The Chronicles of Narnia are some of the most famous and celebrated children’s novels of all time, especially the first installment,
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. The main characters in
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe—the Pevensie children—appear in several other Narnia novels, though they only appear in
The Silver Chair by name. Eustace Scrubb, one of the main characters in
The Silver Chair, is also a prominent character in
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and his voyage with King Caspian in that novel is regularly referenced throughout
The Silver Chair.
The Silver Chair also relies heavily on references to the Christian Bible and Greek myths. For instance, the character of Aslan is a god-like figure who lives in an Edenic paradise far above Narnia and grants those who are worthy the gift of eternal life in his paradise after their death in Narnia. Additionally, Aslan calls humans “sons of Adam” and “daughters of Eve,” which is a direct reference to the Christian creation story in the Bible. Lewis also borrows the image of the serpent from the Bible, which functions as a symbol of temptation and evil. Similarly, Rilian’s confinement in the silver chair recalls the punishment Hades gives to Theseus and Pirithous in a famous Greek myth. Theseus and Pirithous travel to the Underworld to steal Persephone, Hades’s wife, away from him. However, they are caught, and Hades ties them to a chair that makes them forget their identities. Rilian’s silver chair similarly causes him to forget his true self, and the Underland of Narnia bears a striking resemblance in name and description to the Underworld of Greek myth.