XPost: alt.books.cs-lewis, rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: hayesmstw@hotmail.com   
      
   On 11 Apr 2007 19:56:20 -0700, nystulc@cs.com wrote:   
      
   >Steve Hayes wrote:   
   >> I have heard people say that the Calormenes in the Narnia books   
   >> represent Muslims, and some have even indignantly claimed that   
   >> they are a deliberate attempt to denigrate Muslims -- except that   
   >> the Calormenes' religion in no way resembles Islam, though it   
   >> might bear some resemblance to pre-Islamic religions of the Middle   
   >> East.   
   >   
   >Lewis has repeatedly said that, while the Narnia stories contain   
   >parallels to our world, things in Narnia generally do not "represent"   
   >anything in our world.  Edmund does not "represent" Judas, for   
   >instance.  Certain parallels notwithstanding, the two characters are   
   >different -- intentionally so.   
      
   Quite, yet a lot of people are very insistent that they are "Christian   
   allegories" -- yet Lewis insisted that they were not, and he probably knew as   
   much about allegory as anyone, and more than most.   
      
   >To the extent that the Calormenes "represent" anything, it seems to   
   >mainly "represent" modern secular England.  In HORSE AND HIS BOY,   
   >where we learn anything most of what we know about Calormene, it is   
   >where our two child heros, and two horse heros, live at the beginning   
   >of the tale. It is their home.  But Lewis understands that he is   
   >writing stories in English to be marketed to English children.  If   
   >Aravis and Shasta "represent" anyone at all, it is the English boys   
   >and girls who are his target audience, and the reason Calormene   
   >(rather than Narnia) is their home is because Modern England is the   
   >home of his target audience.  Calormene can be loosely said to   
   >"represent" Lewis' idea that the Modern World is essentially hostile   
   >to Christianity, and essentially pagan, ruled by the false gods of   
   >sex, money and power (etc.) (it would be tempting to say these three   
   >correspond to Zardeenah, Azaroth, and Tash, respectively, but it need   
   >hardly be that simple, especially if we believe Lewis when he says he   
   >is not really writing allegory).  Hence, Lewis is suggesting to his   
   >target audience (English children) that they live in enemy territory,   
   >and if they would seek out a more wholesome environment, community,   
   >and value system, they must undertake similar spiritual journeys, and   
   >make similar sacrifices, to that of Aravis, Shasta, Hwin and Bree.   
   >(He is not, of course, literally suggesting they seek out foreign   
   >countries. Where would they go?)   
      
   I think you've got that exactly right.   
      
      
   --   
   Steve Hayes   
   Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/litmain.htm   
        http://www.librarything.com/catalog/hayesstw   
        http://www.bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf/Methodius   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)