Susan Pevensie

Susan Pevensie (1928-?) was the second-born of the Pevensie children (after Peter) and the eldest sister. She was logical (to the point of being stubborn), motherly, and more serious than her sister, Lucy. During her reign at the Narnian capital of Cair Paravel, she was known as Queen Susan the Gentle or Queen Susan of the Horn.

Susan was also known for her great beauty and her archery skills. She was headstrong, talented and intelligent. During the Golden Age, she was courted by many princes of neighboring countries, including Prince Rabadash of Calormen. After the Pevensie's second visit to Narnia, she was told that she would never again return.

During this last visit, there were some indications that Susan was having trouble believing in Narnia. She was the last of the children to believe and see Aslan during the nighttime hike to Aslan's How. When she finally saw him, he told her she had been "listening to fears", and comforted her. However, back on Earth, she began to convince herself that Narnia was just a game, and she thought her siblings silly to continue seriously entertaining such childhood fantasies.

Childhood
Susan was born in 1928. When she was two, her brother Edmund was born, and when she was four, in 1928, her youngest sibling Lucy was born. It is likely that in 1937, at the age of nine, she began attending a boarding school away from home. In 1940, when Susan was twelve, World War II began. The Pevensies, who lived in London, sent all four of their children away to to escape the German Blitz bombings over the city. Susan and her siblings were sent to stay in the country with an old man, Professor Digory Kirke. After several weeks there, Susan's sister Lucy began to allege that she had visited a magical land. Susan and her elder brother Peter began to fear that Lucy might be going insane.

The Winter Rebellion
Susan's fears were laid to rest when all four of the Pevensie children stepped through a magic wardrobe into a wintry forest, proving Lucy's claims to be factual. Lucy took them to see Mr. Tumnus, a faun she claimed to have befriended, but upon arriving at his home they found it ransacked, with a warrant for his arrest on the door. The four children then met with a bird who led them into the forest and took them to a beaver. The beaver told them that Mr. Tumnus had been arrested by the Queen of the country, who had declared all humans illegal. He also explained to them that according to a prophecy, the four Pevensies were the proper Kings and Queens of Narnia. Though Susan was unenthusiastic about this prospect, she agreed to help the Narnians.

Mr. Beaver took them to his own home to meet his wife. After a warm welcome, Edmund mysteriously vanished. For fear of betrayal, the Beavers and his siblings set out to join the Narnian army already preparing to fight for them at an ancient and magical location known as the Stone Table. This army was led by the true king of Narnia, a lion known as Aslan.

During their journey the travellers met with Father Christmas, who gave each of them royal gifts to recognize their coming. Susan was given a bow and arrows along with a magical horn to blow in difficult times. It was said of the horn that if she blew it, wherever she was, help would come to her. Shortly afterward, Peter, Susan, Lucy and the Beavers reached the Stone Table in time to meet Aslan. While being shown the camp and made comfortable, the new princesses Susan and Lucy were attacked by wolves sent by the White Witch. Blowing the horn given to her, Susan summoned Peter, Aslan, and several soldiers to rescue her, Lucy, and their ladies-in-waiting. Immediately after saving his sisters, Peter was made a knight.

The following morning, a rescue party returned from the Witch's Camp, bringing Edmund with them. He was penitent for his betrayal, and all four immediately made up. That same day, the Witch visited Aslan's camp, with the intent to retake Edmund as he prisoner. After holding a private counsel, she renounced her claim and departed. After this Susan noted Aslan to be very sad as he prepared the troops for battle the following morning.

That night, Susan, along with Lucy, followed Aslan away from the camp. Noting his open distress, they attempted to comfort him. He departed later and went to the Stone Table, where Susan and Lucy saw the Witch and her army waiting. They secretly observed Aslan turning himself in to the enemy, followed by torture and eventually, his death on the Stone Table. The two princesses stayed with his body through the night, weeping over him and helping to untie the body.

At dawn, they were startled to see the entire table crack into two pieces as Aslan's body vanished. Moments later, he reappeared, living again and joyfully declaring to them that he had been brought back by Deeper Magic to live again. Aslan then took the girls onto his back and carried them to the White Witch's castle in order to release the creatures which were turned to stone or imprisoned by evil magic during the last one hundred years of the Witch's reign.

After freeing the oppressed, the group returned to the fords of Beruna, where Peter, Edmund, and the Narnians were waging battle against the Witch and her army. Susan fought briefly in the last moments of this battle, and witnessed her brother Edmund's knighting. After the battle, a Narnian victory, the Narnians traveled east to the castle of Cair Paravel, where Susan was crowned by Aslan as "Queen Susan the Gentle" a few days later. This took place in 1000 NT. She and her siblings shared the monarchy, and remained in power for fifteen years.

Golden Age of Narnia
The period of their reign was known as the Golden Age of Narnia. Susan was well loved by her countrypeople and had many suitors during this time, as the country allied with several others, including the realm of Archenland. Their reign was one mostly of peace, and they enjoyed many banquets, feasts, and jousts.

In 1014, Susan recieved a proposal of mariage from a foreign prince, Rabadash of Calormen. She and Edmund together visited Rabadash to consider his proposal. While there, they discovered him to be proud and distasteful, but realized too late that they were in danger of being kidnapped if Rabadash was refused. They cleverly devised a plot to escape the city, and sailed back to Cair Paravel. Upon their arrival, they were informed that an enraged Rabadash was marching to attack their allies Archenland. King Edmund, now grown and a skilled warrior, marched to the city of Anvard with Queen Lucy and an army, there to fight a battle with Rabadash. Susan remained behind to rule Narnia in their absence.

After living another year in Narnia, news of the sighing of a magic White Stag came to the four siblings. It had been seen in the woods, in Lantern Waste. The legend of the Stag was that those who captured it would receive all of their wishes. The Kings and Queens set out to hunt it, and came across the lamppost, which brought back memories of their old life before Narnia. They followed the path to the wardrobe door and were brought back to England.

1940-1941
In England again, they discovered that due to the effects of magic, their fifteen year absence had not taken any time at all. They told only the old Professor with whom they were staying, who believed them and eventually revealed that he had visited Narnia as well. That fall, Susan returned to boarding school, having turned back into a twelve-year-old girl. The following year, Lucy prepared to enroll in school as well. All four siblings set out for their respective schools only to be involuntarily pulled back into Narnia on the way.

War of Deliverance
The four arrived in an unknown forest on an island. After exploration, they found the ruins of an ancient castle. That night, as her siblings prepared to go to sleep, Susan found a well near the castle, and a golden chesspeice. Recognizing it as one of their old chesspeices during their former reign, the children concluded that they had returned to Narnia, and were in fact on the ruins of their former home, Cair Paravel. To prove their theory, they uncovered the long lost Treasure Room of the castle, arming themselves. While searching for her bow, Susan discovered that she had lost her magic horn in the forest during her hunt for the White Stag.

The next day, the four came upon two foreign soldiers trying to drown a dwarf. Immediately firing off two arrows, Susan frightened away the soldiers. She and Peter dove into the water to rescue the dwarf and the boat. After bringing him to land, they asked the dwarf about the current state of affairs.

The dwarf revealed to them that by magic, 1300 Narnian years had gone by, putting the current Narnian year at 2303. Telmarine foreigners had attacked Narnia and taken it over, driving the magical creatures into hiding. The dwarf explained that the Narnians were being led in war against the Telmarines by a prince called Caspian. Caspian had come upon Susan's magic horn and blown it to summon the four Kings and Queens back to Narnia to help him in the war. The dwarf, named Trumpkin, was a scout sent to bring them to the prince.

After proving their identity and worth in a series of competitions and tests (including an archery contests between Trumpkin and Susan, at which Susan was the victor), the Pevensies were led by Trumpkin to Caspian. The group was lost several times, even after Lucy claimed that she had recieved instructions from Aslan as to which way to go. Her companians, most openly Susan, ignored her advice, and after meeting with several dangers, turned around were forced to go the way she advised. Susan at last admitted to Lucy that she too could see Aslan leading them. He rebuked her for her disbelief, but quickly forgave her after she expressed penitence.

The four arrived at Caspian's camp at Aslan's How (formerly the site of the Stone Table), where they split. Aslan, Susan, and Lucy went to wake the hibernating tree-spirits and bring them to war. After rousing the forests and being joined by Bacchus, Silenus, and many Maenads, they entered the city of Beruna and persuaded many of the inhabitants to join their fight. Shortly thereafter, Susan witnessed the Second Battle of Beruna from afar, though she did not participate.

At the end of the battle, the Telmarines surrendered to the Narnians. After meeting Aslan and the two Queens, Caspian was made a knight. A few days later, Aslan called Peter and Susan to a private meeting, where he told them that they would never again return to Narnia. At a public assembly later that day, he allowed many of the Telmarines the choice to live in Earth. Susan and Peter led their siblings and many Telmarines through a magic portal back to Earth.

1941-1949
The siblings again found that no time had passed on Earth, and accordingly returned to their respective schools. A year after her return from the second visit to Narnia, Susan went on a trip with her parents to America for the summer of 1942.

Susan presumably finished secondary schooling in 1945. During these years, she began to increasingly lose faith in magic, later denying that Narnia had ever existed at all. She told her siblings it had all been a game, and refused to believe in it, or in Aslan. There was some falling-out between her and the other Narnian travelers due to this, but her siblings seemed respectful of her decision.

In 1949, when Susan was twenty-one, her entire family, (along with her cousin Eustace Scrubb and several family friends) was killed in a train wreck. Susan's later life is unknown.

Character
Susan is true to her role of older sister. She is practical, motherly, and bossy. She can often be selfish, and as she grows older seems to grow more fearful and stubborn. Her practical nature often keeps her from believing immediately in magic or in the superatural, and eventually cuts her off from Narnia altogether.

Another strong trait is her gentility. Though Susan can fight and does on occasion, she is known more for her preference for leniency over bloodshed.

As Queen, she is also diplomatic and generous. When she realizes herself to be in error, she is usually immediately very sorry.

Archery:
Susan is a gifted archer, only partially due to her magic bow. She is hesitant to kill, though her aim can be deadly.

Swimming:
Susan is also a gifted swimmer, winning prizes for the sport at school. She uses her skills to save Trumpkin the dwarf from drowning.

Politics:
As queen, Susan is also quite a diplomat. She is constantly mending rifts between her siblings and as a queen always thinks of the betterment of her country in foreign negotiations.

Appearance
Susan is stated to be tall and graceful, with long black hair falling to her feet. She has many suitors, evidence of her beauty. Even in England, Susan is considered very pretty. As she reaches adulthood, she is known to don the latest fashionable clothing.

Film Portrayals

 * In the 2005 Disney/Walden Media film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, as well as the 2008 sequel The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Susan is portrayed by Anna Popplewell and, as an adult, by Sophie Winkleman.


 * In the 1988 BBC television adaptation of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, as well as the 1989 sequel Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Susan is portrayed by Sophie Cook.


 * In the 1979 cartoon adaptation of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Susan is voiced by Susan Sokol.

BBC films
In the BBC serials, Susan has blonde hair, rather than black hair. She is, however, quite true to character throughout the series.

Disney-Walden films
In the Disney-Walden adaptations, Susan is shown to have brown hair, rather than black, as portrayed in the books. She is also at least two years older than her book counterpart.

In the Prince Caspian film, a romantic subplot is included between Susan and Caspian, culminating in a good-bye kiss before her departure.

Despite the fact that Susan is known as "the Gentle", and it is stated she does not go into battle, Susan is shown actively participating in at least two battles in the Prince Caspian film; the Night Raid, and the Battle of Aslan's How.

Commentary
In a letter written to a young fan, C. S. Lewis stated that Susan's story was not finished.

The Christian significance of Susan's character has been much discussed. Aside from her role together with Lucy paralleling the women in the gospel who first find the risen King, Lewis may have intended her to represent the good seeds which are "choked by thorns" in the parable of the sower from the Gospel of Matthew. It is also quite likely, that Lewis may have intended to keep Susan for a post-Narnia story, about redemption, but, died before writing it, as he had written to his young fans that Susan's story was not finished.

Lady Polly claims that Susan's "whole idea is to race on to the silliest time of one's life as quick as she can and then stop there as long as she can." That is, Susan's failure is due to vanity and a false adolescent sense of "maturity". This image of Susan provides a striking contrast to her sister Lucy, who is a shining example of the Biblical "faith as a little child."

It has been argued that Susan's maternal nature cultivates a sense of self-reliance that prevents her from sufficiently following Aslan. In this interpretation, Lewis intended Susan to represent those who in the confusion of their fallen state find a spiritual call to faith drowned out not by malice on their part but simply by the mundane distractions of everyday life.

It can be argued that in his portrayal of Susan, Lewis is attempting to illustrate the importance of keeping important things in focus, for by devoting her entire present life to something temporary, Susan sacrifices her chance at something eternal. Lewis is not stating that Susan's natural maturing is inherently wrong, but to become overly devoted to petty and shallow aspects of it is.

There remains controversy among fans as to whether Susan's absence in Aslan's Country was permanent.

It can also be pointed out that the other children enter into the "new" Narnia (representative of the eternal Heaven) because they have died in a train accident, while Susan remains alive on our world, providing no proof that she has been permanently excluded. Aslan's last words at the coronation of the four Pevensies offer the best justification for believing Susan will eventually join the others when the time comes in Aslan's Country: "Once a King or Queen of Narnia, always a King or Queen of Narnia."

Another thing that should be noted was that at the Pevensie's coronation, was Aslan saying "may your wisdom grace us until the stars rain down from the Heavens". However, since Narnia had already been destroyed and "the stars rain down" before Susan died, this may mean that Susan has missed her chance, but since many of Susan's friends from the old Narnia, are in the "new" Narnia, and everything was "the same, but better", with the "new" Narnia having night, the stars are in "the Heavens" there, which could mean that Susan will join the others when she dies.

Lewis once said that Susan's journey was not finished. Maybe he saw saving Susan for something more, maybe he was giving her a second chance, since Susan had "listened to fears" before. Also Susan must have greatly suffered when told that her parents, siblings, cousin and friends had all been killed. Maybe upon learning of this, Susan would begin to see life more clearly, and become like she had been as a Queen of Narnia, foresaking her silliness and embracing life again, and prepared to accept disappointment, finally joining the others in the "new" Narnia when she dies.

Appearances

 * The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (book, appearance)
 * Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia (book, appearance)
 * The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (book, mentioned)
 * The Horse and His Boy (book, appearance)
 * The Last Battle (book, mentioned)
 * The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1988 film, appearance)
 * Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1989 film, appearance)
 * The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005 film, appearance)
 * Prince Caspian (2008 film, appearance)
 * The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010 film, appearance)