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Chapter 7
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Horse and His Boy, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Freedom and Justice
Bravery vs. Recklessness
Christianity
Gender Roles
Summary
Analysis
Prince Rabadash curses the Tisroc for letting Susan and the other Narnians escape. Ahoshta suggests that the Prince be reasonable, but Prince Rabadash gets angry and starts kicking him. Rabadash demands that the Tisroc send his whole army into Narnia and kill everyone except Susan. But the Tisroc doesn’t want full-scale war with Narnia. He doesn’t know much about the new rulers of Narnia but believes they must be powerful to have overthrown the old ruler, who was a powerful enchantress.
Although Ahoshta is a powerful man in Calormen, he must suffer the indignity of being kicked by the Prince. This shows how even people at the top of Calormen society aren’t free, and that as much as Ahoshta wants to control Aravis through marriage, he is still subservient to the Prince and the Tisroc. The violence of the Calormene rulers contrasts with the civil discussions of the monarchs of Narnia and their advisors.
Themes
Prince Rabadash makes an offer: He’ll go ride across the desert with 200 men, pretending like he’s sneaking away without the Tisroc’s approval. Promising to kill as few Narnians as possible, Rabadash will enter the city of Cair Paravel, wait for the arrival of the Narnian boat, then take Susan and carry her back. The Tisroc doubts that Rabadash can achieve this and that it would have little effect on overthrowing Narnia. But Rabadash insists that the Tisroc can deny knowing about Rabadash’s plan and that Rabadash can send false letters to convince the Narnians that Susan is his willing wife.
Rabadash wants to carry off Susan by force, once again embodying the opposite of the freedom that Narnia represents. Rather than trying to justify his actions to the Tisroc, Rabadash simply tries to make it look like the Tisroc will not be responsible for his actions. The Tisroc’s refusal to take responsibility for what happens in his kingdom demonstrates how he is a weak and ineffective leader.
Themes
Although he has doubts, the Tisroc finally gives permission for Prince Rabadash to carry out his plan. The Prince kisses his father’s hands and leaves. Ahoshta pledges to keep everything he’s heard a secret. The Tisroc regrets that he has allowed his son to go off on a potentially suicidal mission. Ahoshta reminds the Tisroc that protecting his own throne is worth more than even the life of the Prince, and the Tisroc regretfully agrees with him.
The Tisroc allows his son to go off on a dangerous mission, knowing that it is likely to fail. Once again, the Tisroc refuses to take responsibility, showing how he is weak as a leader. Meanwhile, Rabadash abuses the power that he has, using it to set off on a selfish mission that could get him killed, rather than trying to be a good leader of his country.
Themes
