The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe — Chapter 5

About This Passage

The Professor's dialogue is Lewis's most famous example of embedding epistemological argument within a children's story — the reasoning is rigorous but the tone is conversational, making it a model of how complex ideas can be communicated through character voice.

Narration Prompt

Summarize this chapter, then explain what you think the author most wanted the reader to notice or feel. What techniques did the author use?

Discussion Questions

1. The Professor's argument follows a logical structure: Lucy is either lying, mad, or telling the truth; she is neither lying nor mad; therefore she is telling the truth. Evaluate the soundness of this reasoning — is it logically valid, or does it contain hidden assumptions? Could there be a fourth possibility the Professor does not consider?
2. The Professor challenges Peter's assumption that real things are there all the time by suggesting Narnia might have its own separate time. This is not merely a plot device — it challenges a philosophical assumption about the nature of reality. What view of reality is the Professor proposing, and how does it differ from what Peter and Susan take for granted?

+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide