The Magician's Nephew: Uncle Andrew and Adam

Comparison of Uncle Andrew and Adam

          In The Magician's Nephew, C.S. Lewis draws a comparison between Uncle Andrew and Adam from Christianity by saying that they both bring death into a world that knew no death. For Adam, man brought sin into the world, and sin is what brought death (Romans 5). In the story, Uncle Andrew did not directly bring death to Narnia, but he did bring with him the concept of it. His initial reaction was to kill Aslan, who depicts Jesus Christ throughout the Chronicles of Narnia. Later on in the story, he yet again brings up killing Aslan, saying that he wishes he had a gun with him so he could get a shot. This depiction of Uncle Andrew allows people to see a relationship between man and sin.
          It is interesting because Lewis is attempting to appeal to children with this story, and what better way to do this than to use animals? His depiction of the gospel throughout the Chronicles of Narnia allows for the younger generation to hear the story through allegory, but become familiar with it nonetheless. For example, the death of a lion is more important to a child than the death of a man, who at the time more than likely means very little to the child. Without scarring children and their thoughts of Christianity, Lewis uses Uncle Andrew to help depict sin and the introduction of death into this world that once knew no death. Lewis uses the same method for introducing much of Christianity. Children are able to read and listen to his stories in the Chronicles without being bored by mundane Christian sermons on who Jesus is. Lewis makes the story of the Gospel come alive for the children, and begins doing so in The Magician's Nephew.