Since the storyline starts off with young children running away from bullies at a terrible school, it's a good sign that justice (or injustice) will be a primary concern in The Silver Chair. But before any change can happen in England, the children have an exercise in justice to complete for Aslan. The quest for Rilian is really the righting of a wrong done long in the past, and Aslan acts through the children and Puddleglum to ensure the line of rightful succession in Narnia and to make sure that his faithful servant, Caspian, will not be left to die in despair.
There is a careful balance between justice and mercy in all of Aslan's actions—he wants to teach the Narnians about justice, but he also understands the nature of his subjects. Both Jill and Eustace find that they aren't behaving well and receive reminders to get with the program. In the end, it is always Aslan who gives them the extra power to make things well again, whether battling the Queen of Underland, bringing an old friend back to life, or toppling a regime of bullies and horrible teachers.
Questions About Justice and Judgment
- Why does Aslan question Jill about the incident on the edge of the cliff? Why is it a good thing that Jill answers as she does?
- Why is Puddleglum concerned over their venison meal in Harfang? What does he fear, exactly?
- In what ways does Lewis use the character of Aslan to communicate ideas about justice/injustice?
- Why does Aslan wait so long to send someone on a quest to find the lost prince? Or, put another way, why does he send the children on their quest at that point in time?
Chew on This
Aslan chooses to send Jill and Eustace after the lost prince so that the line of royal succession in Narnia won't be broken, but also so the children will be empowered to face the injustices of Experiment House and bring about change.
In The Silver Chair, the idea of justice is closely connected to the virtues of loyalty and faith. Those who are steadfast in their loyalty to Aslan and Caspian are consistently rewarded.