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Chapter 16
Themes and Colors
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 Last Battle is a tale of deception and false prophets that ultimately demonstrates the peril of forsaking the truth and genuine belief systems for comforting lies. Shift, who persuades Puzzle to wear a lion's skin and pretend to be Aslan, embodies the archetype of a false prophet. Shift's manipulation of Narnian faith for personal gain marks him as a false leader with nefarious intentions. The Narnians, desperate for a sign from Aslan…
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The Value of Friendship
Throughout The Last Battle, the value of friendship stands as a beacon of hope amidst the chaos engulfing Narnia. The bonds formed between the characters not only offer emotional support but also serve as the foundation for their resistance against the forces threatening to destroy Narnia. One of the relationships at the heart of the novel is between King Tirian and Jewel the unicorn. Tirian and Jewel have been friends for as long as…
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Redemption and Forgiveness
Throughout the novel, C. S. Lewis deals with the themes of redemption and forgiveness, suggesting that divine grace is possible even in the bleakest of circumstances. The novel presents redemption as a difficult but necessary path for many to take, which is attainable through the mercy of Aslan, the Christ-like figure of the Narnia series. The most notable redemption arch in the novel relates to Puzzle, the donkey whom Shift manipulates into impersonating…
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The End of the World
As the conclusion of The Chronicles of Narnia, The Last Battle depicts the end of the world as the characters know it. Lewis portrays the apocalypse not just as a cataclysmic event, but also a moment of divine revelation and judgment, echoing the Christian religious tradition. Narnia, once vibrant and teeming with magic and life, is faced with destruction from within and moral decay. The false prophet, an ape named Shift, brings about…
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