Whiteness and Racism in C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia
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Many critics have discussed the idea that C. S. Lewis advocated the regressive aspects of nostalgia by imposing the epitome of Plato’s ideal state into Narnia. Underneath the fantasy narrative, eugenics seems to reinforce the conventional Western view of race in The Chronicles of Narnia. The extreme “either/or” dichotomy between white and black in The Chronicles of Narnia has mainly emphasized the two different entities between good and evil. Moreover, in the biblical narrative the good simply triumphs over the evil, and at the same time it reflects that whiteness is superior to blackness. Due to the dominance of white imagery in the paradise, Narnia is considered to be a healthy and supreme place until an exceptional dark-skinned character enters the country. Metaphorically, Narnia signifies the integrity of the English society after eliminating all inferior races from the utopia. In the mid-twentieth century, the fears of immigration and other races coming into England impacted the society enormously. Hitherto, critics have discussed the inclusion of a Muslim, Emeth, in Narnia only as a mere exception and Lewis’s view of universalism. However, I suggest that it also displays Lewis’s keen awareness of different layers of whiteness due to his Irish position. Although the dichotomous division between white and black in Narnia tends to obscure the imperialist concept of Englishness, the Emeth case questions the ideology of pure race in England. Along with the context of the imperialist attitude in the white protagonists’ fantasy in The Chronicles of Narnia, I will explore the complex ideology of white supremacy along with Lewis’s perception of Irish whiteness and the historical context of race and eugenics in the mid-twentieth century.
Abstract
Many critics have discussed the idea that C. S. Lewis advocated the regressive aspects of nostalgia by imposing the epitome of Plato’s ideal state into Narnia. Underneath the fantasy narrative, eugenics seems to reinforce the conventional Western view of race in The Chronicles of Narnia. The extreme “either/or” dichotomy between white and black in The Chronicles of Narnia has mainly emphasized the two different entities between good and evil. Moreover, in the biblical narrative the good simply triumphs over the evil, and at the same time it reflects that whiteness is superior to blackness. Due to the dominance of white imagery in the paradise, Narnia is considered to be a healthy and supreme place until an exceptional dark-skinned character enters the country. Metaphorically, Narnia signifies the integrity of the English society after eliminating all inferior races from the utopia. In the mid-twentieth century, the fears of immigration and other races coming into England impacted the society enormously. Hitherto, critics have discussed the inclusion of a Muslim, Emeth, in Narnia only as a mere exception and Lewis’s view of universalism. However, I suggest that it also displays Lewis’s keen awareness of different layers of whiteness due to his Irish position. Although the dichotomous division between white and black in Narnia tends to obscure the imperialist concept of Englishness, the Emeth case questions the ideology of pure race in England. Along with the context of the imperialist attitude in the white protagonists’ fantasy in The Chronicles of Narnia, I will explore the complex ideology of white supremacy along with Lewis’s perception of Irish whiteness and the historical context of race and eugenics in the mid-twentieth century.
참고문헌 (21)
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