The Magician's Nephew Literary Elements

Fantasy, Children's Literature

London during the time of Sherlock Holmes, late 1800s, and also in the "magical worlds" that can only be reached using magic, where time is measured differently

Third person omniscient narrator. The narrator also seems to be the voice of the novel's author, mostly telling the story from Digory's viewpoint but also from his own

The tone is hopeful and has faith in the triumph of good over evil. As conflict arises the mood changes to frightening and urgent

Digory is the protagonist, Jadis is the antagonist

The major conflict is between good and evil: conflict between the Magician and Digory, between the evil Queen and Aslan, and between her evil power and his powers of good.

Digory's decision to reject Queen Jadis' temptation, and deliver the silver apple to Aslan in order to save Narnia. The climax is followed by the return of the children to Narnia on the winged horse Fledge, bringing both the fruit that will grow into a tree that protects Narnia from Queen Jadis. The tree also produces a fruit that will cure Digory's mother's illness.

The writings that warn of horrible consequences to anyone who rings the bell: foreshadowing the waking of Queen Jadis and the evil she brings to the world.

"The face of the strange boy was very grubby" understates the fact that Digory could not have been dirtier

The author/narrator alludes to the subsequent Narnia novels by telling the reader that other children will visit Narnia later in stories that we will read about, and also alludes to the wardrobe that acts as a gateway between this world and Narnia

"It was a valley through which a broad, swift river wound its way, flowing eastward towards the sun. Southward there were mountains, northward there were lower hills. But it was a valley of mere earth; rock and water; there was not a tree, not a bush, not a blade of grass to be seen. The earth was of many colors: they were fresh, hot and vivid." (118)
Image of Narnia as it was being created by Aslan, showing that although Aslan had not yet created life yet, the land was still exceptionally beautiful like a painting

The last line of the inscription on the golden gate in the garden is a paradox, "For those who steal or those who climb my wall, / Shall find their heart's desire and find despair." (184). The heart's desire and despair at the same time do not seem feasible; yet, the Witch, who steals from the garden, is shown to have received both despair and her heart's desire as a result.

In Aslan’s speech, the literary device of parallelism is used: the construction of the sentences are similar throughout the speech, as well as in the responses of the animals. Parallelism highlights the power of the words Aslan uses, making them similar to prayer, and offering the animals faith in Aslan.

"Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, awake." (136) which uses "Narnia" as representative of all of the creatures dwelling there.

The narrator says on Chapter Eight that the sun was so bright "you could imagine that it laughed for joy as it came up" (118) giving the sun the ability to feel emotion and to demonstrate emotions with an appropriate human reaction.