy, see fantasy (psychology). ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... Bodley Head has been, since 1987, an imprint of Random House. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... “ISBN” redirects here. ... The Magicians Nephew is a fantasy novel for children written by C. S. Lewis. ... “Narnia” redirects here. ... Clive Staples Jack Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an Irish author and scholar. ... The Carnegie Medal in Literature was established in the UK in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. ...

Plot summary

In The Last Battle, Lewis brings The Chronicles of Narnia to an end. The book deals with the end of time in the old Narnia and sums up the series by linking the experience of the human children in Narnia with their lives in the real world. Narnia is a fantasy world created by C. S. Lewis as a location for his Chronicles of Narnia, a series of seven fantasy novels for children. ...

The story begins during the reign of the last king of Narnia, King Tirian. Narnia has experienced a long period of peace and prosperity begun during the reign of King Caspian X, whose dynasty was established in Prince Caspian and confirmed by the succession of his son Rilian at the conclusion of The Silver Chair. Tirian, who is the great-grandson of the great-grandson of Rilian, is informed by a Centaur named Roonwit that strange and uncomfortable things are happening to his land and that the stars portend ominous developments. Tirian is an Asian based company, that buildings and stenghts proactive companys. ... Caspian X, King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel, and Emperor of the Lone Islands, also called Caspian the Seafarer and Caspian the Navigator (born 2290–died 2356, Narnian Time) is a fictional character in the Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis. ... Prince Caspian is a novel for children by C. S. Lewis, first published in 1951. ... In C. S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia fictional series, Rilian (2325-?) is the son of King Caspian and the daughter of Ramandu the star. ... The Silver Chair is part of The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of seven fantasy novels written by C.S. Lewis. ...

The king's magical call for help results in a vision of a room in London where he sees an old man, an old woman, three boys, and two girls (Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer from The Magician's Nephew; Peter Pevensie, Edmund Pevensie, and Eustace Scrubb; and Lucy Pevensie and Jill Pole, respectively). The people in the room can see him also and demand to know why he's there. Although Tirian can't speak, they guess that he's from Narnia and shortly afterwards, there's the arrival of Eustace and Jill, the two children who last visited Narnia, and who rescued Prince Rilian from the enchantment of a sorceress. Meanwhile, the Calormenes, the people of the great empire to the south with long standing animosities towards Narnia, have developed internal allies in Narnia in the form of an Antichrist-figure, Shift the Ape (Caughey 2005, pp. 27), who persuades his somewhat reluctant "friend" Puzzle the Donkey to pose as Aslan by wearing the skin of a lion. Shift spreads the heresy that Aslan and the Calormene god Tash (one of the figures in the series with demonic qualities) are one and the same. The heresy causes the dwarfs and some other Narnian talking beasts to lose their faith in Aslan and their loyalty to the King. Meanwhile, Shift proceeds to sell Narnia into Calormene slavery. Tirian has only a small loyal force to fight the Calormenes, and he prepares to die in a last stand against the forces of darkness. Digory Kirke (1888 - 1949) is a human character from C. S. Lewiss fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia. ... Polly Plummer is a human fictional character from C. S. Lewiss fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia. ... The Magicians Nephew is a fantasy novel for children written by C. S. Lewis. ... Peter Pevensie is one of the major characters in the childrens fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. ... Edmund Pevensie (1930 - 1949) is a major character in C. S. Lewiss Chronicles of Narnia. ... Eustace Clarence Scrubb (1933 - 1949) is a character in C. S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia. ... Georgie Henley as Lucy Pevensie in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe the 2005 film Lucy Pevensie is one of the major characters from C. S. Lewiss The Chronicles of Narnia. ... Jill Pole is a major character from C.S. Lewiss Chronicles of Narnia series. ... The Lady of the Green Kirtle, also known as the Queen of Underland, is a character in The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis, appearing as the main villain. ... In C. S. Lewiss Chronicles of Narnia series of novels, Calormen (pron. ... For the Friedrich Nietzsche book, see The Antichrist. ... Shift is a fictional character in the childrens fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and make it more accessible to a general audience, this article may require cleanup. ... For other uses, see Aslan (disambiguation). ... Tash is a fictional character found in C. S. Lewiss Chronicles of Narnia. ...

The Last Battle concludes with Aslan stepping in to bring Narnia to an end. Tirian, Jill, Eustace, and the few animals who are loyal fight the Calormenes; most of the other animals stay neutral for fear of invoking Aslan's wrath; and the dwarves kill members of both sides, proclaiming, "The dwarves are for the dwarves." As the battle progresses, all of the animals are killed, and Jill, Eustace, all the surviving dwarves, and Tirian are thrown into a barn where the fake Aslan is supposed to be kept. The leader of the Calormenes is also thrown in. The inside appears to be a beautiful meadow, and there they find the god Tash, much to the Calormen leader's surprise and terror (he never truly believed in Tash). Tash takes the Calormene and leaves.The deity is then bidden to leave by Peter the High King, Tirian sees Peter, Edmund, Eustace, Lucy, Jill, Polly, and Digory all dressed in fine clothes standing before him (Susan, who "grew up", is said to be "no longer a friend of Narnia," and therefore is not with them). Aslan also appears and they all go to the barn's door. As they watch, all of the people and animals, including those who had previously died, gather outside the barn and are judged by Aslan. Those who have been loyal to Aslan, or to the morality upheld by Narnians, join Aslan in Aslan's country (heaven). Those who have opposed or deserted him do not pass through the door; rather, they simply turn to shadow and disappeared to an unknown fate that not even C.S. Lewis knows what happened to them. Talking Animals who do not enter become "dumb" animals once again and are turned into shadows like the rest. As the children watch, dragons, salamanders, and other giant creatures (including a so-called Father Time) rise from the ground and eat all of the vegetation from Narnia, leaving it a barren wasteland, and then die. All the land is subsequently covered by an endless sea. On Aslan's orders, Peter closes the door, and they all follow the lion to a different place. For other uses, see Heaven (disambiguation). ...

It becomes clear that nearly all those who had travelled to Narnia in previous books have been reunited in Aslan's country, where they realize that Narnia and England are linked and that they have in fact died on Earth (in a railway accident) and can enjoy an afterlife in a perfect version of Narnia. It is also revealed that Aslan's country is the real Narnia (and the real Earth by extrapolation). For other uses, see Afterlife (disambiguation). ...

Commentary

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In the Narnia cycle, parts of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe are loosely based on Gospel stories, and The Magician's Nephew on Genesis. The Last Battle completes the cycle and is based on Christian doctrines of the end of the world, judgement, Heaven, death and afterlife, many found in the book of Revelation. The exposition of theological points is more laboured than in some of the earlier books, and the overall tone is darker. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Shortcut: WP:NPOVD Articles that have been linked to this page are the subject of an NPOV dispute (NPOV stands for Neutral Point Of View; see below). ... Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... This article is about the novel. ... The Magicians Nephew is a fantasy novel for children written by C. S. Lewis. ... For other uses, see Afterlife (disambiguation). ... Revelation of the Last Judgment by Jacob de Backer Revelation is an uncovering or disclosure via communication from the divine of something that has been partially or wholly hidden or unknown, which could not be known apart from the unveiling (Goswiller 1987 p. ...

The ape Shift represents the Antichrist, and his rule resembles modern totalitarianism. His claim that "true freedom means doing what I tell you" is based on Rousseau's "General Will". His claim that he alone can speak for Aslan has sometimes been interpreted as a caricature of Roman Catholicism; but in Lewis' other writings (cited in the article on Shift (Narnia)) it is made clear that he opposes all forms of theocracy equally, and that he finds exactly the same perversion of religion in Elizabethan Puritanism. The ape's claim that Aslan (God) is not bound by human standards of good and evil is also a Puritan rather than a Catholic trait. One of the most moving portrayals in the book is when Tirian and the Unicorn, while still believing in the ape's Aslan, agonise over the fact that he is apparently commanding evil, "as if the sun rose one day, and it was a black sun". For the Friedrich Nietzsche book, see The Antichrist. ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Totalitarianism is a term employed by some scientists, especially those in the field of comparative politics, to describe modern regimes in which the state regulates nearly every aspect of public and private behavior. ... Jean-Jacques Rousseau, (June 28, 1712 – July 2, 1778) was a Genevan philosopher of the Enlightenment whose political ideas influenced the French Revolution, the development of socialist theory, and the growth of nationalism. ... The general will, first enunciated by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, is a concept in political philosophy referring to the desire or interest of a people as a whole. ... Shift is a fictional character in the childrens fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      For the metal band, refer to Theocracy (band). ...

Lewis has been criticised, by Philip Pullman and others, over the values conveyed by The Last Battle. In particular, many are critical of how Susan Pevensie, one of the children who appeared in previous stories, is described as "no longer a friend of Narnia" as she is interested only in "nylons, lipstick and invitations" — as if it is inherently sinful for a woman to become sexually mature. In response to such cristisms, many of Lewis's supporters, say that such items are not necessarily symbols of female sexual maturity, but more symbols of commercialism and materialism — both of which Lewis and his close friend J. R. R. Tolkien, saw as evils. "Nylons and lipstick" are not evidence of sexual maturity; in this case, they seem to indicate shallowness or vanity. Similarly, these also show that she wishes her life to be simplistic, and living in and believing in Narnia cannot be accommodated in that reality. Indeed, Polly Plummer says that Susan's "whole idea is to race on to the silliest time of one's life as quick as she can and then stop there as long as she can." Philip Pullman CBE (born October 19, 1946) is an English writer. ... Susan Pevensie is one of the major characters in C. S. Lewiss Chronicles of Narnia series. ... “Tolkien” redirects here. ...

Some would also claim that Susan is excluded from Narnia simply because she doesn't believe in Narnia any longer: Lewis is alluding to loss of faith, and of imagination, when we fail to retain "childlike" simplicity. Others claim she does not enter Narnia with the others because she was not killed in the train crash, and that she, too, will make it there when her time comes to die. The implied misogyny is also contradicted by the generally good representation of females in the Chronicles of Narnia, through Jill Pole, Polly Plummer, the Calormene girl Aravis Tarkheena, and especially Lucy Pevensie, Susan's younger sister.

Accusations of racism stem from the fact that the Calormenes, the enemies of Narnia, have many parallels to Arabic culture. They are dark-skinned, wear turbans and live in an arid land south of Narnia. In contrast, the humans of Narnia are light-skinned. The Calormenes are seen as repulsive, dirty people who follow the god Tash, a Satanic figure that takes away the souls of the wicked characters and demands evil deeds as a service to him. It is worth noting that while most of the protagonists in the Chronicles are light-skinned, the dark-skinned people are not seen as entirely evil. One of the better-developed characters in The Last Battle is a good Calormene, Emeth, who served Tash as a Narnian might well serve Aslan — dutifully and with love and devotion — and was thereby allowed to ascend to Aslan's perfect Narnia. Also, the heroine in the third book, The Horse and his Boy, is dark skinned. Most antagonists in the Chronicles, such as the White Witch, are light-skinned as well. Languages Arabic and other minority languages Religions Islam, Christianity, Druzism and Judaism Arab woman from Ramallah wearing traditional dress in 1915. ... Jadis, the White Witch is the key villain of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first published book in C. S. Lewiss Chronicles of Narnia series, and the second chronologically. ...

The train accident, described in chapters 5 and 13 of The Last Battle, in which the characters from our world (Peter, Edmund, Lucy, Digory, and Polly) perish has several parallels to the Sutton Coldfield rail crash that took place on January 23, 1955. In both cases, a passenger train bound for Bristol derailed while entering a station around a curve at excessive speed, causing several fatalities. In Lewis’ chronology of Narnian events, however, the train derailment in The Last Battle took place in 1949. In the Sutton Coldfield train disaster of 23 January 1955, an express passenger train from York to Bristol, England, took the sharp curve into Sutton Coldfield railway station at 60 mph (97 km/h) or twice the permitted speed. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the English city. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Cultural References

Digory Kirke openly refers to Plato when he explains the nature of "True Narnia" at the end of the book (notably the world of Ideas). Digory Kirke (1888 - 1949) is a human character from C. S. Lewiss fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia. ... PLATO was one of the first generalized Computer assisted instruction systems, originally built by the University of Illinois (U of I) and later taken over by Control Data Corporation (CDC), who provided the machines it ran on. ... IDEA may refer to: Electronic Directory of the European Institutions IDEA League Improvement and Development Agency Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Indian Distance Education Association Integrated Data Environments Australia Intelligent Database Environment for Advanced Applications IntelliJ IDEA - a Java IDE Interactive Database for Energy-efficient Architecture International IDEA (International Institute...

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media have officially decided to adapt all of the Chronicles of Narnia books into movies with The Last Battle appearing in 2013. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Walden Media is a film production and publishing company best known as the producers of The Chronicles of Narnia film series. ...

References

• Caughey, Shanna (2004), Revisiting Narnia: Fantasy, Myth and Religion in C. S. Lewis' Chronicles, Benbella Books, ISBN 1932100636

External links

• The Last Battle publication history at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

The Internet Speculative Fiction Database is a database of bibliographic information on science fiction and related genres such as fantasy fiction and horror fiction. ...

See also