Reepicheep shouldn’t have ended up in Aslan’s country. At least according to his beliefs in the Voyage of the Dawn Treader movie.
A couple weeks ago, I watched it for the first time in a long time, and as the movie progressed through its familiar elements, two interesting things stood out to me.
1. Reepicheep didn’t understand the Gospel
Completely shocking. Reepicheep, the most noble of Narnians, doesn’t understand the one of the key themes woven through the entire series?
2. Even more shocking, Eustace did
How is this possible?
Before you freak out, let me explain. The movie diverges significantly from the book, and the reason for my conclusion about Reepicheep isn’t anywhere in C.S. Lewis’s writings. In fact, I think he’d be appalled at the thought of Reepicheep earning his way into Aslan’s country.
What Happened to Reepicheep?
In both movies he appears in, and in the books, Reepicheep is the picture of nobility, honor, courage, and loyalty. He’s easily the most virtuous character in the series. Everyone loves him and with good reason.
He’s the sort of friend anyone would want, faithful to the uttermost.
So why doesn’t he understand the Gospel? How did I reach this harebrained conclusion?
From a single line in the movie, not long after Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace have joined the voyage. He and Lucy are talking about Aslan’s country, which leads to his following remark (paraphrased):
“I can only hope to someday earn the right to see it.”
Earn the right. What? Where did that come from? Surely, Narnia’s most beloved mouse has better theology than that.
Left to ourselves, we can get as close to earning salvation as a worm can to flying to the edge of the universe. I’m sorry, but if that’s what Reepicheep truly believed—which of course I’m arguing he doesn’t in the books—then there’s no happy ending.
No sweeping up the wall of water and balancing on the edge before plummeting down and out of sight.
No deep desire fulfilled to enter the joys of Aslan’s country.
Sadly, this seems to be the Hollywood influence. Nothing like that appeared in the book. It’s a shame they chose Reepicheep—of all characters—to descend into works righteousness, earning his way into Aslan’s country.
Eustace Clarence Scrubb—A Changed Boy
On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have Eustace, whose movie version stayed remarkably true to the brat in the book. If I listed all his problems, I’d be here till I had gray hair.
Eustace is the about as different from Reepicheep as a thorn bush from a sword. He’s an obnoxious nuisance no one can stand, the worst of the worst in Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
And that’s the ironic beauty we find in the story.
After becoming a dragon, Eustace begins to change, but that’s only the beginning of his shocking transformation. Unlike movie Reepicheep, Eustace presents the Gospel in his inability to shed his dragon skin and his realization at his utter helplessness.
Like our sin, it’s a horrid, ugly thing that not only clings to us but also is a natural part of our core, something so engrained we can’t escape it no matter how hard we try. We can claw at it all day, trying to remove it through our own efforts, but we’re totally helpless.
As Eustace learned, only Aslan can rip off the dragon skin of our sin. It’s a painful process, but it’s a good pain, “Like pulling a thorn from your foot,” Eustace says near the end of the movie. And like Eustace, after it’s done, we’re completely changed.
Just like Edmund, Eustace becomes an example of Aslan’s saving work for us corrupt, disgusting, self-centered sinners, the only way to enter His country. Not by earning the right, but by having it given to us, who are as underserving and repulsive as a brat-turned-dragon.
A picture of the Gospel.
Was my assessment accurate? Are you disappointed with Hollywood’s version of Reepicheep? I would love to hear your thoughts.
12 thoughts on “Reepicheep the Heretic and Eustace the Believer?”
Great post! For the most part, I felt like the movie went too far away from the books, changing some of the messages C. S. Lewis had. One scene, however, that I preferred from movie than the book was when Lucy read the spell which would make her more beautiful than Susan. I found the way the movie did it was far more emotional and relatable than C. S. Lewis’ “the worlds fought over her and all the men died”.
I’m glad you liked it, Rebekah.
Great assessment and points!
While I loved this movie, partly because it is the last Narnia film we’ll ever see, the theology within is certainly one Jack would have shaken his head at. If our salvation was based on works, there would be no joy in the proclamation of “further up and further in” at the end of the beginning and the start of ever after.
Exactly, Aden. And have you heard the rumors that they’re going to make Silver Chair in the next couple years?
Excellent points, Zac! I haven’t seen the movie since it first came out, and I didn’t remember that about it, but I’m glad you noticed and brought it out. One of the greatest treasures of the Narnian stories is that they portrayed the Gospel in a way both children and adults could follow, and it is sad that some of the truth was lost in the conversion to the screen.
Thanks! I enjoyed some of the changes the movie made, but that point stuck out and always irritated me.
Just wanna state that this is extremely helpful, Thanks for taking your time to write this.
I was extremely disappointed in the changes in the movie. But Eustace (and Edmund) have always been my favorite Narnian characters because of how drastically and they change and what wonderful examples they become.
That change in the movie always bothered me, but it’s Hollywood. :-/
I think in Eustace and Edmund, we love how they change because if we’re honest, they remind us of ourselves at times, and we see that grace can be shown to even the most miserable wretches.
Oh, I was a grumpy little preteen back when I discovered those books so I strongly identified with both of them and wasn’t very proud of it. They inspired me to want to change as much as they did. (What Katie Did by Sarah Chauncey Woolsey had similar inspiration.)
It’s cool that fictional characters inspire us, and it’s one reason why having characters without flaws can be so annoying. We can’t identify with and relate to them on the same level and the Eustaces and Edmunds of stories.