Change of Edmund in Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe Essay Example
In various works of literature characters can undergo changes which affect them as well as those around them. An example of this can be seen in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C. S Lewis. The character of Edmund goes through a character transformation as his journey through Narnia progresses.
At the start of the novel Lewis shows him to be a gullible, selfish and an uncaring person, especially towards his family. Yet as the book progresses, Edmund changes for the better and eventually becomes selfless and compassionate towards his family.The change he undergoes comes from the relationships he has with his siblings and the White Witch. Lewis immediately shows Edmund to be self-involved and gullible. He quickly becomes wrapped into the lies of the White Witch an
...d believes what she tells him.
The White Witch feeds him Turkish delights which he quickly eats and allows her to retrieve some information about his siblings that she needs to know. As he finishes the candy, the Witch tells him, “I want a nice boy whom I could bring up as a Prince… he would wear a gold crown and eat Turkish delights all day long (Lewis, 39)... This is significant because it shows the White Witch is able to bribe him into betraying his family just by satisfying Edmund’s need for can and power.
By assuring him he can eat candy as a prince he is easily tempted by the Witch and he succumbs to her demands. His selfishness is again seen as he is about to leave and states “…please couldn’t I have just one piece of Turkish delight to eat on the
way home (Lewis, 41). ” Edmund wants to satisfy his need to have more than what he already has. Edmund is insatiable, although it is a simple request, this illustrates Edmund’s desire for self satisfaction.He hungers for more even at the risk of betraying his family.
Not only does he hunger for candy, but Edmund hungers for power, especially over his siblings. He knows the White Witch isn’t good but he keeps thinking about the candy, and if he continues to help her, he will have power over his siblings. “He did want Turkish delights and to be prince and pay Peter out for calling him a beast… he didn’t want her to be particularly nice to them- certainly not to put them on the same level as himself (Lewis, 89). Here, Edmund shows his true self and the spite he feels toward his brother for lowering him to the level of a beast, a non-human. The quote further suggest that Edmund does not only want to be on the same level as his brother or sisters but that he craves superiority.
He doesn’t really care about what happens to his family as long as he has power. Edmund is still shown to be greedy because he chooses being prince instead of sticking by his family. Edmund starts to change after being imprisoned by the queen.He finally realizes that the Witch isn’t good when she turns innocent creatures into stone after mentioning Father Christmas. “Oh don’t, don’t, please don’t. Edmund shouts….
And Edmund for the first time in this story felt sorry for someone besides himself (Lewis, 116). ” This is a significant point in
the story because it shows the change of Edmund from being selfish to being caring and sympathetic toward other creatures. Edmund’s tone implies real compassion. From this moment Edmund comes to terms with who the White Witch is and what she really wants.He knows that he isn’t going to get what he wants and that he must sacrifice his selfish dreams in order to help his siblings defeat the evil White Witch. The apex of Edmund’s change comes at the end of the tale when he attempts to redeem himself.
At this point Edmund starts to be more kind toward his siblings. It is during the battle between the Witches army and Narnia’s army when Edmund’s change completely takes place. He goes after the White Witch during the battle and eventually breaks her wand. It was all Edmund’s doing… We’d have been beaten if it hadn’t been for him (Lewis, 178).
” This point in the novel shows that Edmund is finally able to help and it shows that he isn’t in fact the selfish child his siblings once knew. He changes for the better and really shows his commitment to his family by putting his life in possible jeopardy in order to defend those he betrayed. Change is something that is hard to accomplish, especially for a child to do so at such a young age.The change that occurs in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by Edmund is one that needs to be analyzed because Edmund changes from a selfish child to a heroic young man. While the change saved an entire world from being brought down Edmund could have continued being
selfish and helped the White Witch kill Aslan and enslave the people of Narnia. The change that Edmund goes through is something that needs to be observed because the fact that a child can change for the better to help save a world really shows that change can really impact those around them.
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