image courtesy of Irish artist Kim Shaw, originally posted at The Lion's Call.
As we are less than a fortnight away from the movie premiere of Prince Caspian, I’ve decided to set aside part two of Ships and Shipmates till next month and talk about the second book in the Chronicles of Narnia instead.
Who is so heartless as not to be won over by the most valiant character in children’s literature, perhaps in all literature?
I hope the film of Prince Caspian will do him justice, for Reepicheep the Mouse, knight of Narnia, has a thing or two to teach us all.
I’ve written about murine heroes in this blog before. They are certainly a popular staple of kidlit—besides Graham Oakley’s Church Mice, there’s E. B. White’s Stuart Little and numerous mice in the stories of Beatrix Potter, to name only a few. Perhaps writers figure children should be able to identify with small and powerless creatures.
Lewis, however, does the rest one better. His Reepicheep is not there simply for his child readers to identify with as a little character threatened by all the larger characters around him, who can be escaped thanks to the very smallness of a mouse. Reepicheep, on the contrary, is fearless, feisty and above all truly valiant. He is a role model not only for children but for the adults those children become, and for the adults who read the Chronicles of Narnia over their children’s shoulders.
Today perhaps more than ever before, Reepicheep speaks to those who love Refreshment of Spirit, and indeed to the world. When Prince Caspian was first published, the reaction other characters (and doubtless readers too) would have toward a swashbuckling mouse was predictable: isn’t he cute?, or some variation thereof. But Reepicheep quickly proves that he is not playing at being a hero; he is a hero, first in his own heart, second in his actions, and third in the undying loyalty of his followers.
These days, Reepicheep is not just a figure of amusement to our jaded society because he appears to be a small creature trying to act big, but also because the very heroic code he lives by seems amusing to those who don’t know their own deep need for Refreshment of Spirit.
Perhaps this cynicism isn’t so new, however. Let’s remember that Queen Susan went home from the adventure of Prince Caspian to a life of bedazzlement with vanity and shallow social butterflying, and so ceased to be a Friend of Narnia. Somehow she lost touch with the depth of devotion shown by Reepicheep’s mouse troops, who promptly prepared to cut off their own tails rather than let him endure the humiliation of that maiming alone. That is the loyalty that comes to the Truly Valiant.
Who is so heartless as not to be won over by the most valiant character in children’s literature, perhaps in all literature?
I hope the film of Prince Caspian will do him justice, for Reepicheep the Mouse, knight of Narnia, has a thing or two to teach us all.
I’ve written about murine heroes in this blog before. They are certainly a popular staple of kidlit—besides Graham Oakley’s Church Mice, there’s E. B. White’s Stuart Little and numerous mice in the stories of Beatrix Potter, to name only a few. Perhaps writers figure children should be able to identify with small and powerless creatures.
Lewis, however, does the rest one better. His Reepicheep is not there simply for his child readers to identify with as a little character threatened by all the larger characters around him, who can be escaped thanks to the very smallness of a mouse. Reepicheep, on the contrary, is fearless, feisty and above all truly valiant. He is a role model not only for children but for the adults those children become, and for the adults who read the Chronicles of Narnia over their children’s shoulders.
Today perhaps more than ever before, Reepicheep speaks to those who love Refreshment of Spirit, and indeed to the world. When Prince Caspian was first published, the reaction other characters (and doubtless readers too) would have toward a swashbuckling mouse was predictable: isn’t he cute?, or some variation thereof. But Reepicheep quickly proves that he is not playing at being a hero; he is a hero, first in his own heart, second in his actions, and third in the undying loyalty of his followers.
These days, Reepicheep is not just a figure of amusement to our jaded society because he appears to be a small creature trying to act big, but also because the very heroic code he lives by seems amusing to those who don’t know their own deep need for Refreshment of Spirit.
Perhaps this cynicism isn’t so new, however. Let’s remember that Queen Susan went home from the adventure of Prince Caspian to a life of bedazzlement with vanity and shallow social butterflying, and so ceased to be a Friend of Narnia. Somehow she lost touch with the depth of devotion shown by Reepicheep’s mouse troops, who promptly prepared to cut off their own tails rather than let him endure the humiliation of that maiming alone. That is the loyalty that comes to the Truly Valiant.
2 comments:
Donna, thanks for these words about Reepicheep. He's always been my favourite Narnian. Just about the most precious scene to me in the series is Reepicheep in his coracle sailing up the wall of water to Aslan's country. Maybe he moves me because I am NOT a brave person. The movie had better do Reep right!!
Thanks Donna for this, and for the credit! I love Reep, so cute and yet so lordly :) Really looking forward to seeing him in the new movie.
x Kim
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