A Psychoanalytical Study of Character Development in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

Abstract

Children’s literature provides insight into human nature and personality development. As such it has been analyzed through several perspectives, one of which is psychoanalysis. This research paper is a qualitative analysis of C.S. Lewis’ novel The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe through a psychoanalytical angle. The paper aims to explore the character development of the Pevensie children using the psychoanalytical theory of object relations by Donald Winnicott. It is argued that Winnicott’s theoretical concepts stated in his theory of object relations provide an understanding of changes within characters and maturity attained by them. This paper employs Winnicott’s psychoanalytical approach to offer fresh insights and knowledge about the selected novel. The textual analysis reveals that the children’s perceptions, thoughts and personalities, which constitute their inner world, undergo development by interacting with the dual outer worlds presented in the narrative. The outer reality of their uncle’s home and the alternate outer reality of Narnia significantly impact their character development through interaction with key objects in both the worlds, resulting in transformations in the children’s psyche and behaviors. Each world has its own potential to impact and transform the characters’ inner reality, psyche, and actions because of the presence of different objects or environments. Two key conclusions can be drawn from the application of theoretical insights to the novel: one, variation in the environment can cause changes in character development as observed in all Pevensie children, and secondly, a constant state of environment can also have different effects on different characters as depicted in the contrasting behavior of Edmund from the other Pevensie children.