Lesson Two: Narnia (TLTWTW) Chapters 1 & 2

1. Review what was read yesterday

Chapter One Summary:
Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie are four siblings who have been sent to the country to escape the air raids of World War II. They stay with Professor Kirke, an eccentric but kind old man, who resides in a house filled with twists, turns, and surprises. On their first day in the country it rains, so the Pevensies decide to explore the house. As they explore, they discover a spare room that is completely empty except for a large wardrobe. Peter, Susan, and Edmund leave the room, but Lucy stays behind to look inside the wardrobe. Surprised when the wardrobe door opens, Lucy steps inside the enormous closet to find a snowy wood at the back of it. Intrigued, she explores the wood, knowing that the safe wardrobe is still behind her. Eventually she meets a faun, a creature that is half goat and half man. The faun is carrying an umbrella and several parcels. When it sees Lucy, it is so startled that it drops all of its packages.

Chapter Two Summary:
After the faun recovers from the scare, it asks Lucy if she is a Daughter of Eve. Lucy does not understand this question, but she later realizes that the faun is asking whether Lucy is a human girl. Lucy replies that she is a girl, of course. The faun introduces himself as Tumnus, and asks Lucy how she has arrived in Narnia. Narnia, it turns out, is the name of this strange land that Lucy has entered. Lucy is confused and replies that she has come in through the wardrobe in the spare room. Tumnus misunderstands this, and thinks that Lucy comes from a city called War Drobe and a country called Spare Oom. Tumnus invites Lucy to his home for tea. Lucy agrees, on the condition that she does not stay for a long time, and they travel the path to Tumnus's house. Lucy has a delightful tea with Tumnus. Tumnus serves wonderful food and then plays beautiful music for her on a little flute. Finally Lucy shakes herself out of her reverie, or dream, and announces that she must go home. The faun sorrowfully tells her that she cannot go home. When Lucy asks why, the faun bursts into tears. Lucy comforts him as best she can, and Tumnus tells her that he is crying from guilt. He is a servant of the White Witch, the horrible ruler of Narnia, who has cast a spell over the land so that it is always winter and never Christmas. He has been enlisted to catch any humans he can find and bring them to her. Tumnus does not say what the witch will do with the humans, but we can assume that they will be killed. Lucy begs Tumnus to release her, and he agrees, saying that he had never met a human before and did not know what they were like. Tumnus walks Lucy back to the lamppost at the border between Narnia and the wardrobe door, and they say farewell.

Discussion/Narration:

1. Explain why the children were sent to live with the professor. Internet link about this. How would you feel if you were sent away to the country? Do you think this would make your sibling relationships more important?
2. The older children especially have more responsibilities. What is it like to be the eldest child? the middle child? the youngest child? What responsibilities do you have?
   
3. The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe are about 4 siblings who laugh together, struggle together, fight with each other, have adventures together. Each of the children brings something different to their siblings, look at each of the children, and their actions/choices and describe what they each contribute to the family. (ex=susan is kind to her siblings).
   
4. Describe Lucy's first adventure into the Wardrobe.
5. Narnia is experiencing only Winter because of the Witch's spell. If you could only have one season forever, which would it be?
6. The witch imposes an enchanted, eternal winter upon Narnia. Winter sounds pretty good to us here in Texas, and snow is fun to us, but that is only because we don't live with it every day. Remember how cold it was when it snowed last year? Winter is a dead, stagnant time of stasis. A time when things no longer grow, animals hibernate, people huddle up indoors. Normal humans tire of winter, and long for the break of Spring. An eternal winter would be oppressive. Lewis gives the overall impression of a barren empty land. The season of Winter represents that Narnia is under an evil regime.
   
7. There is an exchange in the first chapter when the children are anticipating getting to the professor's home and Peter is excited by the animals that might be there. He says, "Did you see those mountains?....there might be eagles, hawks!"
   ..."Badgers" says Lucy. "foxes" says Edmund. "Rabbits" says Susan. Have you noticed that each of the animals the children chose are a bit like them? Hawks are noble, strong birds. Badgers are loyal and faithful. Rabbits are shy and sweet. Foxes are cunning, and not wholly trustworthy. What animal would represent you if you were in the story and why?
8. The Faun Tumnus is ultimately good and kind. He may begin the story in the service of the white witch, but when he understand ultimately what his mission is, his decency and kindheartedness surface when he helps Lucy escape.

Activites:

1. Draw a picture of Narnia in Winter. Cut out paper snowflakes and paste them on the sides of the paper as a frame for the picture. Go HERE for snowflake patterns. Discuss how each snowflake is different and unique. Here are our pics
   
2. Discuss seasons, especially winter.
   
3. Hydrate some of the fake snow, and play with it at the kitchen table.
4. Freeze containers full of ice in advance. Let the kids play with the ice (maybe color it too?) Talk about how cold it is. How long can you hold ice in your hand?
   
5. Hang a tension rod in the hallway with jackets or shirts on it, let the kids act out the first two chapter of going through the wardrobe. Here is our wardrobe
   
6. Make Ice Cream in a ziploc bag It will get VERY cold. Talk about how painfully cold it is.
   
7. Discuss how things freeze in winter, and how icecream freezes.
   
8. For Lunch, have a Mr. Tumnus Tea Party

Read Chapters 3 &4 for tomorrow!