A lot of trauma.
I just always figured that if Aslan let the young Calormen Tarkhan into The Everlasting Lands, then if Susan wanted to come, Aslan wouldn't stand in her way.
But Susan turns and walks away from Narnia off her own two feet - she doesn't even believe in Narnia anymore, so why would she want to come back - and everyone's on Aslan's case. (Or CS Lewis'.) Lipstick and nylons is the excuse she gives for walking away, not the reason that she was shut out: to Susan these things are more real to her than talking animals and a resurrected lion.
Did CS Lewis have issues with the 'lipstick and nylons' crowd? Sure. But even if Susan worked a perfectly boring job and was your standard 50s office drone, yet turned her back on Narnia, then she still wouldn't be interested in the everlasting lands.
For me, Susan's Choice is the simplest thing about The Last Battle. All the other stuff? The comparative metaphors of fake lions and donkeys and, oh, I can't even remember half of it all? The weird timelines? The stable and the dwarves trapped in their own minds? The talking creatures who ceased to talk? Actual Tash coming for the Calormene guy? That's the fucked up shit.
To me, it's not Susan Got Shut Out Of Narnia, Boohoo it's Susan Chose Something Else, That's Her Right. And Aslan respects that right. He doesn't go and drag Susan back to Narnia; he lets her make her own judgement and walk away from the door instead of stepping through it.
I mean, I have no obligation to leave a party invitation standing to someone who thinks I'm stupid and imaginary.
The other thing is that I'm not Aslan. Is the door still open for Susan? Maybe. But I think of all the times Aslan says "I am telling nobody's story but their own". Which is basically, "Mind your own biz, this is between me and the other person."
No comments:
Post a Comment