Comments on: An Obituary (However Temporary) for Allegory in the Land of Narnia http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2011/01/an-obituary-however-temporary-for-allegory-in-the-land-of-narnia/ A First Things Blog Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:35:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Colin http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2011/01/an-obituary-however-temporary-for-allegory-in-the-land-of-narnia/#comment-16633 Colin Mon, 17 Jan 2011 04:10:14 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=9885#comment-16633 Tolkien despised allegory. I refuse to believe that there is allegory, as some say, where the author explicitly denied it. Perhaps the insistence that there IS, in fact, allegory in Tolkien's work whether he intended it or not is another manifestation of "ego-centrism?" Tolkien despised allegory. I refuse to believe that there is allegory, as some say, where the author explicitly denied it. Perhaps the insistence that there IS, in fact, allegory in Tolkien’s work whether he intended it or not is another manifestation of “ego-centrism?”

]]> By: david c http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2011/01/an-obituary-however-temporary-for-allegory-in-the-land-of-narnia/#comment-16408 david c Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:51:43 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=9885#comment-16408 It is one of my favorite scenes in all of Narnia as well and I think it could have been done without kicking up the rating. Lewis' description of it is not at all bloody -- like a butterfly being stripped of a chrysalis... it could have been done I think. Perhaps the makers of the film didn't like the image of baptism following regeneration. (that's a joke folks...) It is one of my favorite scenes in all of Narnia as well and I think it could have been done without kicking up the rating. Lewis’ description of it is not at all bloody — like a butterfly being stripped of a chrysalis… it could have been done I think.

Perhaps the makers of the film didn’t like the image of baptism following regeneration. (that’s a joke folks…)

]]> By: Craig Payne http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2011/01/an-obituary-however-temporary-for-allegory-in-the-land-of-narnia/#comment-16406 Craig Payne Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:42:39 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=9885#comment-16406 Dear Tom Gilson: That makes sense. Kind of ironic, isn't it?--that an extended violent scene involving a rather ugly sea serpent is okay, but a scene involving the pain of spiritual regeneration might be too much for the kids? Dear Tom Gilson: That makes sense.

Kind of ironic, isn’t it?–that an extended violent scene involving a rather ugly sea serpent is okay, but a scene involving the pain of spiritual regeneration might be too much for the kids?

]]> By: An obituary for allegory? | S I L O U A N http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2011/01/an-obituary-however-temporary-for-allegory-in-the-land-of-narnia/#comment-16400 An obituary for allegory? | S I L O U A N Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:33:13 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=9885#comment-16400 [...] a post on the Narnia movie “Voyage of the Dawn-Treader,” Gene Fant [...] [...] a post on the Narnia movie “Voyage of the Dawn-Treader,” Gene Fant [...]

]]> By: Tweets that mention An Obituary (However Temporary) for Allegory in the Land of Narnia » Evangel | A First Things Blog -- Topsy.com http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2011/01/an-obituary-however-temporary-for-allegory-in-the-land-of-narnia/#comment-16398 Tweets that mention An Obituary (However Temporary) for Allegory in the Land of Narnia » Evangel | A First Things Blog -- Topsy.com Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:35:45 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=9885#comment-16398 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tim Ellsworth. Tim Ellsworth said: An Obituary (However Temporary) for Allegory in the Land of Narnia, by Gene Fant at First Things http://bit.ly/f9WbGA [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tim Ellsworth. Tim Ellsworth said: An Obituary (However Temporary) for Allegory in the Land of Narnia, by Gene Fant at First Things http://bit.ly/f9WbGA [...]

]]> By: Flotsam and jetsam (1/5) « scientia et sapientia http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2011/01/an-obituary-however-temporary-for-allegory-in-the-land-of-narnia/#comment-16397 Flotsam and jetsam (1/5) « scientia et sapientia Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:30:57 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=9885#comment-16397 [...] Fant discusses the importance of allegory in literature. Somehow, however, as we have left allegory behind, perhaps killing it off precisely because of [...] [...] Fant discusses the importance of allegory in literature. Somehow, however, as we have left allegory behind, perhaps killing it off precisely because of [...]

]]> By: Wednesday Highlights | Pseudo-Polymath http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2011/01/an-obituary-however-temporary-for-allegory-in-the-land-of-narnia/#comment-16393 Wednesday Highlights | Pseudo-Polymath Wed, 05 Jan 2011 13:13:54 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=9885#comment-16393 [...] In praise of allegory and mythopoetic fiction. [...] [...] In praise of allegory and mythopoetic fiction. [...]

]]> By: Stones Cry Out - If they keep silent… » Things Heard: e154v3 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2011/01/an-obituary-however-temporary-for-allegory-in-the-land-of-narnia/#comment-16392 Stones Cry Out - If they keep silent… » Things Heard: e154v3 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 13:12:11 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=9885#comment-16392 [...] In praise of allegory and mythopoetic fiction. [...] [...] In praise of allegory and mythopoetic fiction. [...]

]]> By: Tom Gilson http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2011/01/an-obituary-however-temporary-for-allegory-in-the-land-of-narnia/#comment-16374 Tom Gilson Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:09:20 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=9885#comment-16374 The word I've heard is that if they had done it to match the book, it would have kicked the age-rating up a notch too, and they wanted to avoid that. I agree it was a loss, but understandable if that was really the reason for it. The word I’ve heard is that if they had done it to match the book, it would have kicked the age-rating up a notch too, and they wanted to avoid that. I agree it was a loss, but understandable if that was really the reason for it.

]]> By: Craig Payne http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2011/01/an-obituary-however-temporary-for-allegory-in-the-land-of-narnia/#comment-16373 Craig Payne Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:05:54 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=9885#comment-16373 Regarding the Dawn Treader film: the one scene at the heart of the book, the scene I was waiting for, the scene which would have kicked the entire movie up a notch, was somewhat downplayed: the scene in which Aslan uses his claws to tear off, very painfully, Eustace's dragon skin, to give him his new birth. Still a good movie, but that could have been THE scene. Regarding the Dawn Treader film: the one scene at the heart of the book, the scene I was waiting for, the scene which would have kicked the entire movie up a notch, was somewhat downplayed: the scene in which Aslan uses his claws to tear off, very painfully, Eustace’s dragon skin, to give him his new birth.

Still a good movie, but that could have been THE scene.

]]> By: David Strunk http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2011/01/an-obituary-however-temporary-for-allegory-in-the-land-of-narnia/#comment-16372 David Strunk Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:04:44 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=9885#comment-16372 "Ego-centrism, to a great extent, is the highest form of literalism." That's an interesting insight and one I will ponder for a while. Very profound points in this post. Thanks. “Ego-centrism, to a great extent, is the highest form of literalism.”

That’s an interesting insight and one I will ponder for a while. Very profound points in this post. Thanks.

]]> By: Truth Unites... and Divides http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2011/01/an-obituary-however-temporary-for-allegory-in-the-land-of-narnia/#comment-16371 Truth Unites... and Divides Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:46:57 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=9885#comment-16371 <i>"When I was in graduate school, I used to chuckle that my more theologically conservative classmates, the ones who were quietly ridiculed for taking the Bible “literally,” were the ones who understood literature more thoroughly as a symbolic artform that communicated on multiple levels."</i> Blasphemy!! No way that hick Bible-thumping literalist-fundys did what you say they did. “When I was in graduate school, I used to chuckle that my more theologically conservative classmates, the ones who were quietly ridiculed for taking the Bible “literally,” were the ones who understood literature more thoroughly as a symbolic artform that communicated on multiple levels.”

Blasphemy!!

No way that hick Bible-thumping literalist-fundys did what you say they did.

]]> By: BillT http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2011/01/an-obituary-however-temporary-for-allegory-in-the-land-of-narnia/#comment-16370 BillT Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:54:13 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=9885#comment-16370 Speaking of allegory. If you haven't seen "Tangled" you might be surprised by the level of allegory in it. Just as a hint, Rapunzel's forest pet is named Pascal. Speaking of allegory. If you haven’t seen “Tangled” you might be surprised by the level of allegory in it. Just as a hint, Rapunzel’s forest pet is named Pascal.

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