Gospel Insights from the Chronicles of Narnia -- the Voyage of the Dawn Treader

To me the “voyage” is an allegory of life. Along this voyage they meet with troubles, trials, temptations, and tests of courage. They also have enlightening and wondrous experiences. In all things they are rewarded for their valor and steadfastness. When challenges are at their most challenging and temptations at their most tempting, there is always help of some form from Aslan.

The last little bit of the story really drives this point home. This is where Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace meet Aslan (who appears at first in the form of a pure white lamb) at the edge of the world:

'“Please, lamb,” said Lucy, “is this the way to Aslan’s country?”
“Not for you,” said the lamb. “For you the door into Aslan’s country is from your own world.”
“What?” said Edmund. “Is there a way into Aslan’s country from our world too?”
“There is a way into my country from all the worlds,” said the Lamb.
… “Oh Aslan!” said Lucy. “Will you tell us how to get to your country from our world?”
“I shall be telling you all the time,” said Alsan. “But I will not tell you how long or short the way will be. Only that it lies across a river, but do not fear that, for I am the great bridge builder.”'

Aslan then breaks the unfortunate news that Edmund and Lucy won't be coming back to Narnia.

'"It isn't Narnia, you know," sobbed Lucy, "It's you. We shan't meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?"

"But you shall meet me, dear one," said Aslan.

"Are... are you there too, sir?" said Edmund.

"I am," said Aslan. "But there i have another name. you must learn to know me by that name. this is the very reason you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there."'

He promises to show them the way to Him from our world, just as he was helping and guiding them along their voyage. The voyage in our world isn't a literal one, but He travels with us. And bridges the otherwise impassable river. I believe this is the first time Lewis shows that Aslan is more than just a metaphor of Christ. I like that he explains that by knowing Aslan, they might know Christ better. That's why i love these stories. I feel it does just that.

One of my favorite lessons from their experiences is about repentance. Eustace, who up till this point in the story is spoiled, obnoxious, and self-centered, finds himself turned into a dragon. He soon feels shame and remorse for how terribly beastly he had acted before, and for how terribly beastly he now looks. When Edmund discovers him a boy once more, this is the account he gives:
'" I was lying awake and wondering what on earth would become of me, and then... but, mind you, i may have been all a dream, i don't know" ... "anyway, i looked up and i saw the very last thing i expected: a huge lion, coming slowing towards me. and one queer thing was that there was no moon last night, but there was moonlight where the lion was. So it came nearer and nearer. I was terribly afraid of it. you may think that being a dragon i could've knocked any lion out easily enough. but it wasn't that kind of fear. i wasn't afraid of it eating me. I was just afraid of it, if you can understand. Well, it came close up to me and looked straight into my eyes, and i shut my eyes tight. but that wasn't any good, because it told me to follow it." ... "So i got up and followed it. And it led me a long way, into the mountains. and there was always this moonlight, over and 'round the lion wherever we went. so at last we came to the top of a mountain i'd never seen before, and on the top of this mountain there was a garden, trees and fruit and everything. In the middle of it there was a well. I knew it was a well because you could see the water bubbling up from the bottom of it. But it was a lot bigger than most wells, like a very big, round bath, with marble steps going down into it. the water was as clear as anything, and i thought, if could get in there and bathe, it would ease the pain in my leg. but the lion told me i must undress first."... "so i started scratching myself, and my scales began coming off all over the place. And then i scratched a little bit deeper, and instead of just scales coming off here and there, my whole skin started peeling off beautifully, like it does after an illness. or as if i was a banana. in a minute or two, i just... stepped out of it. i could see it lying there beside me, looking rather nasty. it was a most lovely feeling. So i started to go down into the well for my bath. but just as i was going to put my feet into the water, i looked down and saw that they were all hard and rough and wrinkly and scaly, just as they had been before. 'oh, that's alright,' said i. 'it only means i had another smaller suit on underneath the first one, and i'll have to get out of that too. so i scratched and tore again, and this underskin peeled off beautifully, and out i stepped and left it lying there next to the other one, and went down to the well for my bath. well, exactly the same thing happened again, and i thought to myself, 'oh dear, how many skins have i got to take off?'" [He does the same thing a third time.] "then the lion said... 'you will have to let me undress you.' I was afraid of his claws, i can tell you, but i was pretty near desperate now, so i just lay flat down on my back to let him do it. The very first tear he made was so deep that i thought it had gone right into my heart. and when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything i've ever felt. the only thing that made me able to bare it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. you know, if you've ever picked the scab off a sore place. it hurts like billio, but it is fun to see it coming away." ... "well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off, just like i thought i'd done it myself the other three times, only they hadn't hurt. and there it was, lying on the grass. only ever so much thicker and darker and more knobly looking than the others had been. and there was i, as smooth and soft as a peeled switch. And smaller than i had been. then he caught hold of me-- i didn't like that much, for i was very tender underneath now that i had no skin on-- and threw me into the water. it smarted like anything, but only for a moment. After that i became perfectly delicious. and as soon as i started swimming and splashing, i found that all the pain had gone from my arm. and then i saw why: i turned into a boy again." ... "after a bit, the lion took me out and dressed me... in new clothes - the same as i've got on now, as a matter of fact - and then suddenly i was back here."'