The Voyage of the Dawn Treader



Published in 1952, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader returns Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their priggish cousin, Eustace Scrubb, to Narnia. Once there they accompany Caspian on a voyage to find the seven lords who were banished when Caspian's evil uncle Miraz stole the throne. This perilous journey brings them face to face with many wonders and dangers as they sail toward Aslan's Country at the eastern end of the world.
 * ''This page refers to the novel. For the upcoming film, see The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Disney movie).

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a fantasy novel by C. S. Lewis. It is the third book in The Chronicles of Narnia, and the fifth in chronological order. It was originally published in 1952.

See the Note on typography below about the italics in the book's title.

Plot summary
"We and our royal royal brother and sister and their kinsman and Sir Reepicheep, the good knight, and the Lord Drinian have an errand to the world's edge."

- Caspian X The two younger children from the previous stories, Lucy and Edmund Pevensie, are sent to the house of their obnoxious cousin Eustace Scrubb for a holiday. While with their cousin the Pevensies see a painting on the wall of a Narnian ship at sea. The three children are pulled through the painting into the world of Narnia. They fall into the ocean and are fished out of the sea onto the Dawn Treader.

Once safely on board, Lucy and Edmund are greeted by their friend Caspian (now King Caspian) who has undertaken a quest to find the seven lost Lords of Narnia, as he had previously promised to Aslan. Eustace, however, does not have the enthusiasm of the Pevensies. He repeatedly violates various rules onboard the ship, like attempting to steal water when there is little to drink. Among the crew members on the ship is Reepicheep, a brave talking mouse.

During their voyage, they visit several islands. The first is The Lone Islands. Caspian, Lucy, Edmund, Eustace and Reepicheep are kidnapped by a slave trader to be sold. A man "buys" Caspian before they even make it to the slave market. He turns up to be the first lost lord, Lord Bern. Before they leave the island, Caspian re-claims it for Narnia, overthrows the greedy governor, and replaces him with the Lord Bern.

At the second island they visit, Eustace leaves the group to avoid doing any work. He finds a dragon's cave and goes in to escape the rain. In the cave he finds gold and starts to have greedy thoughts about it. He starts filling his pockets and puts on a large golden bracelet. He then falls asleep and wakes up as a dragon, with the bracelet tight around his arm. As a dragon, he becomes aware of his bad behavior and uses his strength to help make amends. Shortly before they leave the island, Aslan visits Eustace during the night and turns him back into a boy. After his encounter with Aslan, Eustace repents and becomes a much nicer person. When Eustace is finally able to take off the bracelet, Caspian recognizes that it belonged to another lord, Lord Octesian.

In addition, they visit Burnt Island, Deathwater Island (an island containing a pool of water that turns anything, including another lost Lord, to gold), the Duffers' Island, the Island Where Dreams Come True (which is a mass of darkness where nightmares come to life, and where they find a crazed Lord Rhoop) and finally the Island of the Star, where they find the three remaining lost lords in an enchanted sleep.

During their trip they manage to find all seven Lords on various islands. Two of them are dead, two of them are alive, and three of them are in a deep sleep on the Island of the Star. The only way to awaken them is to sail to the edge of the world and leave one member of the crew.

They continue sailing and find lilies in the sea and merpeople and the water turns sweet. It also states that the men became less demanding of sleep and food, this "light" water being enough. Caspian says that he has seen Aslan, the great lion. Aslan told Caspian that Reepicheep, Edmund, Eustace, and Lucy must go to the end of the world.

Lucy, Edmund, Eustace and Reepicheep venture in a small boat through an ocean of flowers. They eventually reach a wall of water that extends into the sky. Reepicheep paddles his coracle up the waterfall, and is never again seen in Narnia.

After Reepicheep goes on, Edmund, Eustace, and Lucy walk in a strange land where they find a lamb. The lamb turns into Aslan who tells them that Edmund and Lucy, like their brother and sister, will not return to Narnia and that they should learn to know him by another name in their own world. He then sends the children home.

Commentary
The role of Aslan as a Christ-like figure is developed further; he appears at the end as a lamb, a Biblical image for Jesus; on the isle of Ramandu the imagery of Aslan's table is also used. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is unique in that it contains what might be called the "John 3:16" of the Chronicles of Narnia. When asked by Edmund whether or not Aslan exists in their world he replies:

"I am... but there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there."

- Aslan

This is arguably the most succinct and precise evidence of a possible parallel between Narnia and The Bible.

Parallels may also be drawn with the Arthurian legend of the Holy Grail. Three knights set off for the grail—Galahad, Percival and Launcelot—of whom Launcelot turned back in sight of the Grail, while Galahad and Percival both partook of the Grail. Galahad was subsequently raptured, while Percival returned to the realm of mortals.

In a similar vein, three groups on the Dawn Treader were on quest to seek the uttermost East, where Aslan's Country is rumored to be. Caspian, King of Narnia, was turned back due to Ramandu's daughter, whom he wishes to marry; and because he is reminded that, as King of Narnia, he has a responsibility to his country, in sight of the Last Sea. The Pevensie children and Eustace met with Aslan, and were returned to their own world in England. Reepicheep, Chief of the Talking Mice, was the only voyager on the Dawn Treader entirely without fear, and disappeared into the waters of the Utter East, where in the words of C.S. Lewis, "...he vanished, and since that moment no one can truly claim to have seen Reepicheep the Mouse. But my belief is that he came safe to Aslan's country and is alive there to this day."

Reepicheep is indeed encountered there in the closing chapters of The Last Battle, making him presumably unique in the history of Narnia in having been bodily assumed into Aslan's country while still alive (compare Enoch the patriarch and Elijah the prophet).

Differences between British and American editions
Prior to the publication of the first American edition of Voyage, Lewis made the following changes to chaper 12 "The Dark Island". When HarperCollins took over publication of the series in 1994, they decided to use the British edition as the standard for all subsequent editions worldwide.

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

 * In 1983 the world premiere of the musical stage adaptation of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was produced by Northwestern College (Minnesota) at the Totino Fine Arts Center. Director: Carol Thomas; Libretto: Wayne Olson; Music and Lyrics: Kevin Norberg (ASCAP).
 * The BBC produced a TV miniseries of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1989); it was combined with the previous film and released as Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. (see The Chronicles of Narnia (TV miniseries)).
 * BBC Radio produced a radio play based on the book in 1994.
 * Focus on the Family released a longer version as part of its complete production of all the Chronicles of Narnia.
 * Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media are scheduled to release The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in May 2009.
 * In 2000 a musical version was written and produced by the Alternative Community School of Ithaca, NY