The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

by

C. S. Lewis

World’s End Symbol Analysis

World’s End Symbol Icon

The World’s End is a location at the far eastern end of the flat world of Narnia, and it represents the need for faith on life’s journey as well as representing death and the promise of an afterlife. Caspian, Reepicheep, and the others are excited to see the World’s End, even though they don’t know what to expect when they get there. They have heard that Aslan’s country might be near the World’s End and that it seems to be some kind of paradise, but no one knows for sure where Aslan lives. Even the wise Ramandu can offer Caspian few assurances about what he’ll find when he actually reaches the World’s End. And so, the crew of the Dawn Treader lets faith guide them, with Caspian trusting his instincts and Reepicheep believing in a prophecy he heard long ago.

Caspian’s faith in the World’s End helps him find the courage to continue venturing eastward, even as he and his crew face difficult challenges. Ultimately, the crew of the Dawn Treader is rewarded for their faith by the beautiful and strange sights they see near World’s End. In some ways, the journey itself is a reward, as Caspian achieves his goal of finding the seven lost Lords of Narnia, and Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace grow and mature over the course of their journey. The glimpses that the children get of Aslan’s country over the border of the World’s End make it seem like heaven. In this context, Reepicheep’s disappearance from Narnia at the World’s End seems to be a kind of death—but a happy one with the promise of a joyful afterlife. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the World’s End represents the promise of heaven and how faith in eternal life can motivate people to lead better lives and ultimately accept death with dignity.

World’s End Quotes in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The The Voyage of the Dawn Treader quotes below all refer to the symbol of World’s End. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Bravery Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2 Quotes

Where sky and water meet,
Where the waves grow sweet,
Doubt not, Reepicheep,
To find all you seek,
There is the utter East.

Related Characters: Reepicheep (speaker), Caspian
Related Symbols: World’s End
Page Number: 22
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4 Quotes

At this Gumpas began to pay real attention. “Oh, that’s quite out of the question,” he said. “It is an economic impossibility—er—your Majesty must be joking.”

Related Characters: Governor Gumpas (speaker), Caspian
Related Symbols: World’s End
Page Number: 60
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

“Fools!” said the man, stamping his foot with rage. “That is the sort of talk that brought me here, and I’d better have been drowned or never born. Do you hear what I say? This is where dreams—dreams, do you understand—come to life, come real. Not daydreams: dreams.”

Related Characters: Lord Rhoop (speaker), Caspian
Related Symbols: World’s End
Page Number: 197
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

“Because,” said the Mouse, “this is a very great adventure, and no danger seems to me so great as that of knowing when I get back to Narnia that I left a mystery behind me through fear.”

Related Characters: Reepicheep (speaker), Eustace Scrubb, Caspian, Aslan, Lord Revilian, Lord Argoz, and Lord Mavramorn
Related Symbols: World’s End
Page Number: 212
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 14 Quotes

“My son,” said the star, “it would be no use, even though you wished it, to sail for the World’s End with men unwilling or men deceived. That is not how great unenchantments are achieved. They must know where they go and why. But who is this broken man you speak of?”

Related Characters: Ramandu (speaker), Caspian, Lord Revilian, Lord Argoz, and Lord Mavramorn
Related Symbols: World’s End
Page Number: 227
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 15 Quotes

The King took the bucket in both hands, raised it to his lips, sipped, then drank deeply and raised his head. His face was changed. Not only his eyes but everything about him seemed to be brighter.

“Yes,” he said, “it is sweet. That’s real water, that. I’m not sure that it isn’t going to kill me. But it is the death I would have chosen—if I’d known about it till now.”

“What do you mean?” asked Edmund.

“It—it’s like light more than anything else,” said Caspian.

“That is what it is,” said Reepicheep. “Drinkable light. We must be very near the end of the world now.”

Related Characters: Caspian (speaker), Reepicheep (speaker), Edmund Pevensie (speaker), Eustace Scrubb, Aslan
Related Symbols: World’s End
Page Number: 248
Explanation and Analysis:
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World’s End Symbol Timeline in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The timeline below shows where the symbol World’s End appears in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 14
Bravery Theme Icon
Christianity Theme Icon
...the Stone Knife. Seeing the sun rise so big and bright, so close to the World’s End , is the most exciting thing Edmund has seen so far on the voyage. (full context)
Bravery Theme Icon
Christianity Theme Icon
Growing Up and Selflessness Theme Icon
...are under an enchantment, and the only way to wake them is to go the World’s End , leave a crew member there, and come back. (full context)
Bravery Theme Icon
Christianity Theme Icon
...searching for, but Caspian feels it’s a shame to turn around so close to the World’s End . Caspian decides to put the question to the whole crew, but Edmund worries what... (full context)
Bravery Theme Icon
...end, just one sailor named Pittencream decides to stay behind. Although he never sees the World’s End , he tells future generations that he did until he almost believes the story himself. (full context)
Chapter 15
Christianity Theme Icon
Edmund worries what will happen if The Dawn Treader actually reaches the World’s End , and where it would go if it fell off. Reepicheep speculates that perhaps that’s... (full context)
Chapter 16
Bravery Theme Icon
Christianity Theme Icon
...and abdicates the throne so that he can continue to go with Reepicheep toward the World’s End in a smaller boat. Many of the crew members don’t want Caspian to go, but... (full context)
Bravery Theme Icon
Christianity Theme Icon
...after all. It will just be Reepicheep, Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace going on to the World’s End . (full context)
Growing Up and Selflessness Theme Icon
...mountains and a sweet musical sound coming from it. They believe they’re seeing over the World’s End into Aslan’s country. (full context)