5 Lessons from Narnia on Communication + Discussion Tips

5 Lessons from Narnia on Communication +Discussion Tips
Written by the Hobbit on 6/3/2020
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We write discussion guides because we love helping facilitate conversations- especially around media. Also, it’s not something that comes naturally or easy for all of us. After seeing and reading stories we are generally more open to conversation and empathy. One of our favorite storytellers is C.S. Lewis. Hard and important discussions are so difficult in our social media environment and culture. We all constantly have to re-adjust, learn, and try to grow our communication skills.

5 Communication Lessons from Narnia

C..S. Lewis wrote several non-fiction works that are still widely read today. However, he believed that one of the best ways to communicate truth is to do so in a story, using the imagination. His most frequently read works are still The Chronicles of Narnia. We can learn a lot as we read these (I reread them every few years). Today we would like to highlight some things Lewis says about communication.

1) Listen carefully to others.

In Prince Caspian the 4 Pevensie children and the dwarf Trumpkin are striking out to reach Caspian’s camp when Lucy sees Aslan and tells the others to go a different route. None of the others believe her or want to change direction.

“Look! Look! Look!” cried Lucy. “Where? What?” asked everyone. “The Lion,” said Lucy. “Aslan himself. Didn’t you see?” Her face had changed completely and her eyes shone. “Do you really mean—?” began Peter. “Where did you think you saw him?” asked Susan. “Don’t talk like a grown-up,” said Lucy, stamping her foot. “I didn’t think I saw him. I saw him.” ‘Where, Lu?” asked Peter. “Right up there between those mountain ashes…. Just the opposite of the way you want to go. And he wanted us to go where he was—up there.” “How do you know that was what he wanted?” asked Edmund. “He—I—I just know,” said Lucy, “by his face.” The others all looked at each other in puzzled silence.”

Needless to say, the children wind up going the wrong route, and suffer the consequences. One of the best ways to avoid bad consequences is wise counsel and listening.

2) Be willing to admit that you were wrong.

(Looking again at Prince Caspian) The next night Lucy sees Aslan again – but the others cannot. They again have the same decision to make. Listen to Lucy? Or trust that she really does see Aslan? This time they do trust her, and Aslan becomes, as they walk, visible to all of them. As he becomes visible, the other three children admit to Lucy that they were wrong to doubt her.

“Lucy,” said Susan in a very small voice. “Yes?” said Lucy. “I see him now. I’m sorry.” “That’s all right.”

Both Lucy and Aslan offer forgiveness, but the forgiveness was possible because the others admitted that they were wrong.

3) Know when to walk away.

For this lesson we look at the consequences from The Horse and His Boy. At the end of the book Aslan offers Rabadash, the villainous prince, an opportunity to walk away. He refuses. Let’s see what happens next….

““The hour has struck,” said Aslan: and Rabadash saw, to his supreme horror, that everyone had begun to laugh. They couldn’t help it. Rabadash had been wagging his ears all the time and as soon as Aslan said, “The hour has struck!” the ears began to change. They grew longer and more pointed and soon were covered with gray hair. And while everyone was wondering where they had seen ears like that before, Rabadash’s face began to change too. It grew longer, and thicker at the top and larger eyed, and the nose sank back into the face (or else the face swelled out and became all nose) and there was hair all over it.”

Rabadash is turned into a donkey. Now, it is not likely that any of us will be turned into a donkey, but it is a reminder that we should know when to stop digging in our heals and know when to walk away. It’s also a good reminder that we don’t have to respond to every argument you are invited to.

4) You can’t take back something that has
been said or done.

In the Voyage of the Dawn Treader Lucy is shown a magic book. In it Lucy sees two girls, one of whom had been her friend, talking badly about her. She is rather furious. When she is later talking to Aslan, he tells her this was wrong and explains why.

“Spying on people by magic is the same as spying on them in any other way. And you have misjudged your friend. She is weak, but she loves you. She was afraid of the older girl and said what she does not mean.” “I don’t think I’d ever be able to forget what I heard her say.” “No, you won’t.” “Oh dear,” said Lucy. “Have I spoiled everything? Do you mean we would have gone on being friends if it hadn’t been for this—and been really great friends—all our lives perhaps—and now we never shall.”

Lucy’s friend Marjorie cannot take back what Lucy overheard. Lucy also cannot take back her actions in overhearing the conversation. Their friendship will never be the same. We need to remember that our words and deeds can have a profound impact on those around us, in particular those we are closest to. This is ESPECIALLY important to remember on social media. Your comments reach far beyond the one person’s page or post that you are posting on.

5) Words can be used for good or for evil.

Our last lesson from Narnia comes from the Silver Chair on words. They can make evil spells and break evil spells. And we need to listen to the words, for the fairness (or foulness) of the communicator may not be a reliable guide. Towards the end of the Silver Chair, Eustace, Jill, Prince Rilian, and Puddleglum have all been captured by the Green Witch. She’s trying to convince them to stay in her world by convincing them that what they believe to be true is only a fairytale.

“I won’t deny any of what you said. But there’s one more thing to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things-trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We’re just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia.” 

The Green Witches words were soul sucking, evil, and incredibly convincing. Whereas Puddleglum’s convictions and words were life giving. He selflessly saved his friends by having faith in his convictions and focusing on what was happening here and now.

Discussion Tips

5 other things to keep in mind when you’re talking about important things in person or on social media.

1. Share with each other honestly, but keep it age-appropriate if you’re having a discussion with kids.
2. Listen to the other person earnestly, not just so you can have your turn to to talk.
3. Be wary of emotional escalation
4. Listening and sharing stories is what connects us most.
5. Pause and reflect.
6. Grace goes a long way.

Discussion Resources

–Boundaries can help you determine when and how to say ‘yes’ and ‘no’.
–Emotional Intelligence 2.0 discusses dealing with our emotions and responding appropriately and a whole lot more.
–Dare to Lead goes over the research behind tough conversations and how to still lead while being vulnerable.
–Ready to Rise is for women in leadership; learning how to own your opinion and voice and becoming a better leader for it.
–How to Talk to Anyone will help those of you, like me, who need simple and easy tricks for starting healthy conversations and small talk.
–The Best Yes is all about learning how to focus your time and energy (and what you say yes to) when you are being pulled in a thousand different directions
–Authentic Conversations is all about equipping you to have more in depth, engaging conversations with the people you interact with and the people you lead. You can find our full review for it here.

Check out these other posts next:

-The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe!
*We’ve got a post on the book & the 2005 movie HERE
*We also have some curriculum that works with the book & movie HERE for only $2.99

–10 Lessons from Tolkien on Reading Day

-Tolkien: The biopic movie review from big Tolkien fans

–Audiobooks for the Whole Family

–5 Things We Learned from Mr. Rogers and more on the movie and documentary.

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