Fantasy gives us the perfect backdrop for transformations of all kinds in The Silver Chair. We expect the magical types of morphing—like the beautiful lady into a venomous snake—but enchantment is also a major player in this book. Rilian looks like a man who has seen visions when he returns from the daily serpent hunt, for instance, and Jill recognizes immediately that there is something not quite right about the Black Knight when she first sees him in Underland, but notices that it disappears when he becomes "un-enchanted."
Change is not exclusive to magic, though, and sometimes it comes from within and causes personal growth. Both Jill and Eustace learn the value of truthfulness, loyalty, and courage on their journey, and this cements their friendship for ever after. These virtues are ultimately so potent that the children actually change Experiment House for the better when they return, empowered by new personal strength and conviction.
Questions About Transformation
- Several characters in this work can physically transform themselves. What judgments can you make about these characters based on this unique ability?
- How does Rilian become enchanted in the first place? How is this different from the enchantment that the Queen of Underland attempts on all four of them at the end of the narrative?
- Why does Rilian feel that he should visit Bism rather than return to his father at Cair Paravel? What kind of enchantment comes over him there?
- In what ways are the children subject to their own enchantments? Consider what makes them rush over the ruins of the ancient Giant city without recognizing what they are, for instance.
Chew on This
By transforming Rilian's mind, Lewis implies that the Prince's excessive grief and desire for vengeance make him vulnerable to the witch queen's schemes for Narnia.
The ability to transform—either physically or mentally—becomes the greatest challenge to the faith and loyalty of the adventurers in Underland.