Author: C.S. Lewis
Year Published: 1955
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN#: 0064471101
Pages: 221
Media Type: Book
Classification: Fiction
Subject: Imaginary place
Reader's Annotation:
The story of how Aslan created Narnia and gave the gift of speech to its animals. This book focuses on the adventures of Polly and Digory.
Plot Summary:
The Magician's Nephew begins with a brief summary of the time period during which the story occurs. During this time in London lived a young girl named Polly Plummer. Polly lives in row housing. One day, while she is in her garden, a grubby faced young boy pokes his head over the wall from the garden next door. The boy is Digory, a name which Polly makes fun of and begins to comment on his dirty face when she remembers her manners. The subtle hint at his appearance causes Digory to burst out at Polly, telling her that he was forced to leave the luxuries of living in the country to live in London which he calls "a beastly Hole." He tells Polly that his father is in India, his uncle is mad, and that his mother is sick. Polly is inclined by Digory's emotional outburst to comfort him.
Curiosity does get the better of her and she asks about Mr. Ketterly (Digory's uncle). Digory explains that he is very odd, talking of strange things, and even crying out in his secret room upstairs. Polly offers several explanations about what his case may be and thus began the friendship of Digory and Polly.
The key action begins when the two decide to explore the attic space in the row houses in which the two live. Polly had discovered that she could access the under-roof areas with a small effort and had created a secret "cave" for her amusement. Digory and Polly ended up in in Digory's Uncle's room where all the trouble starts.
There was a strange humming noise that fills the room. Digory suggests they leave since they have apparently entered someone's home. In the table were some rings. Polly asks about the rings but before Digory could insist upon leaving, the lanky, frightening form of Uncle Andrew rises from a chair. The children are speechless and become more alarmed when Uncle Andrew rushes across the room and bolts the door shut. The two children began backing toward the attic door through which they had come, but Uncle Andrew darts to that door, blocking their escape.
Just as Digory yells out to Polly not to touch the rings, she touches one of them and vanishes, leaving Digory and Andrew alone in the room. Since she had no way of returning, Digory would have to go after her carrying a green homeward ring. He puts two green rings into his pocket and picks up his yellow ring. There was nothing else he could have done.
Uncle Andrew and the study vanished and Digory could feel himself rushing through empty space. There he finds Polly.After a short time the two decide to try going home. Digory is anxious to try a different world and sets off but is wisely stopped by Polly who points out that they should mark the home pool so they will not be lost later. This they do. After some confusion about which ring to use (green is always used to leave the Wood), the two leap into a nearby pool and descend into the unknown.
They arrive in the new world and first notice the strange reddish light about them. Digory takes responsibility for waking Jadis- The Witch. Digory tells her that it was Uncle Andrew's doing.Jadis insists upon being taken to England at once. When they arrive in Andrew's study, the old magician is in awe of what the children have brought with them. Digory was afraid that the witch is loose in London.
The story then goes through a lot of sequence of events as Digory and Polly got Jadis back to the Woods and into an unknown world where they meet the Lion -Aslan for the first time.
As the Lion sings, various plants begin to grow, starting first with grass, then trees. The Lion's song continues to produce more plants, flowers and the sort. It was Polly who first notices that the song and the life growing around her are interconnected. The Lion breathes on his chosen and commands them to awake and be speaking beasts.
From the trees and waters, various living creatures emerge and hail the Lion, Aslan, declaring their awareness of His command. Among the chosen is Strawberry, the cab horse. Aslan gives the creatures Narnia as their own, commanding them to be gentle to the dumb beasts or they themselves would cease to be Talking Beasts.
At Aslan's command, the animals pull aside and Digory approaches, asking if Aslan would help his mother. Aslan looks away and asks the animals if this is the boy who did it. Aslan then turns to Digory and commands him to explain how the witch came to Narnia. The whole story comes out and Digory is told that he must undo what has been done.
Near the river, a tree has grown from the apple which Digory planted. Aslan tells Digory that the tree will keep the witch out of Narnia, but she will remain in the north growing stronger in her evil magic. The day after Digory buried the apple core, he and Polly met to dispose of the rings. They buried them in a ring around the small tree which was already sprouting from the apple core Digory had planted.
As time passed, things continued to improve for Digory. After the death of a wealthy family member, his father returned from India and the family moved to a large house in the country. Digory and Polly always remained friends. In Narnia, all lived in peace.
The lamppost which the witch had accidentally planted burned brightly through the generations until it was happened upon years later by a young girl in another story. The area was called Lantern Waste. The apple Digory planted grew into a large tree and provided good fruit, though not magical fruit, for many years until the tree was blown over in a storm. Digory, now a grown man and a learned professor and owner of the Ketterly's old house, could not bear to see the tree cut into firewood so he had the tree cut into timbers which he had fashioned into a wardrobe to be put in his old house in the country.
Reading Level: 5
Interest Level: 4-9
Author Website:
http://cslewis.drzeus.net/
