<
https://freedium.cfd/https://aninjusticemag.com/the-chronicles-of-narnia-dont-deserve-a-spot-on-21st-century-bookshelves-7b58d10151f9>
"Classic literature passes the test of time by continuing to speak good,
powerful lessons on important issues that do not go away. In
The Odyssey, we
are captured by the overwhelming desire to get home. In
Hamlet, we are torn
by indecision.
For Whom the Bell Tolls tells us of the plight of the rebel.
There may be elements of the story that no longer apply to today's world or
that no longer fit in it. Odysseus had slaves, women couldn't act in
Elizabethan England, and Hemingway was a misogynist. But these things can be
cut away or treated as useful, largely innocuous pieces of historical
information. They could even be details that draw more meaning from the text
and inform us of why our society is the way it is.
In
The Chronicles of Narnia, though, these flaws in the books' message are
not harmless. If the Christian metaphor and the 1950s-style sexism and racism
aren't enough to strip the title of "classic literature" from
The Chronicles,
then the virulent Islamophobia in this children's series should be. Worse, the
anti-Muslim attitude cannot be cut from the series.
It is the series.
It is the lesson being taught.
Narnia is not just about getting Christian concepts like faith and providence
in front of malleable children; it is also about sowing the seeds of distrust
and disdain of Muslims and their Islamic faith.
That has no place in modern society.
Unless you're some ultra-right-wing Christian nationalist. Then they're
perfect. Put these seven between your
Bible and
The Turner Diaries."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
