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Chapter 14
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Last Battle, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Belief, Deception, and False Prophets
The Value of Friendship
Redemption and Forgiveness
The End of the World
Summary
Analysis
Emeth shares his tale with the group. When he first heard of the plan to come to Narnia, he was excited to confront the Narnians in battle. However, his pride turned to shame when he discovered that his people planned to sneak into Narnia by pretending to be merchants rather than being honest about their intentions. Additionally, Emeth had always worshipped Tash and despised the name of Aslan, so hearing Shift proclaim that the two gods were one shocked him.
Emeth is an earnest seeker of truth. His initial excitement to participate in the battle reflects his belief in his own culture’s values and the honor he places in martial prowess. When he realizes his people’s plan involves deceit, his shame indicates a deep-seated honor, which is at odds with the actions of his countrymen. That is, while Emeth may have opposed Narnia, he did so honestly and with noble intentions.
Themes
Emeth grew certain that the creature paraded around the bonfire each night was no god at all, and it infuriated him that Rishda had no faith in Tash. Emeth’s determination to see Tash himself pushed him to enter the stable after Ginger came out, leading to a confrontation with a Calormene who threatened to kill any non-conspirators. The skirmish ended with Emeth stepping out into Aslan’s paradise, where he began his search for Tash. To his surprise, he found Aslan, who received him warmly. Aslan clarified that he and Tash were not the same. However, Aslan also said that, whether Emeth knew it or not, his good deeds were always performed in Aslan’s name.
Emeth’s anger toward Rishda indicates his disgust with inauthenticity when it comes to faith and his desire for a true divine experience. Emeth’s determination to see Tash himself shows a fearless commitment to his faith, which ironically leads him not to Tash but to Aslan's country. Aslan deems Emeth worthy because Emeth prioritized his values over the name of the deity attached to them. He offers Emeth forgiveness because Emeth embodies the values Aslan set forth, even if he is not a native Narnian.
Themes
After Emeth finishes his story, a donkey approaches the group. It takes everyone a moment to realize that the donkey is Puzzle because they have not seen him in the light without the lion skin. Puzzle is excited that they are all together again, though he admits that he has been keeping away from Aslan because he is too ashamed about pretending to be him.
Like Emeth, Puzzle is a character who one might not think worthy of Aslan’s forgiveness, given his role in Shift’s plan. Puzzle himself does not appear to think he is worthy, which is why he is doing his best to avoid Aslan.
Themes
Now that everyone is together, they continue “farther up and further in.” As they progress, the landscape around them starts to resemble Narnia, though somehow it is even better and grander than they remember. Digory says that this place is more authentic, suggesting that the old Narnia was merely a shadow of this true version. He explains that all that was good from the old Narnia has entered this true realm, comparing it to Plato’s philosophy. Jewel, feeling a deep connection to the land, realizes that he has finally reached the place he has longed for, believing his love for the old Narnia stemmed from its glimpses of this true realm. He calls for everyone to venture further, and together they discover they can run as much as they want without ever getting tired.
Again, “farther up and further in” suggests a constant state of spiritual ascendency, as the characters grow closer and closer to Aslan. Digory compares Aslan’s eternal realm to Plato’s philosophy because Plato had a theory of Forms, which held that everything in the physical world was merely a proxy for its ideal form, which existed in a different plane. Here, the characters are getting to witness the ideal version of Narnia, an already fantastical land, which is glorious beyond their comprehension.
Themes
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