One of the great things about having kids...

... is getting to play amateur psychoanalyst.

My latest experiment is in reader-response criticism. If you really live in a literary world, really get into it and feel what's going on and breathe the air around you, then your responses in that world -- your affections, likes, dislikes, passions and thoughts -- say as much about you as about the world.

So nearing the end of our years in Narnia (at least the first time through), here are my eldest three children's favorite characters (excluding Aslan):

Dietrich: Jewel the Unicorn

Anna: the dryads

Emily: Puddleglum

Each speaks volumes does it not?

So ... who is your favorite character?

(click for a nice full size map of Narnia)

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Puddleglum or Eustace

Unknown said...

I am not entirely sure I want to be psychoanalyzed :)

I have not started these with my kids. I am waiting until we can dialogue with them about the story a little more efficiently. Thus, I have not read them for probably six years.

Shame.

Bree and Shasta are a couple of favorites in their determined journey to find their home.

Eyes_Wide_Open said...

I'm not saying.

JPB said...

It's not like I don't already know, Janine ;-)

JPB said...

Actually, Jen did point out that adults can mask this much better by thinking about who should be their favorite character or who they want to be like or who they fancy themselves as.

We know that such things reveal us and are better at hiding behind the masks we wear. Sigh.

After junior high, can we recover who we really are enough to answer a question like this directly and "like a little child?"

I think we can.

JPB said...

As for myself ... I would answer the community of old Narnians faithful to Aslan during Miraz's reign -- Trufflehunter, Doctor Cornelius, Trumpkin, Reepicheep.

If I had to pick one, Reepicheep.

Mainely Me said...

OK, I need to read these books again. Who will I be? I hope I've grown child like enough to see.

Anonymous said...

Oh! How did I forget Reepicheep?! He was my brother's and my favorite character when we read the books together a long time ago. I am probably going to read these again over Christmas break as a result of thinking about these. I think I might still go with Eustace as my favorite character.

Eyes_Wide_Open said...

True, true. I like what you said. I do think I can answer honestly and like a child now. Five years ago I wouldn't have been able to though.

So...if you had to guess...who do you think my favorite is?

I was only saying no to your question so that you could further psychoanalyze me. ;)

JPB said...

Hmmmm ... I really didn't know ... but we're talking favorite character, right? ... I honestly wouldn't know where to begin. So I'll take a stab in the dark, that I don't really think is right but I can't choose from any of the others that I think are closer. Aravis the tarkheena?

Unknown said...

Okay...I need to start these with my boys so I can read them again...or just read them by myself. :)

Eyes_Wide_Open said...

Well, you're not so bad brother.

My top pick is Reepicheep, but I identify strongly with Aravis. Maybe I shouldn't but I do.

Reepicheep is probably the most memorable. And I have this written in my quote book.

"When I was in my cradle, a wood woman, a Dryad, spoke this verse over me: 'Where sky and water meet, Where the waves grow sweet, Doubt not, Reepicheep, To find all you seek, There is the utter East.' I do not know what it means. But the spell of it has been on me all my life." (Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Chapter 2)

I do really like Puddleglum though because I'm reminded of Eeyore with his character. He's like Eeyore, but bolder....he's a wet blanket who's maybe just more damp than wet.

JPB said...

I kid you not, Reepicheep was my first choice, but for some reason I didn't want to say it. Perhaps because it was my own choice.

Believe it or not, Reepicheep as my first and strongest guess.

Eyes_Wide_Open said...

Always go with your gut.

JJ's in book 2 of reading these aloud to the family at night. I think I might read ahead in the series. We go through spurts of reading regularly, but then slack off. I want to get through them faster.

How long did it take you to get through the series?