The Silver Chair

The Silver Chair explores the concept of morality by depicting different characters’ struggles with their faith. C.S. Lewis’s definition of faith is heavily influenced by Christian ideals, and as a result, his characters’ sense of morality takes on a religious dimension. In short, moral behavior in The Chronicles of Narnia is dictated by the degree to which any given character follows the will of Aslan. Consequently, a character’s deference to Aslan’s rule signifies their moral purity.

Some characters, like Puddleglum and most Narnian creatures, symbolize unconditional faith in their approach to the world. Indeed, the Marsh-wiggle is characterized by his unwavering loyalty to Aslan and by his innocent point of view. The latter is framed as a moral virtue, because it enables Puddleglum to act with pure intentions. Even when he is unsure about the consequences of his actions, Puddleglum is willing to follow Aslan’s guidance without question, as is evidenced by his response to Eustace’s question of whether it is safe to untie Prince Rilian from the silver chair. He simply states, “I don’t know about that. […] You see, Aslan didn’t tell Pole what would happen.