The Last Battle is a high fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis, published
by The Bodley Head in 1956. It was the seventh and final novel in The
Chronicles of Narnia. Like the others it was illustrated by Pauline Baynes and
her work has been retained in many later editions.
The Last Battle is set almost entirely in the Narnia world and the English
children who participate arrive only in the middle of the narrative. The novel
is set some 200 Narnian years after The Silver Chair and about 2500 years since
the creation of the world narrated in The Magician's Nephew. A false Aslan is
set up in the north-western borderlands and conflict between true and false
Narnians merges with that between Narnia and Calormen, whose people worship Tash.
It concludes with termination of the world by Aslan, after a "last battle"
that is practically lost. Macmillan US published an American
edition within the calendar year. Lewis and The Last Battle won the annual
Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best
children's book by a British subject. The author wrote to illustrator Baynes,
"is it not rather 'our' medal? I'm sure the illustrations were taken into
account as well as the text." Plot
Narnia has had peace and prosperity since the reign of King Caspian X, but
Roonwit the Centaur warns Tirian, the latest king of Narnia, that strange and
evil things are happening to Narnia and that the stars portend ominous
developments. In the north of Narnia, an ape named Shift had persuaded a
well-meaning but simple-minded donkey called Puzzle to dress in a lion's skin
and pretend to be the Great Lion Aslan. Using Puzzle as his pawn, Shift
convinces the Narnians that he speaks for Aslan and deceives a majority of
them into serving the Calormenes and to cut down Talking Trees for lumber. The
money will be paid into "Aslan's" treasury, held by Shift, on the pretext
that it will be used for the good of the Narnians.
Tirian and his friend Jewel the Unicorn hear word of "Aslan's return", but
recognize the farce that Shift has fabricated in league with the talking
cat Ginger and the Calormene warlord Rishda Tarkaan: the lie that Aslan and
the Calormene god Tash are one and the same. When he accuses the ape of lying,
Tirian is tied to a tree far from the stable where Puzzle is being held.
Tirian calls on Aslan for help and receives a vision of Digory Kirke, Polly
Plummer, Peter Pevensie, Edmund Pevensie, Eustace Scrubb, Lucy Pevensie,
and Jill Pole, though he does not know who they are. The people in the vision
also see Tirian and, though Tirian can't speak to them, they guess he is a
messenger from Narnia. A few minutes later by Narnian time – but a week later
from their perspective – Jill and Eustace arrive in Narnia. They release
the King and rescue Jewel and Puzzle. A band of dwarfs are also rescued, but
because their faith in Aslan has been shattered, they refuse to help, claiming
"the dwarfs are for the dwarfs". Only one dwarf, Poggin, is faithful to
Tirian, Aslan, and Narnia itself. Tirian learns that Shift and Rishda have
unintentionally summoned the actual Tash to Narnia and that Roonwit and the
Narnian army have all been killed in battle.
Tirian and his small force advance on the stable to expose the truth of
Shift's deception. However, after covering his tracks by demonizing
Puzzle, Shift and Rishda weed out the trouble makers among the surviving
Narnians by having them venture into the stable to "meet Tashlan". But Ginger,
sent in to aid in the deception, runs out in terror, having lost his ability
to speak. Emeth, one of Rishda's men and a devout follower of Tash, insists on
seeing his god. Rishda tries to dissuade him, but Emeth enters the stable, and
the dead body of another soldier, who was stationed in the stable to murder
the rebellious Narnians, is thrown out instead. Tirian's group engages Shift
and the Calormenes, but most of the remaining Narnians are slaughtered.
Tirian throws Shift into the stable, and Tash, revealed to have been haunting the
stable since Ginger briefly entered it, swallows the ape whole. This event
frightens Rishda, who offers Eustace, Jill, Poggin, and the dwarves as
sacrifices to Tash to avoid his god's wrath. But Tirian, left alone and
fighting for his life, drags Rishda into the stable and finds himself in a vast
and beautiful land. Peter, Edmund, Eustace, Lucy, Jill, Polly, and Digory
appear. Peter orders Tash to return to his realm, and Tash vanishes with Rishda
in his clutches. The kings and queens bear witness to the
end of the Narnian world. All the inhabitants, including those who have
died, gather outside the barn to be judged by Aslan; the faithful enter
Aslan's Country while those who have opposed or deserted him become ordinary
animals and vanish. The vegetation is eaten by dragons and giant lizards
before Father Time calls the stars down from the skies into the sea as it rises
to cover Narnia. The land freezes when Father Time puts out the sun and the
moon. Peter closes the door, and Aslan leads them to his country, telling them
to go further into the one true Narnia. They move up a waterfall to gates where
they are greeted by Reepicheep and meet other characters from the earlier
novels. They find they can see a real England. Aslan tells them that the
English friends' of Narnia and the Pevensies' parents have all died in a
train crash. The series ends with the revelation that it was only the
beginning of the true story, "which goes on forever, and in which every chapter
is better than the one before." Characters
Tirian, the last king of Narnia, who leads the fight of Narnia against the
Calormenes. Jewel, unicorn, retainer to King Tirian,
also his best friend. Eustace Clarence Scrubb, a friend of
Narnia, who fights for the Narnians. Jill Pole, friend of Eustace.
Shift, an ape who allies with Calormen and creates the "Tashlan" hoax. The
Narnian version of Antichrist. Puzzle, a donkey who is tricked by
Shift, later fights for Narnia. Ginger, a cat, who sees Tash in the
stable and is so terrified he loses his power of speech.
Rishda Tarkaan, Calormene captain leading the battle against Narnia,
swallowed by Tash during the destruction of Narnia.
Emeth, a righteous soldier of Calormene, who discovers his true devotion to
Aslan. Tash, an evil god of Calormen, who
haunts the stable, opposes Aslan, and swallows Rishda and Shift.
Aslan, the God of Narnia, son of the Emperor-over-the-Sea, who takes form of
a lion. Peter Pevensie, the oldest of the
Pevensies, High King Peter "the Magnificent" of Narnia.
Lucy Pevensie, sister of Peter, Queen Lucy "the Valiant" of Narnia.
Edmund Pevensie, brother of Lucy and Peter, King Edmund "the Just" of Narnia.
Digory Kirke, first friend of Narnia, who witnessed its creation, Lord Digory
in Narnia. Polly Plummer, friend of Digory, Lady
Polly in Narnia. Reception
Floyd C. Gale wrote in Galaxy Science Fiction that the book "is a delightful
fantastic fable of the type which the English have excelled since—or perhaps
because of—Lewis Carroll". See also
Notes References
Citations Caughey, Shanna, Revisiting Narnia:
Fantasy, Myth and Religion in C. S. Lewis' Chronicles, Benbella Books, ISBN
978-1-932100-63-1 Further reading
Downing, David C.. Into the Wardrobe: C. S. Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ISBN 978-0-7879-7890-7.
External links The Last Battle in libraries
—immediately, the full-colour C. S. Lewis centenary edition
C. S. Lewis at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
Project Gutenberg Canada ebook