Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Prince Caspian, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Good vs. Evil
Faith and Belief
Power vs. Leadership
Fear and Courage
Summary
Analysis
The field where Caspian, Trufflehunter, Trumpkin, and Nikabrik met the fauns is the Dancing Lawn. They camp there for three days, sleeping under the stars and eating nuts and berries from the forest, until it’s time for the council. This rough life is very different from Caspian’s formerly pampered royal existence, but he finds himself falling in love with it. And his trials are already turning him into a kinglier figure.
Although life in the wilds of Narnia is harder—Caspian must work for his food, drink, and shelter—it helps him to grow up. And it helps him to develop an appreciation and understanding of the world that he is supposed to rule. This stands in stark contrast to his uncle’s attempts to hold himself aloof from Narnian nature—especially the forest and coastlines.
Themes
On the night of the council, Prince Caspian’s subjects steal into the lawn individually and in small groups. There are hundreds of beasts and magical creatures, including one “small but genuine” giant called Wimbleweather. They eagerly begin to discuss their ideas about the council itself: the bears want to eat first; Reepicheep wants to skip the council and immediately storm Miraz’s castle; the squirrels say they can eat and talk at the same time; the moles want to throw up some entrenchments first, for safety’s sake. Caspian, backed by the centaurs and Dwarves, insists that they hold the council first and soon convinces the gathered creatures to sit quietly in a large circle. Caspian stands to make a speech.
By getting all the factions and species of Old Narnia together for the council, Caspian begins to prove his mettle as their potential king. Everyone has different ideas and different agendas, and a good leader needs to be able to get everyone to work together willingly. And although it’s a small test, Caspian succeeds in quieting the crowd and calling them to attention.
Themes
Before he can start, some of the animals smell a human approaching—or something like and unlike a human. Soon, Doctor Cornelius, whom Caspian greets as his “greatest friend and […] savior,” stands beside the prince in the council ring. Nikabrik again expresses his hatred for “half-and-halfers,” and Caspian silences him. Cornelius warns the Old Narnians that Miraz is on their trail. He realized that the prince had escaped when Caspian’s riderless horse wandered back to the castle and has been scoring the countryside with search parties. Cornelius himself found the council ring with a little magic, and he fears the Telmarine army will be there soon.
Just a few days earlier, Caspian harbored fantasies of ruling the Old Narnians in secret rather than having to face and defeat his uncle. The council that met to discuss an impending war finds itself in the middle of one without any time to prepare. Nikabrik’s ongoing unwillingness to accept mixed-race individuals suggests that his vision for a restored Narnia excludes (or at least marginalizes) humans in the same way the Telmarines’ Narnia has oppressed magical creatures. This does not align with the vision of a unified, human and Narnian country that the book has begun to express.
Themes
At Doctor Cornelius’s feet, Reepicheep shouts out a shrill “hurrah,” ready to face the king’s army that very instant. The tiny, belligerent mouse delights Doctor Cornelius, but Nikabrik interrupts their introduction and demands that the party decide how to face the threat. No one wants to run away, but everyone generally agrees that they should find a more defensible place to face Miraz’s army. Doctor Cornelius suggests they head east towards the Great Woods, specifically Aslan’s How. The Telmarines fear the woods and Aslan’s How is a very ancient and magical mound full of caves and chambers carved into the earth. It gives them room to store their supplies as well as protection if necessary. With enough food, they could even withstand a siege. Although Trumpkin expresses some doubt in what he calls Doctor Cornelius’s “old wives’ tales” about the forest, the company agrees on this site and sets out.
Reepicheep exemplifies martial spirit—sometimes at the expense of common sense. He’s ready to attack the Telmarine Army instantly, but disagreement about how to react to the threat shows that the Narnian Army isn’t yet ready to face such challenges. Their discussion emphasizes courage—no one wants to give the appearance of running away—tempered with caution. To win a war requires self-sacrifice and sober leadership of the kind Caspian provides, with the help of Doctor Cornelius and his Old Narnian friends as counselors. Selecting Aslan’s How serves a symbolic purpose, too: it claims that the Old Narnians fight for righteous causes, and it invokes the protection of the great lion, if he does indeed exist.
Themes
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The Old Narnians arrive at Aslan’s How followed closely by the Telmarine Army. Soon both sides establish camps and front lines. Despite their superstitious fear of the woods, the soldiers fear King Miraz’s cruel wrath even more, and they fight more bravely than the Old Narnians expected. Caspian proves himself a capable leader, but the war drags on and takes a serious toll on the much smaller Narnian Army. They face disastrous setbacks, like when Wimbleweather ruins one of Caspian’s careful strategic plans by rushing onto the battlefield too early. His action leads to massive casualties among the centaurs and the strongest talking animals. And then, deteriorating weather conditions make everything worse.
Although the book casts the war as a battle between good (the Narnians) and evil (the Telmarines), and although it has heavily hinted at an eventual victory for good, this doesn’t mean that the war will be quick or easy. Achieving a vision like a restored Narnia, where both magical beasts and humans can flourish side-by-side requires effort and self-sacrifice. And because the old ways have been so completely lost, Caspian and the rest sometimes learn painful lessons, like that giants aren’t the cleverest Narnians.
Themes
That night, everyone in the Old Narnian camp feels cranky and miserable. Wimbleweather’s silent tears splash onto the complaining mice. Other creatures bicker among themselves. Deep inside the How, Caspian, Trufflehunter, Nikabrik, Trumpkin, and Doctor Cornelius sit at council in the Stone chamber. The Stone Table itself is split down the center, covered in weathered, ancient writing. It’s far too magical to approach casually. Instead, the prince’s council sits a little way off, around a small wooden table.
The Stone Table featured in the previous book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, as the place where the White Witch murdered Aslan. But Aslan came back to life, subsequently defeated the White Witch, and restored order and happiness to Narnia. By invoking it here, the book suggests a similar trajectory for this conflict, even though it seems to be going poorly for the forces of good at the moment.
Themes
Trufflehunter says that if Caspian is ever going to use the horn, the moment has come. Caspian worries that they might have greater need for help later and he doesn’t want to waste the magic. By that argument, Nikabrik points out, he’ll only ever use it once it’s too late. Doctor Cornelius agrees. Trumpkin doesn’t care one way or the other. He doesn’t believe in magical fairy tales like Aslan or the stone or the horn. For that reason, he counsels that Caspian blow it in secret; there’s no point in getting everyone’s hopes up with empty promises of magical aid.
As the future ruler of Narnia, Caspian wisely listens to the advice of his trusted friends to help him make decisions, even though the final choice remains his alone. He is not self-centered or despotic like his uncle Miraz. Trumpkin, who doesn’t believe in Aslan’s existence yet, worries that myths and legends can give people false hope. His doubt centers on his strong sense of reality: he only believes what he can see and experience directly. Luckily, the horn doesn’t require his or anyone else’s belief to work.
Themes
Before Caspian blows the horn, Doctor Cornelius has a few final words. No one knows whether the horn will call the ancient kings and queens of Narnia, Aslan, or something else. And no one knows where the aid will appear. The very ancient and very magical Aslan’s How is a likely place. But there are two others: Lantern Waste, near Beaversdam and Miraz’s castle, where the children first appeared in Narnia; and Cair Paravel, where they ruled. Moreover, Cair Paravel lies next to the sea, which is where Aslan will come from if he does indeed return. Cornelius suggests sending messengers to both places just in case.
In blowing the horn, Caspian and Doctor Cornelius act out their faith in Aslan—they believe that the horn will work and help will come, even though they can’t possibly predict what this help will look like. Notably, they have greater trust in Aslan and the stories of the old days than some of the Old Narnians, like Trumpkin and Nikabrik. This suggest that Aslan belongs to all persons—human, talking animal, magical creature, and otherwise. And it foreshadows a Narnia with a greater population of believing humans than ever before.
Themes
The council elects to send the quick, stealthy, and trustworthy Pattertwig to one site. Nikabrik refuses outright to go; he’s afraid that if he leaves the army, no one will pay attention to the Dwarves’ interests. Trumpkin, although doubtful that help will come, respects Caspian as his leader. He volunteers. They agree that Caspian will blow the horn at sunrise, and after a hasty meal, Pattertwig and Trumpkin leave in opposite directions.
Nikabrik’s focus on the Dwarves’ interests begins to verge into outright defiance and disobedience here, and his unwillingness to go on Caspian’s mission—regardless of whether he believes in it or not—suggests that he selfishly values his own interests more than those of the whole group.
Themes
