The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Chapters 13 through 16 resolve the main plot points and conclude the quest in such a way that the ongoing Christian symbolism of The Chronicles of Narnia is thoroughly upheld and even advanced considerably, as the last glimpses of Aslan’s country provide a powerful moment of foreshadowing of the setting and events that will dominate the final novel in the series, The Last Battle. Similarly, Lewis makes sure to add a few key details—namely, Caspian’s failure to reach the eastern edge of the world and his decision to marry the daughter of Ramandu—that will provide the foundation for the conflict and quest of the next book in the series, The Silver Chair.

The Dawn Treader’s arrival at Ramandu’s island takes on a mythical dimension when the characters find the Lords Revilian, Argoz, and Mavramorn in the grip of an enchanted slumber. When Lucy asks her companions: “Do you think we have perhaps come here to break [the enchantment]?” (111), her query brings attention to the ongoing role of Fate and Divine Intervention in their journey. The closer the company gets to Aslan’s country, the more Lewis imbues the surroundings with powerful symbolic elements until every action, every object, and every decision takes on a significance far deeper than physical appearances would suggest. From years-long sleep and enchanted food that is reminiscent of the faerie realms of folklore to personified stars whose appearance and wisdom create an almost angelic presence, each landing point exposes the protagonists to new worlds that become ever more otherworldly, until they finally reach the “utter East” and catch a glimpse of Aslan’s country: Lewis’s version of the Christian concept of Heaven.

Appropriately, the final chapters thus revolve around the theme of death and rebirth, beginning with Ramandu’s fall from the sky and his eventual return to youth. The presence of the Knife of Stone also alludes rebirth of the most profoundly spiritual kind, for it was once the instrument of Aslan’s death when he willingly sacrificed himself to save all of Narnia, in true Christ-like fashion, during the climactic events of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Similarly, Reepicheep’s journey to Aslan’s realm can be interpreted as a symbolic death and a rebirth as he renounces his beloved Narnia and embraces a new life in Aslan’s heaven-like realm. Finally, Lucy and Edmund must leave Narnia for good and have therefore completed their final tasks in this world, giving way to the next children who will be tasked by Aslan to save the kingdom and gain spiritual awakening.

This idea of a never-ending cycle of life and death is represented by the last part of the characters’ quest, which starts at “The Beginning of the End of the World” and ends at “The Very End of the World,” as the chapter titles state. The concept that endings are inextricably linked to new beginnings also emphasizes the novel’s underlying Christian ideology, suggesting that death, far from being the end of all things, only brings one closer to achieving eternity and the divine. This dynamic foreshadows the apocalyptic events of The Last Battle, in which Aslan will eventually destroy Narnia and allow all the main characters of the series to ascend higher and higher into ever more spiritual realms.

Aslan’s last appearance in the book concludes Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace’s physical and spiritual journey in this particular novel. He initially assumes the form of a lamb “so white on the green grass that even with their eagles’ eyes they could hardly look at it” (141). In Christian symbolism, the lamb, as a traditionally sacrificial animal, represents Christ’s sacrifice for humankind. Even more significantly, when the image of the lamb is paired with the lion—as in this passage—the underlying meaning is that of Paradise itself. Thus, it is fitting that the company is greeted at the edges of Aslan’s realm by Aslan in both lamb and lion form. The whiteness of the lamb and the increasing light at the end of the world likewise reinforce the idea that the children are reaching a higher spiritual state. Unlike Reepicheep, however, they are denied entry into Aslan’s realm, and once again his admonishment to them echoes real-world Christian teachings when he says, “I shall be telling you all the time [how to get into my country from your world] but I will not tell you how long or short the way will be” (141). Symbolically, the lion tasks them to continue upholding Narnian (and therefore Christian) ideals in order to eventually reach Paradise. The novel concludes with a fairy tale ending for the Narnians (King Caspian marries Ramandu’s daughter and they live happily ever after) while Eustace returns to his normal life changed for the better through the successful completion of his hero’s journey.