The central theme of the story is pretty clear from the following passage from chapter 11. Here we find the boy Shasta on the last leg of his long journey, on an unknown path in dense fog. He is thinking how terribly unlucky his life has been when he finds that he has an unseen companion walking along side him. When he finally builds up the courage he speaks to the stranger, and the following conversation ensues:'“tell me your sorrows”
… so he told how he had never known his real father or mother, and had been brought up sternly by the fisherman. And then he told the story of his escape, and how they were chased lions and forced to swim for their lives, and of all their dangers in Tashban, and about his night among the tombs, and how the beasts howled at him out of the desert. And he told about the heat and thirst of their desert journey, and how they were almost at their goal when another lion chased them and wounded Aravis. And also how very long it was since he had anything to eat.
“I do no call you unfortunate,” said the large voice.
“Don’t you think it was bad luck to meet so many lions?” said Shasta.
“There was only one lion,” said the voice.
“What on earth do you mean? I’ve just told you there were at least two the first night, and…”
“There was only one, but he was swift of foot”
“How do you know?”
“I was the lion.”
And then Shasta gaped with open mouth and said nothing.
The voice continued, “I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the horses the new strength of fear for the last mile, so you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you.”' *
The next day Shasta finds that he had crossed the mountain pass into Narnia overnight. He tells of the attack on Archenland and he and returns with the Narnian army just in time to save Archenland from the invaders. He notices this time over the mountain pass sheer cliffs along one side of the path, and remembers that the Lion walked on that side of him through the mist, keeping him on the path.
After the battle Shasta finds out that he’s really the son of the king of archenland, kidnapped when he was an infant because of a prophecy that he would save archenland from a great danger. As we look at Shasta’s life, we can see that everything, blessings as well as trials, were for the purpose of bringing him to his homeland at their hour of need.
Here’s another little part I like. In Ch. 14 Aslan appears to Shasta’s former traveling companions Aravis and the horses. Keep in mind that they had had the same “bad luck” with lions that Shasta had.
‘there was about a second of intense silence. Then Whin, shaking all over, gave a strange little nay, and trotted across to the lion.
“Please,” she said, “you’re so beautiful. you may eat me if you like. I’d sooner be eaten by you than fed by anyone else.”
“Dearest daughter,” said Alsan, planting a lion’s kiss on her twitching velvet nose, “I knew you would not be long in coming to me. Joy shall be yours.”’ *
* quotes are transcribed from the audio, therefore may not be completely accurate, especially the punctuation.
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