Lucy Pevensie

Last updated
Lucy Pevensie
Narnia character
Lucy Pevensie.jpg
First appearance The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)
Last appearance The Last Battle (1956)
Created by C. S. Lewis
In-universe information
Race Human
Gender Female
Title Queen Lucy the Valiant
FamilyMr and Mrs Pevensie (parents); Peter, Susan and Edmund Pevensie (siblings); Eustace Scrubb (cousin)
NationalityEnglish

Lucy Pevensie is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia series. She is the youngest of the four Pevensie children, and the first to find the Wardrobe entrance to Narnia in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe . Of all the Pevensie children, Lucy is the closest to Aslan. Also, of all the humans who have visited Narnia, Lucy is perhaps the one that believes in Narnia the most. She is ultimately crowned Queen Lucy the Valiant, co-ruler of Narnia along with her two brothers and her sister. Lucy is the central character of the four siblings in the novels. Lucy is a principal character in three of the seven books ( The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe , Prince Caspian , and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader ), and a minor character in two others ( The Horse and His Boy and The Last Battle ).

Contents

The character of Lucy Pevensie was inspired by June Flewett, [1] a devout Catholic London girl evacuated by her convent to The Kilns, Lewis' country home in 1942, [2] and named after Lewis' goddaughter Lucy Barfield, to whom he dedicated The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Lucy is described in the book as being fair-haired: "But as for Lucy, she was always gay and golden-haired, and all princes in those parts desired her to be their Queen, and her people called her Queen Lucy the Valiant." [3]

Lucy was the most faithful of the four and the closest to Aslan, and never stopped believing in Narnia. She and her brothers Peter and Edmund, after dying in a train crash in England, were transported to Aslan's Country with the other Narnians.

Character

Lucy is the most sensitive and faithful out of all her siblings; which is why she is written as seeing Aslan across the gorge in Prince Caspian and her brothers and sister written as cynical and less inclined to go on blind faith. As a young child in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in a strange house without her mother about, she is also extremely vulnerable and is looking for security, wonder and something to believe in. She is teased mercilessly by Edmund about Narnia, being accused of playing "childish games". Once she knows he also has visited the land in the wardrobe and he still maintains that they were only playing a game, her anguish knows no bounds, as her faith in humanity and the security of her own beliefs about her siblings are now also under threat.

Lucy loves animals, and befriends many creatures, and is devastated in Prince Caspian to discover that not only has Narnia been invaded by the Telmarines; but that they have suppressed the many creatures and divine and semi-divine beings that made Narnia the extraordinary place it was. Her heartfelt night-time roam through the woods, craving to see the tree spirits dance and share in their communion with nature and life once again is one of the very deep moments of love, hope and disappointment that we share with Lucy in her spiritual journey. Lucy also never stops believing in Narnia and is full of courage because of her faith; and is thus more adventurous than her sister Susan. Lucy has a great desire to help others, which is symbolized by the healing cordial that was given to her by Father Christmas for others in need and only with sparing use. The lesson from Aslan on the battlefield in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is to use this power impartially and not dwell on the needs of those she loves most.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Lucy's siblings, Peter, Susan and Edmund, do not believe her about Narnia at first, but later they all find their way to Narnia.

Lucy is the first of the Pevensies to enter Narnia through a magical wardrobe in the Professor's old house, into Narnia in the One Hundred Year Winter, under the rule of the White Witch, the evil self-proclaimed Queen of Narnia. There she meets Mr. Tumnus the Faun and, then later, the Beavers. However, her brother Edmund had also slipped into Narnia on the second occasion Lucy had entered, and encountered the White Witch while she was visiting Mr. Tumnus. Edmund, who had already jeered at Lucy about her "magical" country, continued to be spiteful towards Lucy by denying that either of them had been in Narnia. When the children all enter Narnia, Edmund slips away from the house of the Beavers and defects to the White Witch.

While travelling with Peter, Susan and Mr. and Mrs. Beaver to the Stone Table, they meet Father Christmas, who gives them gifts. Lucy is given a vial with magical cordial that can heal almost any injury, and a small dagger with which to defend herself "a great need". Edmund, meanwhile, had tried to betray the Beavers and joined the White Witch; he had first met her and been seduced by promises of power after first entering the wardrobe when trying to follow Lucy on her second entry to Narnia.

She and her companions arrive at Aslan's camp, and later that night, she and Susan comfort Aslan as he walks to his death – although they do not know of his fate at the time. Both girls also witness his sacrifice. While their brothers are going to war, Lucy and her sister see Aslan come back to life and help him wake the creatures in the White Witch's castle, which the White Witch had turned to stone. They meet with their brothers at the end of the battle.

At Cair Paravel, she is crowned as Her Majesty Queen Lucy by Aslan to the throne as co-ruler of Narnia, this marking the fulfilling of the ancient prophecy and the end of the White Witch's reign. During her reign, she is named Queen Lucy the Valiant. She and her siblings make a Golden Age in Narnia.

Years later, while hunting the White Stag through Lantern Waste, she and her siblings notice the lantern where she met Mr. Tumnus. The Pevensies return through the wardrobe into England, where no time has passed and they are children again.

Prince Caspian

Lucy travels to Narnia again with her three siblings. Lucy is the only one to see Aslan at first, and she has a terrible time convincing her brothers and sister as well as Trumpkin the dwarf that he had returned, echoing her trials early in the first book. However, Edmund believes her and backs her up. Aslan tells her to try again and says that she must follow him alone if they refuse to come with her. Lucy comments that Aslan has grown larger, but really she is the one who has grown.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

While Susan travels with Mr. and Mrs. Pevensie to America and Peter studies with Professor Digory Kirke, Lucy, Edmund and their cousin Eustace are drawn into Narnia through a magical painting in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. This is very much Lucy's book, written largely from her point of view. However, in the end, Aslan firmly tells her and Edmund that they have become, like Susan and Peter, too old to further experience the wonders of Narnia.

The Horse and His Boy

The events in The Horse and His Boy take place after the siblings are crowned, and before they return to England, in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Queen Lucy is a young woman who rides to the aid of Archenland. She is described by Prince Corin as being more like a tomboy, unlike her sister, Queen Susan, who is a "proper lady". She helps King Lune to welcome Aravis to Anvard and helps to get Aravis's room and clothes ready.

The Last Battle

In The Last Battle , she plays a minor part as she returns to Narnia again with her brothers, High King Peter and King Edmund, along with Eustace Scrubb, Jill Pole, Polly Plummer, and Digory Kirke. There, she witnesses the destruction of Narnia and lives in the new Narnia created by Aslan. In the new Narnia, all the people and animals who lived in the previous Narnia during its existence return and join together. Lucy also meets her old friend Mr. Tumnus the Faun again, and Aslan tells her about a railway accident that occurs in England in which she, her brothers, her parents, Polly, Digory, Eustace and Jill die. She and Digory, Polly, Peter, Edmund, Eustace and Jill stay in Aslan's homeland for eternity. However, Susan remains living on Earth, her final fate undetermined.

Portrayals

Other appearances

Although reviews of The Oz/Wonderland Chronicles issue 0 indicated that Alice, Wendy Darling and Dorothy Gale shared their dorm with Susan Pevensie, a recent review of the now-released issue 1 indicates many fans are believing this is actually meant to be Lucy and not Susan.

She is spoofed in the 2007 film Epic Movie , played by Jayma Mays.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Chronicles of Narnia</i> Series of childrens fantasy novels by C. S. Lewis

The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven portal fantasy novels by British author C. S. Lewis. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, The Chronicles of Narnia has been adapted for radio, television, the stage, film, and video games. The series is set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a fantasy world of magic, mythical beasts and talking animals. It narrates the adventures of various children who play central roles in the unfolding history of the Narnian world. Except in The Horse and His Boy, the protagonists are all children from the real world who are magically transported to Narnia, where they are sometimes called upon by the lion Aslan to protect Narnia from evil. The books span the entire history of Narnia, from its creation in The Magician's Nephew to its eventual destruction in The Last Battle.

<i>Prince Caspian</i> Childrens fantasy novel by C. S. Lewis, 1951

Prince Caspian is a high fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis, published by Geoffrey Bles in 1951. It was the second published of seven novels in The Chronicles of Narnia (1950–1956), and Lewis had finished writing it in 1949, before the first book was out. It is volume four in recent editions of the series, sequenced according to the internal chronology of the books. Like the others, it was illustrated by Pauline Baynes and her work has been retained in many later editions.

<i>The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe</i> 1950 childrens fantasy novel by C.S. Lewis

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a portal fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis, published by Geoffrey Bles in 1950. It is the first published and best known of seven novels in The Chronicles of Narnia (1950–1956). Among all the author's books, it is also the most widely held in libraries. It was the first of The Chronicles of Narnia to be written and published, but is marked as volume two in recent editions that are sequenced according the stories' internal chronology. Like the other Chronicles, it was illustrated by Pauline Baynes, and her work has been retained in many later editions.

<i>The Voyage of the Dawn Treader</i> Childrens fantasy novel by C. S. Lewis, 1952

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a portal fantasy novel for children written by C. S. Lewis, published by Geoffrey Bles in 1952. It was the third published of seven novels in The Chronicles of Narnia (1950–1956). Macmillan US published an American edition within the calendar year, with substantial revisions which were retained in the United States until 1994. It is volume five in recent editions, which are sequenced according to the novels' internal chronology. Like the other Chronicles of Narnia, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was illustrated by Pauline Baynes, and her work has been retained in many later editions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Tumnus</span> Narnia books character

Mr. Tumnus is a faun in the The Chronicles of Narnia books written by C. S. Lewis, primarily in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe but also briefly in The Horse and His Boy and in The Last Battle. He is the first creature Lucy Pevensie meets in Narnia and becomes her first friend in the kingdom. Lewis wrote that the first Narnia story, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, all came to him from a single picture he had in his head of a faun carrying an umbrella and parcels through a snowy wood. Tumnus thus became the initial inspiration for the entire Narnia series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Witch</span> Fictional sorceress

Jadis is a fictional character and the main antagonist of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) and The Magician's Nephew (1955) in C. S. Lewis's series, The Chronicles of Narnia. She is commonly referred to as the White Witch in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, as she is the Witch who froze Narnia in the Hundred Years Winter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Pevensie</span> Fictional character in the Narnia universe

Peter Pevensie is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia book series. Peter appears in three of the seven books; as a child and a principal character in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian, and as an adult in The Last Battle. He is mentioned in The Horse and His Boy, in which he is away on the northern frontier fighting giants, and in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, in which he is studying under the tutelage of Professor Kirke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Pevensie</span> Fictional character in The Chronicles of Narnia

Susan Pevensie is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia series. Susan is the elder sister and the second eldest Pevensie child. She appears in three of the seven books—as a child in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian, and as an adult in The Horse and His Boy. She is also mentioned in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Last Battle. During her reign at the Narnian capital of Cair Paravel, she is known as Queen Susan the Gentle or Queen Susan of the Horn. She was the only Pevensie that survived the train crash on Earth which sent the others to Narnia after The Last Battle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmund Pevensie</span> Fictional character in the Narnia universe.

Edmund Pevensie is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia series. He is a principal character in three of the seven books, and a lesser character in two others.

<i>The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe</i> 2005 film by Andrew Adamson

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a 2005 high fantasy film directed by Andrew Adamson, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ann Peacock and the writing team of Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, based on the 1950 novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first published and second chronological novel in the children's book series The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. The film is the first installment in The Chronicles of Narnia film series. It was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, and distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stone Table</span> Fictional location in The Chronicles of Narnia

In C. S. Lewis's fantasy novel series the Chronicles of Narnia, the hill of the Stone Table, or Aslan's How, is a high mound or cairn, located south of the Great River in Narnia next to the Great Woods. The How was built over the hill of the Stone Table. The word how derives from the Old Norse haugr, meaning hill or mound. In parts of England, it is a synonym for barrow.

<i>The Chronicles of Narnia</i> (TV series) British childrens television series (1988–1990)

The Chronicles of Narnia is a British BBC-produced television series that was aired from 13 November 1988 to 23 December 1990 and is based on four books of C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia series. The first series aired was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 1988, the second series aired was Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 1989 and the third series aired was The Silver Chair in 1990. This television series was produced by Paul Stone, with the teleplay by Alan Seymour. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was directed by Marilyn Fox, while Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair were directed by Alex Kirby.

The Chronicles of Narnia is a fantasy film series and media franchise based on The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of novels by C. S. Lewis. The series revolves around the adventures of children in the world of Narnia, guided by Aslan, a wise and powerful lion that can speak and is the true king of Narnia. The children heavily featured in the films are the Pevensie siblings, and a prominent antagonist is the White Witch. The franchise also includes short films, digital series, and video games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aslan</span> Fictional lion, a deity in The Chronicles of Narnia

Aslan is a major character in C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia series. Unlike any other character in the Narnian series, Aslan appears in all seven chronicles. Aslan is depicted as a talking lion and is described as the King of Beasts, the son of the Emperor-Over-the-Sea, and the King above all High Kings in Narnia.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a British children's television drama first broadcast by the BBC in 1988. It was the first series of The Chronicles of Narnia that ran from 1988 to 1990.

<i>The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe</i> (1979 film) 1979 animated TV film

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is an animated television program that was broadcast in two parts on CBS on April 1 and 2, 1979, based on the 1950 novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maugrim</span> Fictional character, head wolf in the service of the White Witch (Narnia, book 1)

Maugrim is a fictional character in the 1950 novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. A Narnian wolf, he is the Captain of the White Witch's Secret Police. In early American editions of the book, Lewis changed the name to Fenris Ulf, but when HarperCollins took over the books they took out Lewis' revisions, and the name Maugrim has been used in all editions since 1994.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Narnia:

Magical creatures are an important aspect of the fictional world of Narnia contained within The Chronicles of Narnia book series and connected media originally created by C. S. Lewis. Throughout the seven books of the series, the protagonists encounter a variety of these creatures as they travel throughout Narnia and the surrounding lands and seas, including Archenland, Calormen, and the Great Eastern Ocean.

References

  1. The Daily Telegraph, 11 December 2005.
  2. Wilson, A.N. (2002). C.S.Lewis: A Biography. London: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN   978-0-393-32340-5.
  3. Lewis, C.S. "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", p. 201