The lion, the old lady, and the golden thread: ontological and rhetorical dissonance in the children's literature of George MacDonald and C.S. Lewis
Date
2010
Authors
Sundermann, Isaac R., author
Frank, Katherine, advisor
Souder, Donna, committee member
Taylor, Ted, committee member
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Abstract
Starting from the premise that at least some works of children’s literature are written with the motive of engendering religious conversion or de-conversion among their readers, this thesis sets out to establish the rhetorical differences among these types of works as a basis for a uniquely religious form of criticism. To demonstrate this method, a focus is placed on the two most popular children’s books of George MacDonald (The Princess and the Goblin) and C.S. Lewis (The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe). The first section of this thesis consists of a review of relevant literature related to the intertwining of literary reputations between MacDonald and Lewis. The second section of this thesis argues that the respective soteriologies (salvation narratives) of MacDonald and Lewis act as windows into the ontological assumptions of each author. By first looking at these foundational assumptions, the rhetorical framework of each text becomes evident. These frameworks, explored through the lens of Kenneth Burke’s dramatistic pentad, provide a basis for the differentiation of the two authors. They also locate the crux of Lewis’s misreading of his literary precursor MacDonald. Specifically, it is the universalism of George MacDonald (i.e. his belief that all will be saved) that creates a profound dissonance with the thought of Lewis, who held to a more orthodox narrative in which all humans ultimately arrive at a state of eternal damnation or eternal bliss.
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Covers not scanned.
Print version deaccessioned 2022.
Print version deaccessioned 2022.
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Subject
Children's literature -- Religious aspects
God -- Proof, Ontological -- In literature