The Chronicles of Narnia leads to a bittersweet ending for the Pevensie children, the initial heroes of C. S. Lewis’ landmark children’s adventure story, but in a different way for one of the siblings. Lewis changed the fantasy genre when he published The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, following Lucy Pevensie as she discovers and eventually shows the magical land of Narnia to her older siblings, Peter, Susan, and Edmund. After an overall reasonably successful movie franchise in the 2000s, anticipation is high for Netflix’s Greta Gerwig-directed Narnia reboot, expected in theaters in late 2026.
Some harsh realities of the Narnia series include outdated elements that pose challenges for Gerwig’s Narnia movies concerning how she may alter them for a modern adaptation. In particular, Susan’s fate in The Last Battle has been contested for years. While the new Netflix series of The Chronicles of Narnia is a long way off from adapting The Last Battle, Gerwig will likely be encouraged to lay the groundwork early on for Susan’s arc’s completion, whether the Pevensies appear in Gerwig’s first movie or second. Hopefully, she will handle this with a bit more nuance than Lewis.
Susan Pevensie’s Ending In The Chronicles Of Narnia Is Among The Most Controversial
Unlike Her Siblings, Susan Never Returns To Narnia
Peter and Susan are told by Aslan that they have outgrown Narnia in Prince Caspian; Edmund and Lucy receive the same news in Voyage of the Dawn Treader. By the time of The Last Battle, the torch has been pᴀssed to the Pevensies’ cousin Eustace Scrubb and his friend Jill Pole, who are the human children summoned to Narnia in a time of need in the final two books. However, it is revealed that Eustace and Jill were killed in a train crash just before returning, along with three of the Pevensies, and family friends Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer.
The others of the “Seven Friends of Narnia” arrive later in The Last Battle, when those who are familiar with the legend of the kings and queens remark that Susan is not present. They explain that Susan has forgotten Narnia, now believing it was only a childhood game; the group had actually gathered to discuss their various experiences in Narnia when the call for help came, and Susan had declined to join them. However, this has sparked evolving controversy, both from the simple fact that the fan-favorite character had such an exclusionary fate and the accusations of Sєxism possibly behind it.
Why Susan Pevensie Is Barred From Returning To Narnia In The Last Book
Susan Was Always Doubtful & Eventually Moved On From Narnia
When Susan’s absence is pointed out in The Last Battle, the following conversation ensures:
“My sister Susan,” answered Peter shortly and gravely, “is no longer a friend of Narnia.”
“Yes,” said Eustace, “and whenever you’ve tried to get her to come and talk about Narnia or do anything about Narnia, she says ‘What wonderful memories you have! Fancy your still thinking about all those funny games we used to play when we were children.'”
“Oh Susan!” said Jill. “She’s interested in nothing nowadays except nylons and lipstick and invitations. She always was a jolly sight too keen on being grown-up.”
“Grown-up, indeed,” said the Lady Polly. “I wish she would grow up. She wasted all her school time wanting to be the age she is now, and she’ll waste the rest of her life trying to stay that age. Her whole idea is to race on to the silliest time of one’s life as quick as she can and then stop there as long as she can.”
Essentially, Susan became occupied with more materialistic and social concerns, namely fashion, cosmetics, and attending exclusive events, and forgot about the more substantial values of Narnia in the process. Lewis most likely intended the storyline to be about a loss of faith, especially in the modern day. Notably, Susan was always depicted as the logical sister who had trouble accepting the existence of Narnia, as a foil to Lucy’s blind faith.
Susan’s storyline stings when the book glosses over the tragedy that has just happened to her.
It is sort of in line with her character that, after being out of touch with Narnia for so long, the memories started to fade. However, Susan’s ending also makes it seem as though she is being punished for wanting to be a normal adult in the real world. In some particular criticisms, it has also been argued that her interest in “lipsticks and nylons” is representative of flirtation and that she is excluded from Narnia for having any kind of Sєxuality.
Regardless of these aspects, Susan’s storyline stings when the book glosses over the tragedy that has just happened to her, of her entire family dying, because she was trying to live what she thought was her best life in the world Aslan told her she needed to stay in. Susan needing hard proof for everything, and occasionally trying to take the easy, practical way out, manifests as character flaws that make her complex in the earlier books. However, because she doesn’t entirely overcome her flaws like her siblings, she doesn’t return to Narnia, suggesting a very black-and-white dicH๏τomy of redemption.
The Other Pevensies Can Still Go To Narnia Because They Maintained Their Innocence
The Other Pevensies Essentially Never Grow Up
Peter, Edmund, and Lucy retain the sense of purity and innocence ᴀssociated with Narnia and childhood, even as they become young adults. The moral of Lewis’ story can be interpreted as emphasizing the value of fairy tales and belief, even in a harsh world, where everyone will need courage at one time or another. There is, ultimately, strength in holding on to the things you believed as a child as you face life as an adult. However, the three returning Pevensies never entirely become adults.
They are brought back when Narnia comes to an end, having been rewarded for holding on to the lessons they learned there.
Peter is mentioned to be pursuing a career, but Edmund and Lucy die too young to have really thought about what their lives would have looked like in the real world before they go back. They are brought back when Narnia comes to an end, having been rewarded for holding on to the lessons they learned there. Susan’s arc in The Chronicles of Narnia is not completely unsalvageable, but any adaptation of it should really address why she stopped believing without judgment to do justice to the beloved character.
The Chronicles of Narnia
- Created by
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C.S. Lewis
- First Film
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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
- Latest Film
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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
- First TV Show
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The Chronicles of Narnia
- First Episode Air Date
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November 13, 1988
Summary
The Chronicles of Narnia is a fantasy franchise based on the seven-book series written by C.S. Lewis between 1950 and 1956. The series is set in the magical world of Narnia, where children from our world are transported to fulfill prophecies, battle evil forces, and restore peace under the guidance of Aslan, a mystical lion. The franchise has seen multiple adaptations, including a BBC television series in the late 1980s, three major Hollywood films between 2005 and 2010, and an upcoming reboot by Netflix, which has generated significant anticipation. The franchise is beloved for its rich allegorical storytelling, blending Christian themes with epic fantasy elements.
