Eustace Scrubb

"There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it."

- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Eustace Clarence Scrubb was the cousin of the Pevensies. Edmund and Lucy came to stay with him and his family while their parents were on holiday. He was good friends with Jill Pole.

Biography


Eustace was an insufferable boy who called his parents by their first names, Harold and Alberta, and attended a "modern" school called Experiment House. Though he was younger than Edmund and Lucy, he called them childish because of their belief in Narnia.

Even with his disdain for all four of his cousins, he was glad Edmund and Lucy were coming to stay with him, as he had a chance to bully them. Although he was by no means a fighter (as Eustace was a puny person, not even measuring up to Lucy's height), he had his own means of bullying people, especially when he is in his own house and they are just visitors.

Eustace was raised by his parents to be a republican, pacifist, vegetarian, tee-totaller (non-alcoholic), and to never smoke. He always wore a special kind of underwear, and his bedroom window was forever kept open.

One of Eustace's hobbies was collecting insects, especially beetles, and pinning them to cards. He hasn't read "the right sort of books" as far as magic and mythical creatures are concerned, as he prefers to read books about science and how things work, as well as with pictures of grain elevators or of fat foreign children doing exercises in model schools. He likes trains.

Bossy and nosey, he had no friends before visiting Narnia. Edmund called him a "record stinker" because of his insistence to write every little detail in his notebook.

Although his cousins never realised this, the real reason why Eustace was so vile towards them was because he was simply jealous of their sibling bond. Not hard to understand, considering he had no friends of his own, and was an only child in a world where he and his parents were considered odd because of their ways.

Whether Eustace's family and the Pevensies regularly kept contact and met up often or not is unknown, but he did meet all the Pevensies at least once, which was a year before Edmund and Lucy came to stay at his parent's house. In that year, the book says he had gone to stay at the Pevensies, where he had first overheard them talking about Narnia. He enjoyed teasing them about it, thinking that they had simply made the whole thing up, and since he didn't have the imagination to do such a thing himself, he did not approve of that.

He also has a phobia about heights.

Through the Painting
Eustace was pulled into Narnia along with Edmund and Lucy through a painting in the spare bedroom of his home. The three arrived in the water next to the Dawn Treader, a Narnian ship that carried King Caspian X. Claiming that he was unable to swim, once he was pulled aboard the ship he was furious, and refused to believe that he was really in Narnia. He insulted the Dawn Treader and demanded that he be brought to the British Consul. Believing Reepicheep to be some kind of circus act rather than a free Narnian, Eustace was disgusted with him. The mouse challenged him to a duel at one point, after Eustace had insulted him by grabbing his tail and swinging him by it, but Eustace declined on the grounds of being a pacifist. When he did this, Reepicheep began to whip him with the flat of his blade until he was forced to apologise.



Slaves
The Dawn Treader's first stop was at the Lone Islands, where Eustace was caught by slave traders along with Caspian, Edmund, Lucy, and Reepicheep. While the others were sold, Eustace himself could not even be given away. When Caspian came to the rescue and saved them all, Eustace was no help at all in restoring governorship of the Lone Islands to a Lord who was still loyal to Narnia.

Undragoned
After suffering damage from a storm, the Dawn Treader landed on an island (which they later call Dragon Island) to make repairs. The first afternoon they were on the island, Eustace wandered off to avoid having to do any work. He found a cave with a large dragon outside of it, and watched as the dragon died. It began to rain and Eustace sought shelter inside the cave where he found a large treasure that included a gold bracelet. He put on the bracelet and shoved it partway up his arm because it was too large for him. After apparently falling asleep, Eustace woke to a very strange feeling. Not having read the right sort of books, Eustace did not even realize that he was a dragon, but he found himself changed and in pain, as the gold bracelet was still on his arm, but was now cutting into his flesh. Going outside to drink, Eustace the dragon ended up eating about half of the dead dragon that he had seen before - after seeing his reflection in the water and figuring out what had happened.

Eustace tried to get the others' attention by landing on the beach between them and the ship, which led them to think he was an enemy. Lucy noticed how his leg was all swollen from the bracelet and tried a drop of her cordial on it. The drop healed the swollen skin, but it didn't change the fact that the bracelet was still cutting into his flesh. After some time of communicating through yes or no questions and shaking heads Eustace wrote an awkward message in the sand telling the others what had happened. As a dragon, Eustace was very useful and helpful to the crew as they repaired the Dawn Treader, bringing them large trees and catching goats for their meals. Being a dragon was lonely most of the time and Eustace found himself wishing he could talk with the others. Unbeknown to him, the crew worried about what would happen to him once the repairs were completed; they were unsure if the ship would hold him.

Finally one night, Eustace heard Aslan calling to him and saying "Follow Me". Eustace told Edmund later that he was afraid, though as a dragon he could've eaten any lion; he wasn't afraid of being eaten, he was just afraid. Following Aslan he was taken to a pool where he wanted to bathe his leg. Aslan told him that he must first undress. Scratching and clawing himself, Eustace desperately tried to shed his scales like a snake skin. After three times through this ordeal, he began to fear that he would never be rid of the scales. Aslan's voice told him "You will have to let me undress you," and he tore the skin from Eustace, picked him up and dropped him into the pool. As Eustace washed he realized that his arm was no longer in pain because he had turned back into a boy. He returned to the camp and told Edmund what had happened to him. It was Edmund who told him that the lion must have been Aslan. Everyone saw after this that Eustace was a much better natured boy.

The Last Sea and Home
As the Dawn Treader continued her voyage to the end of the world, he came to the Last Sea. Here Aslan came to Prince Caspian inside his cabin and told him that Edmund and Lucy and Eustace were to join Reepicheep in a small boat that would continue to the end of the world, while he and the rest of the crew would turn around and took the Dawn Treader back to Narnia. Caspian was sad to see his friends leave, including his new friend Eustace.

The three children came to what seemed to be yet another island, where they met a small lamb. The lamb spoke to them and transformed into a lion - Aslan, who opened a door back into England.

Experiment House
After less than a year, Eustace Clarence Scrubb had returned to school. He found a girl named Jill Pole hiding behind the gym at the school, on a dull Autumn day, where she was crying because of being bullied. She had been bullied by a group of children known as "The Gang." There he revealed to Jill Pole his secret and his desire to return to Narnia. They soon called to Aslan, but before they could finish, the gang arrived, chasing the two children to a wall. In the wall was a door, which was always locked. It was their last chance, however, so Jill and Eustace took the time to try it. It opened, and the twosome found themselves in a different world. They soon came to the edge of a cliff, where Jill attempted to show her fearlessness, which only resulted in Eustace falling off the cliff. After falling from the cliff, Eustace was blown to Narnia on Aslan's breath. Meanwhile Jill stayed behind and met Aslan. He told her that they were called into Narnia to find find the lost prince Rilian, Caspian X's only son. Aslan told her four signs which she could go by to find him.

Blown into Narnia
"These are the signs by which I will guide you in your quest. First; as soon as the boy Eustace sets foot in Narnia, he will meet an old and dear friend. He must greet that friend at once; if he does, you will both have good help. Second; you must journey out of Narnia to the North till you come to the ruined city of the ancient giants. Third; you shall find a writing on a stone in that ruined city, and you must do what the writing tells you. Fourth; you will know the lost prince (if you find him) by this, that he will be the first person you have met in your travels who will ask you to do something in my name, in the name of Aslan."

- Aslan

After Jill memorized the signs, she too was blown into Narnia. Upon arrival, Jill asked Eustace if he recognized a former friend, as this was the first sign, but he failed to do so, seeing only a crowd surrounding an old king. After talking with Trumpkin the dwarf, Eustace was shocked to hear that Caspian was the old king, and was traveling to Aslan's country to seek help from the Great Lion as to who should be king after him.

The Journey
Jill and Eustace were welcomed by the court but had to sneak out the same night with Glimfeather, an owl. He tells them that no one was allowed to go looking for the prince now, because many brave and noble Narnians had tried to find him and none of them had ever returned. One of the Owls told them the story of Prince Rilian, after which Eustace and Jill were carried by the owls to the wigwam of a marshwiggle on the borders of Ettinsmoor. The marshwiggle, named Puddleglum agreed to help the children search for the lost prince. They traveled until they met a lady dressed in green, who told them that Harfang, city of the Gentle Giants would be a good place to rest. Upon reaching it they entered the castle, but next day they realized that the giants intended to cook them and eat them for their Autumn Feast. Before escaping they realized that Harfang was built upon an ancient city, which was the second sign. They also noticed a huge stone with the words "Under Me". They just managed to escape, but then they accidentally dropped down a deep hole. This was, as Puddleglum pointed out, still following the signs as the third sign was that they had to do what the writing said.

Underworld
After what seemed a long time, they were found and taken prisoner by a patrol of gnomes called Earthmen. As they traveled down this hole they found themselves in a region which was called Underland. They were taken by a group of the Earthmen to see the Queen of Underland. At first the gnomes that had taken them decided to lock them up, but a human who lived in a more "overworldly" room, invited the travelers up. He told them how the "Queen's Grace" saved him from many enchantments, but that he was still under one. He told them not on any account to unbind him from the chair that he would be tied to, the Silver Chair, claiming that he would first become a wild man, and kill his friends, and then turn into a serpent. He also told them that the Queen was planning to make him King of a country in Overland, by breaking out after digging up with an army of Earthmen to take it. The children and the marshwiggle hid as the gnomes came to bind the man, and they came out of hiding to see the young man bound to the Silver Chair. He soon went into a fit, and began pleading them to release him.

Rilian
"Quick! I am sane now. If only I could get out of this enchanted chair, it would last. But every night they bind me, and so every night my chance is gone. But you are not enemies. I am not your prisoner. Quick! Cut these cords."

- Rilian So the man keeps going on in this way until Jill says she can "hardly bare it" finally, the prisoner says

"...by Aslan I charge you-"

- Rilian

They realized it is the last sign, and wondered whether they should let a maniac loose on themselves. Finally they decide to risk it "In Aslan's name" and the man leapt up and grabbed his sword, but instead of killing them, he destroyed the Silver Chair, hacking it into bits. Afterward the man turned and thanked them, and told them that he was Prince Rilian, the son of Caspian X. Soon afterwards the Lady of the Green Kirtle entered the chamber. She then angrily began putting them all under a spell by putting a green substance on a fire. This in addition to the Lady's words nearly convinced them that there is no world but Underland. Puddleglum however was able to resist the enchantment and presently stamped out the fire. The Queen, losing her temper, turned herself into a green serpent, and tried to kill Rilian. Rilian defended himself and hacked off the snake's head, along with Puddleglum and Eustace. After a while they realized that the whole of Underland was caving in and planned their escape, as the water level slowly started to rise. The Gnomes, now free from their enchantment after the Lady of the Green Kirtle's demise were able to help them after a brief moment of misunderstanding. They concluded the best route of escape would be the tunnel the Queen was to use to invade Narnia. They were correct, as at the end of the tunnel there were only a few feet of soil between them and the land above.

Back in Narnia
They came out and quickly took Rilian to see Caspian X, who had been told by Aslan to return to Narnia and that he would find his son. They met, but only seconds after seeing each other after all those years, Caspian X died. Aslan came and took Eustace and Jill away to the country where they started. Here Caspian came back to life and greeted Eustace, Aslan and Jill. He was sent back into Eustace's world along with Eustace and Jill, who gave the bullies at the school such a fright and hiding that the Headmaster rang up the police with stories about a lion and lunatics. The end result was that the Headmaster of the school was fired and the bullies expelled. Meanwhile Caspian and Aslan had left.

The Last Days of Narnia
During the reign of King Tirian, the last king of Narnia, Eustace returned to Narnia for the third and final time. Tirian, upon calling to the children who had been Narnia's saviors in the past, had appeared as an apparition to the Seven Friends of Narnia. When he disappeared again the group aggreed that Eustace and Jill were to return since they alone were the only ones who weren't told by Aslan that they were not too old to return to Narnia. Since they had not yet been transported magically into Narnia the group came to the consensus that to return to Narnia the two should use the rings that Digory and Polly had used before. However before they could use the rings they were jerked from their world and dropped into Narnia in front of Tirian.

Upon freeing Tirian, Eustace and Jill attempted to aid him in revealing Shift's treachery. However the Narnians as a whole could not be convinced. Eventually Eustace and his companions were forced to confront Shift and his Calormen allies at the Battle of Stable Hill.

Appearances

 * The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (book, appearance)
 * The Silver Chair (book, appearance)
 * The Last Battle (book, appearance)
 * Prince Caspian & The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (BBC serial) (1989 TV, appearance)
 * The Silver Chair (BBC serial) (1989 TV, appearance)
 * The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (film) (2010, appearance)

Trivia

 * In the book, the rhyme that Eustace says to his cousins goes, "Some kids who played games about Narnia, got gradually balmier and balmier". While in the film the rhyme went as, "There once were two orphans who wasted their time, believing in Narnian nursery rhymes".
 * In the film, Eustace doesn't refer to his parents by their first names.
 * In the film, Eustace doesn't grab Reepicheep by his tail and swing him around, like in the book, but just grabs it.
 * Eustace didn't makes friend with Jill Pole until after his adventures in Narnia, in the book. But apparently he is friends with her in the film, as she came round his house at the end.
 * In the book, Eustace refused to duel with Reepicheep, but in the film the mouse goaded him into it, and he ended up fighting.

Eustache Scrubb