Chapter 11, Squamates

[rthstewart]

Chapter 11, Squamates, is up.

After much angst, I decided to split the chapter, putting off, yet again, conversations about camels and same sex bonded pairs of black swans, albatrosses, and giraffes. There will also be a flashback with Lucy, Aidan, Morgan and Edmund which answers the question Doctor Dolly raised after He loves not man the less, but nature more -- if Peter and Susan did the great bonding with Narnia, what did Lucy and Edmund do? The answer is that they performed Narnian bonding ceremonies with their spouses. Also, we (finally) get a normal, non-AU conversation with Mary and Peter -- the first since Part 1. But that is all for later.

For this chapter....

Thanks to lady_songsmith, clio, and snacky for the nudges and to many previous reviewers who asked some of the things I now wrestle with here.

I spent way too much time looking at historical agricultural production in Oxfordshire and locations of RAF bases and Aeorodromes. We finally get into the ballroom and return to the plaster blocks and Eustace finally hears about Chinese dragons. I found the story of the four dragons who became the four rivers of China in several places, including here. It is purportedly taken from Dragon Tales: A Collection of Chinese Stories. Beijing: Chinese Literature Press, 1988

I first found the discussion of the same sex giraffe pairs and rams who prefer other rams in the very comprehensive wiki entry, Homosexual behavior in animals and I'll be going back to that in a longer discussion in the next chapter. Other references, however, include the Merck Veterinary Manual which I understand recommends dealing with the rams that will not tup ewes as a matter of herd management and husbandry. N. Bailey and M. Zuk, Same-sex sexual behavior and evolution, Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Volume 24, Issue 8, 439-446, 10 June 2009 was also useful, here

Some time ago, readers expressed an interest in seeing something of Mary and Richard happy, some explanation for why their relationship was what it was. So, I've done that here, writing what I hope is an older man and husband's point of view on his wife, love, lust, and bitter regret.

In an original text with Christian symbolism (I hesitate to call it allegory, as Lewis eschewed the term) and a fandom that so emphasizes it, I know that, nevertheless, there are plenty of readers (including some or many who come here) who do not adhere to Christianity and who do not and never have read the Chronicles for their Christian symbology. Some time ago, a reader asked me if Mary was an atheist. I said no, and of course, Richard is not an atheist as a point of his character was to show the co-existence of science and faith. The question though has stayed with me. As I moved into Part 3, I have begun to play with an idea with Digory -- that as a religious scholar he is, nevertheless, not religious. He is, however, a deist and shows how seeing God in everything means he sees God everywhere.  He does not subscribe to the view that God must be worshiped one particular way. He (and Lucy) are very iconoclastic, but still they are not atheists.

With Eustace, I go there, posing the questions a lot of fans have with this series. If we assume Aslan is a Jesus-stand-in, he is, at best, a pretty poor deity, so this argument goes. He imperils children, is inconsistent, arbitrary and even cruel, and, for instance, unlike Jesus who did tell his disciples that he would be resurrected (they just didn't understand the elliptical message), Lucy and Susan didn't have that information and so for a night, they weep over Aslan's dead body thinking he is really and truly gone forever. Nice.

Eustace, both in the canon character that we know, and as developed here, is in a position to express those viewpoints about where Aslan can be seen as falling short in the love your children, God is omnipotent, department. Eustace voices the criticism of Aslan the other Friends of Narnia don't voice. The counter is Jill who, as is developing here, has a very charismatic view of God and has been raised to see God as the deliverer, shepherd, and protector of oppressed people.  Jill is very comfortable with the age old question, why does God let bad things happen to good people?  She comes from slaves and still believes.

And if there was any doubt, Peter is no theologian or philosopher.

So, the next chapter is mostly finished and the one after that is the Christmas chapter, Just Like The Ones We Used To Know. I've been trying to get AW to the point that I can move seamlessly to my Big Bang, but they may not happen.

Anyway, thanks so much.  I would not have pushed Eustace in this direction were it not for the thoughtful commentary I've read over the last 2+ years so my thanks to those who have posed these questions.

Comments

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Thank you! As I mentioned to Eloise above, I don't tend to wrestle with these things myself and I credit my time in the fandom over the last 2 years for the sum and substance of the conversation. I want to present it respectfully and without condescension or condemnation. An element of the fandom tends to assume that the only people who have read the Chronicles are Christian but its appeal is so much broader.

and yes, Squamates is a terrific word -- I spent some time trying to figure out if dinosaurs were squamates wandering through cladograms (they aren't) and wondered where dragons would fall. (Yes, I wonder more about Linnaean taxonomy for dragons than theology and I'm not a professional in either area). I also liked the word for its play on "mates" as the story is taking a turn toward bonding/marriage/family again.

[squishykat.livejournal.com]

Well I didn't feel condescended to or condemned, so I think you're doing a good job there!

I agree about the broader appeal. The Chronicals were some of my favourite books as a child, long before I realised they had anything to do with Christianity. You only have to see the recent films to know that's true.

I applaud you for being brave enough to even mention some of the issues people struggle with, as everyone has a strong opinion of one sort or another.

As for professionalism, if we only wondered about what we were paid to wonder about, the world would be a sadder place I think. I love how thoroughly you research for your writing and your authors notes often have fascinating titbits I wouldn't come across otherwise.

I was just reading through the other comments and was reminded of a conversation had with friends yesterday. The sermon was on a contentious passage of Timothy (women, be silent!) so we were discussing the difficulties we had in reconciling some teachings to our instinctive feelings of inequality and unfairness. My friend had a tough time in and out of hospital a couple of years ago. She was understandably angry and spent a lot of time examining her faith. She said faith is a decision you have to make every day. You can't just decide once, you have to weigh up your doubts and heart and thoughts continuously.

The C of E is going through upheaval at the moment over women vicars. Our vicar said he wants to think women should be able to be leaders of the church, but it's not biblical. He also said he thought it was a secondary issue, rather than a primary one and not worth splitting the church over.

I seem to have rambled a bit more than I originally intended to! I'm looking forward to the next chapter. :) x

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Thank you for sharing. What people are sharing is really remarkable. There was just an article here about the Episcopal church's declining membership and the challenges for the new Archbishop (or the equivalent) -- who is a woman. A Mother Elizabeth presided at my mother's funeral and I felt something profoundly inclusive with the experience. I know that there are certain passages that when I'm called upon to proclaim, if I have issues with them, I try to switch or back out. The keeping silent would surely be one (and other parts of Timothy are so lovely).

I got stung a bit on a review yesterday so I'm thinky as the saying goes. I don't want to do too much navel gazing and I have 15 people coming for Thanksgiving. When I wrote to Clio about having no rear view mirror, she responded that I have a rear-view mirror but tilt it toward fan-fiction rather than myself. thank you again for sharing.