The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Summary and Complete Study Guide

Edmund joins the Witch but realizes she's evil when she turns creatures to stone. Aslan's army and the Witch's forces prepare for battle. The Witch demands Edmund's life based on deep magic. Aslan offers himself instead and gets killed on the Stone Table. But deeper magic that the Witch doesn't know brings Aslan back to life—a willing sacrifice breaks death's power. Aslan defeats the Witch. The kids become kings and queens, rule for years, then accidentally return through the wardrobe as children again—no time has passed in England. Lewis's Christian allegory isn't subtle: Aslan is Christ, Edmund is every sinner who needs redemption, sacrifice defeats evil, and children have important roles in cosmic battles. But even if you ignore the religious stuff, it works as a story about forgiveness, bravery, and the reality of evil. Plus, who doesn't want a magical wardrobe?

Published 1950, second in The Chronicles of Narnia series but written first. Lewis wrote it for his goddaughter Lucy Barfield. The Christian allegory isn't exactly hidden—Aslan dies and resurrects, Edmund needs redemption through sacrifice, the Witch represents Satan. Lewis was an Oxford professor and Christian apologist, and this was his way of teaching theology through story. The series has sold over 100 million copies. The 2005 film introduced it to new generations. Some readers love the allegory as beautiful Christian storytelling. Others find it heavy-handed. Kids often just see talking animals and magic, missing the religious framework entirely. It works on both levels, which is why it endures. Libraries sometimes shelve it as Christian fiction, sometimes as fantasy, which tells you everything about how people read it differently.