Narnia and prejudice

[aneeshm]

Originally posted by Elok

...dude, the Arabian Nights are about a guy who catches his wife cheating and goes nuts, marrying a different woman every night, screwing her, and then having her executed. Every Jew character is a dishonest scoundrel, every black character is dirty, ugly, stupid and mean, and women are almost entirely subservient.

Let me see my copy of the Nights, now. Ah, I remember some of these. Like "Prince Behram and the Princess Al-Datma," described on the back of the book as "a delightful early version of The Taming of the Shrew." That was a good 'un, and I think Shakespeare's version would have been much improved if he'd kept the part where Petruchio throws Katharina to the ground and rapes her.

I've read the Arabian Nights, in the full, uncensored version.

I remember that there was only one explicit reference to Indian temples and the idols in them, and that was followed by "May Allah smash them utterly".

I know the criticisms you're talking about, and they're all valid, but it is still important to note that such a portrayal can still lead to prejudice in a child. That is all that I'm trying to say, nothing more.

[Elok]

My point is that the portrayal in Arabian Nights is actually far less flattering than the one in Narnia. In Narnia the country is evil, but cartoonishly, two-dimensionally so. They're a plot device, the Wicked Stepmother Country. When I read the books as a child, I quickly recognized that fact. I did not expect old Arabia to be "evil," any more than I thought Medieval Europe was a swell place to live after reading about Narnia (nor did I think centaurs existed). When I later learned about European history, I did not go into it expecting to read about a utopia.

Hmm, looking back at the OP, it seems you haven't read all the books. Why don't you get back to us after you've read The Last Battle? It contains a lot of information on Calormen that you're missing; for example, the difference in religion is quite significant. You also haven't read about the Telmarines...I assume you're reading the books in chronological order, i.e. you've read The Magician's Nephew, LWW, and now Horse and his Boy?

[aneeshm]

Yes, I'm reading them in that order. I'll get back to you when I finish, then.

[Elok]

I read them in the order they were written: LWW, Prince Caspian, Dawn Treader, Silver Chair, HHB, Magician's Nephew and Last Battle. It was interesting seeing how the ideas matured over time. But of course Lewis himself recommended reading them in "chronological" order.

[DaShi]

Perhaps aneeshm is just more easily influenced than children.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by DaShi
Perhaps aneeshm is just more easily influenced than children.

Someone, hand me my fish.

[Odin]

I don't get the problem with bashing Oriental Despotism.

[Heresson]

But there's no such thing like Oriental Despotism. It's a western, artificial, concept that doesn't correspond with reality all that much.

[Elok]

How much did Fu Manchu pay you, Heresson?

[Heresson]

He promessed to destroy Will9.

[snoopy369]

The main thing for me to remember:

Narnia was written by a Christian theologian in the early 20th century.

Expecting it to show modern sympathies is rather like expecting a book from a 1700s Mississipian to portray blacks as intelligent or human ... an unreasonable expectation.

So long as they are portrayed as what they are - Christian allegories - I see nothing wrong with them. Everyone I know is well aware of the religious side of things, even children.

[Heresson]

are you suggesting christian stuff can't be modern?

[Maniac]

No he's saying Christian theology in the early 20th century can hardly be expected to be modern.

[Sprayber]

I would be interested to see aneeshm's opinion of Lord Of The Rings and the Tolkein legends.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Sprayber
I would be interested to see aneeshm's opinion of Lord Of The Rings and the Tolkein legends.

Don't encourage him.