The Magician's Nephew

The magic in The Magician’s Nephew is not merely a genre convention. Rather, it is a motif that illustrates the relationship between pride and power. Those who care only about their own goals and desires, like Uncle Andrew and the Witch, wield magic the same way they wield power: destructively. Their goal is to bend everything and everyone to suit their purposes, which means obliterating anything that resists them. The Witch says as much immediately after crumbling the doors of Charn’s palace: “This is what happens to things, and to people, who stand in my way” (69).

By contrast, those who wield power selflessly use magic creatively. Aslan is the primary example of this. His magic both creates and restores life, and in the case of the Talking Beasts, it allows the beneficiaries of that life to make their own choices about how to use it. It creates a sense of calm and peace in the good-hearted and only frightens Uncle Andrew and the Witch because they do not want to recognize any power but their own.

Perception is another important motif throughout the book. Perception is the way one views the world, which is shaped by one’s background, worldview, experiences, and decisions. The author says it this way: “For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are” (139). For example, the children and the Cabby view the magic in Narnia as beautiful and miraculous, while the Witch views it as a threat. Similarly, the children and the Cabby are open to Aslan’s magic and therefore see and hear Aslan and the animals talking clearly. However, Uncle Andrew is not at all receptive to Aslan’s magic and convinces himself that Aslan and the Talking Beasts are only growling, roaring, howling, etc. This demonstrates that sometimes perception is a choice, especially when it comes to interpreting seemingly miraculous events.