Representation of the villain in C. S. Lewis’s "The Magician’s Nephew"

Abstract

The present paper aims to observe the relevance of the role of the villain in the first book of C. S. Lewis The Chronicles of Narnia, entitled The Magician’s Nephew (1955). To this end, I will first introduce Schäfer’s definition of the literary villain and how to apply it in modern literature. I will then introduce C. S. Lewis and the relevance of his own historical context and personal experiences to the creation of the Narnia chronicles. The specific study of the presentation and representation of villains in The Magician’s Nephew will be introduced by application of Schäfer’s categorization in the analysis of the two villainous characters that we find in The Magician’s Nephew: Queen Jadis of Charn—the White Witch—and Uncle Andrew. The paper will conclude with a presentation of the key points that have arisen from my analysis.