The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe: An Analysis

Aslan further parallels Christ when he sacrifices his own life to save Edmund, creating the scenario of salvation similar to the Bible (Worsley, 152). In the bible, Jesus gives up his own life to pay for the sins of the world, so those who believe can have an eternal life with him in heaven. Aslan’s sacrifice pays the price for Edmund’s treachery and allows him to live. However, Aslan, much like Jesus, rises from the dead and brings his supporters who have frozen into stone statues by the White Witch back to life by breathing on them. John 20:22 says “And with that He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (NIV Bible), showing that Jesus too brings his followers back to a new life. In The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe,
According to Worsley, atonement has 4 images that occur. The first is the point of sacrifice, where something is given up in exchange for the salvation of another (Worsley, 150). In Lewis’s book, his point of sacrifice is Aslan petitioning the White Witch to take his life instead of Edmund’s. The second image is the demand for justice, which we see when the White Witch accepts Aslan’s offer because there must be payment for the treason Edmund had committed against the Deep Magic (Worsley 150). This act, however, leads to the third image of atonement, decisive victory (Worsley 150). By allowing Aslan to take Edmund’s place on the Stone Table, the White Witch has unknowingly given Aslan the moment he needed to prove his power. After his death, Aslan comes back to life and leads the Narnians in a final battle against the Witch. In this particular story, the fourth image of atonement, an act of love, is woven throughout the other three images (Worlsey, 150). Aslan’s motivation behind the sacrifice, the return to life, and the triumph over the witch is his love for the children and Narnia. Without his sacrifice, Aslan would not have been able to pay the price the Deep Magic required and save