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Chapter 15
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
Eventually, the group reaches Caldron Pool, which excites Eustace, in particular. Next to Caldron Pool is an enormous waterfall with high, unclimbable cliffs. Farsight and Jewel urge the group to keep going “farther up and farther in.” Although it seems like a daunting task, the group soon discovers they can climb straight up the waterfall. As they ascend, Lucy realizes fear has no hold over them. In fact, they no longer have the capacity to feel negative emotions. At the top of the waterfall, they run into the Western Wild, a place only Digory and Polly recognize.
Everything in Aslan’s eternal realm quickly becomes even better than it appears—cliffs that at first seem insurmountable are quickly overcome. While exploring this version of Narnia, the characters are reminded of their past, which is also their future now that they are allowed to stay in Aslan’s eternal realm. After a novel full of death and decay, finally everything is teeming with life and beauty.
Themes
After more traveling, they eventually reach a set of golden gates. They pause, wondering if they should enter. Then, a majestic horn sounds, the gates swing open, and a talking mouse with a sword welcomes them in the name of Aslan. Peter, Edmund, and Lucy recognize the mouse as Reepicheep, who they greet warmly. Tirian has never met Reepicheep but knows him as a legendary Narnian hero from his history books. Then, Tirian is approached by a man he realizes is his father, Erlian, who looks just as he did in his prime.
Reepicheep is a beloved character in Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. His appearance here signifies to readers of the series that all of the brave Narnians from throughout the series have made it to Aslan’s eternal realm, not merely those who feature prominently in this novel. In fact, even characters the reader does not know, such as Erlian, appear to welcome their loved ones.
Themes
Inside the golden gates is a garden, where the group finds themselves among all the honorable figures from Narnia's history, including Puddleglum the Marsh-wiggle, King Rilian, King Caspian, Bree the horse, and Tumnus the faun. Lucy shares with Mr. Tumnus, her oldest Narnian friend, that the garden seems like the stable because it is larger on the inside than it appears from outside. Mr. Tumnus explains that the worlds are akin to an onion—as one goes up and in, each layer becomes larger and truer.
All of the characters in this scene are from previous entries of the series. Although it is a reunion scene for the characters in the novel, it is also a chance for the reader to bid farewell to their favorite characters as the series comes to an end. Meanwhile, Mr. Tumnus’s explanation to Lucy details the nature of Aslan’s realm, which is impossible to truly comprehend, though there is a great beauty in its incomprehensibility.
Themes
Then, Aslan leaps down from some nearby cliffs. Aslan first turns to Puzzle, whispering something that causes the donkey’s ears to droop, but Aslan follows this with words that make Puzzle’s ears stand tall once again. Lucy confesses to Aslan that she does not want to return to her own world. Aslan, with a gentle tone, reveals that they have all been part of a railway accident and that their time in the Shadowlands is over. As such, they will be able to stay in this eternal realm forever with all of the Narnians.
Aslan offers Puzzle forgiveness privately, suggesting that he knows Puzzle is ashamed and does not want to further exacerbate his suffering. Puzzle’s ears standing tall casts the last bit of negative emotion out of the book, as the characters begin their eternal journey in Aslan’s realm. Although the novel ends by detailing a tragedy—the human characters’ death in a train accident—the novel suggests it is not tragic at all because what follows death is so much better than life.
Themes
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