The Magician’s Nephew: Chapter 8 “The Fight at the Lamp-post”
C.S. Lewis Read-Along, Vol. 6, Issue 9
While this chapter is titled “The Fight at the Lamp-post,” it quickly moves from London to the Wood Between the Worlds to a new world where Digory, Polly, Uncle Andrew, Jadis, the cabby, and his horse, Strawberry, experience its creation.
Both Lewis and his friend J.R.R. Tolkien craft creation myths in their worlds that involve singing. They highlight for us the beauty and brokenness involved in creating.
Chapter 8 “The Fight at the Lamp-post”
The previous chapter ends with Jadis declaring herself empress in a seemingly triumphant moment for her. Still, as chapter 8 opens, she learns the people of Earth (specifically Londoners) are not so easily ruled.
However advanced Charn was in magic, they were certainly behind in sarcasm. The crowd “cheers” her claim, but she realizes only too late that they are mocking her. They call her the “Hempress of Colney ‘Atch.”1
Colney Hatch is a small district in London. During the early 1900s, the area was closely associated with a famous psychiatric hospital. The crowd was basically calling her crazy, insinuating that she must be insane to claim she was an empress.
As we discussed last week, Lewis often treats his villains as comic figures who refuse to see themselves as such. Taking their cues from Satan, they are self-serious and will not be mocked. When Jadis hears the crowd laugh at her, she switches her knife to her left hand and rips off a lamp-post crossbar with her right.
Using her physical strength (which has not diminished, unlike her magical abilities) and her dual weapons, Jadis begins knocking down policemen and threatening everyone near her. She redoubles her threats once someone throws a rock and seemingly hits her.2
During all the chaos, the cabby continues to show himself as “obviously the bravest as well as the kindest person present.” He dodges Jadis blows and tries to get to Strawberry’s head to calm him down.
For their part, Digory and Polly also display their character. She returned as soon as she was allowed. As he is dodging Jadis’ blows and Strawberry’s kicks, Digory has Polly ready to touch the yellow ring as soon as he can get close enough to the Witch. Finally, Digory grabs Jadis’ ankle and alerts Polly.
As they are traveling to the Wood Between the Worlds, they realize Uncle Andrew is tagging along. Digory hears him complain: “It’s not fair. I never meant to be a magician. It’s all a misunderstanding. It’s all my godmother’s fault.” So much for the “high and lonely destiny,” he haughtily explained to Digory earlier.3
