Hero's Journey The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Figure 1.

Directed by Andrew Adamson The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) follows four siblings through their adventures in the magical land of Narnia. Lucy, Edmund, Peter and Susan Pevensie travel through a wardrobe into Narnia where they battle against the White Witch to save the lands from eternal winter. This film is an example of a hero's journey film.

A hero's journey film follows the stages set out in figure 2. In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe the stages go as follows;

Figure 2. 1. (Ordinary World) The siblings are evacuated from London and travel to Professor Digory Kirt's estate. 2. (The Call to Adventure) Lucy finds the wardrobe and travels to Narnia. Upon returning tells her siblings. 3. (Refusal to the Call) Susan, Peter and Edmund refuse to believe her. Edmund lies about knowing of the existence of Narnia. 4. (Meeting the Mentor) The four children meet Aslan the lion. 5. (Crossing the Threshold) The siblings travel through the wardrobe into Narnia. 6. (Tests, Allies and Enemies) Tests Mr. Tumnus betrays Lucy. Edmund meets with the White Witch. Maugrim and his pack attack the beavers home. The White Witch imprisons Edmund. Aslan is killed on the stone table. Peter leads the battle against the White Witch. Allies Mr. Tumnus, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, Aslan Enemies The White Witch 7. (Approach) The siblings arrive at Aslan's camp and prepare for battle. 8. (The Ordeal, Death and Rebirth) Aslan is killed on the stone table. Peter takes charge of his army. Aslan is resurrected and the White Witch is defeated. 9. (The Reward) The siblings are made Kings and Queens of Narnia. 10. (The Road Back) Years after defeating the White Witch, the siblings ride through a forest and find

the lamp post. 11. (Resurrection) The children overcome their problems back home; missing father and evacuation. They overcome the villain in Narnia. 12. (Return with Elixir) Susan, Peter, Edmund and Lucy return through the wardrobe to the real world.

Within the film are different examples of archetypes. The four siblings are heroes and each character goes through a transformation within the story. During the opening sequence of the film, the children's father is introduced as a soldier fighting the war, acting as a role model to them, Peter especially. This presents an absence of a mentor. Aslan becomes their mentor, helping and guiding them through their journey in Narnia. When Aslan is killed, Peter proves himself by taking lead in the battle against the White Witch. Edmund begins as an unpleasant boy who betrays his friends and siblings to the White Witch. During the film he realises his mistakes. Lucy has always been treated like a baby but by the end of the film she realises she has worth, when she uses her gift to save her brother and creatures in Narnia. The White Witch is an obvious villain, who surrounds herself with evil sidekicks. She exists to defeat Aslan and the four children as they fulfil a prophecy that would lead to her destruction.