The Horse and His Boy

by

C. S. Lewis

Aravis is a Tarkheena (a female Calormene noble) who rides the Talking Horse Hwin. She flees her home when she learns she’ll be forced to marry Ahoshta, a much older man who has a high status but who achieved this status through corrupt dealings. Her story parallels Shasta’s and demonstrates how for a girl, a bad marriage arrangement can be a form of enslavement (which is what Shasta himself is running away from). Aravis is perhaps the most sympathetic of the Calormenes in the novel, although as her interactions with her friend Lasaraleen reveal, she is a bit of an outcast within her own country and longs for the freedom of Narnia. Aravis’s friendship with and eventual marriage to Shasta demonstrates how people from different backgrounds can find things in common, particularly when they each try to be virtuous.

Aravis Quotes in The Horse and His Boy

The The Horse and His Boy quotes below are all either spoken by Aravis or refer to Aravis. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Freedom and Justice Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2  Quotes

“What is it?” gasped Shasta.

“Lions!” said Bree, without checking his pace or turning his head.

Related Characters: Shasta/Cor (speaker), Horse/Bree (speaker), Aravis, Hwin
Related Symbols: Lion
Page Number: 27
Explanation and Analysis:

“Why, it’s only a girl!” he exclaimed.

“And what business is it of yours if I am only a girl?” snapped the stranger. “You’re probably only a boy: a rude, common little boy—a slave probably, who’s stolen his master’s horse.”

“That’s all you know,” said Shasta.

Related Characters: Shasta/Cor (speaker), Aravis (speaker), Horse/Bree, Hwin
Related Symbols: Lion
Page Number: 31
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3  Quotes

“I didn’t say it half so well as that,” muttered the mare.

“Hush, Ma’am, hush,” said Bree, who was thoroughly enjoying the story. “She’s telling it in the grand Calormene manner and no story-teller in a Tisroc’s court could do it better. Pray go on, Tarkheena.”

Related Characters: Horse/Bree (speaker), Hwin (speaker), Aravis, Ahoshta
Page Number: 39
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7  Quotes

“I’ll take you home. My husband’s away and no one will see you. Phew! It’s not much fun with the curtains drawn. I want to see people. There’s no point in having a new dress on if one’s to go about shut up like this.”

Related Characters: Lasaraleen (speaker), Aravis
Related Symbols: Tashbaan
Page Number: 104
Explanation and Analysis:

“But, darling, only think! Three palaces, and one of them that beautiful one down on the lake at Ilkeen. Positively ropes of pearls, I’m told. Baths of asses’ milk. And you’d see such a lot of me.”

“He can keep his pearls and palaces as far as I’m concerned,” said Aravis.

“You always were a queer girl, Aravis,” said Lasaraleen. “What more do you want?”

Related Characters: Aravis (speaker), Lasaraleen (speaker), Ahoshta
Related Symbols: Tashbaan
Page Number: 108
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10  Quotes

“Stop,” bellowed Shasta in Bree’s ear. “Must go back. Must help!”

Bree always said afterward that he never heard, or never understood this; and as he was in general a very truthful horse we must accept his word.

Related Characters: Shasta/Cor (speaker), Horse/Bree, Aravis, Hwin
Related Symbols: Lion
Page Number: 152
Explanation and Analysis:

“Go home! Go home!” For a fraction of a second he was staring right into its wide-opened, raging mouth. Then, to his utter astonishment, the lion, still on its hind legs, checked itself suddenly, turned head over heels, picked itself up, and rushed away.

Shasta did not for a moment suppose it had gone for good.

Related Characters: Shasta/Cor (speaker), Horse/Bree, Aravis, Aslan, Hwin
Related Symbols: Lion
Page Number: 154
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13  Quotes

“Now the ram has started. If I could hear as well as see, what a noise that would make! Stroke after stroke: and no gate can stand it forever. But wait! Something up by Stormness has scared the birds. They’re coming out in masses. And wait again…I can’t see yet…ah! Now I can. The whole ridge, up on the east, is black with horsemen. If only the wind would catch that standard and spread it out. They’re over the ridge now, whoever they are. Aha! I’ve seen the banner now. Narnia, Narnia! It’s the red lion. They’re in full career down the hill now. I can see King Edmund. There’s a woman behind among the archers. Oh!—”

“What is it?” asked Hwin breathlessly.

“All his Cats are dashing out from the left of the line.”

Related Characters: Hwin (speaker), Hermit (speaker), Shasta/Cor, Aravis, Prince Rabadash
Page Number: 202
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 14  Quotes

“Aslan,” said Bree in a shaken voice, “I’m afraid I must be rather a fool.”

“Happy the Horse who knows that while he is still young. Or the Human either. Draw near, Aravis my daughter. See! My paws are velveted. You will not be torn this time.”

Related Characters: Horse/Bree (speaker), Shasta/Cor, Aravis, Aslan, Hwin
Related Symbols: Lion
Page Number: 215
Explanation and Analysis:

“Well, as soon as he saw Corin and me, it seems this Centaur looked at me and said, A day will come when that boy will save Archenland from the deadliest danger in which ever she lay. So of course my Father and Mother were very pleased. But there was someone present who wasn’t.”

Related Characters: Shasta/Cor (speaker), Aravis, Corin
Page Number: 221
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 15  Quotes

Aravis also had many quarrels (and, I’m afraid, even fights) with Cor, but they always made it up again: so that years later, when they were grown up, they were so used to quarreling and making up again that they got married so as to go on doing it more conveniently. And after King Lune’s death they made a good King and Queen of Archenland and Ram the Great, the most famous of all the kings of Archenland, was their son. Bree and Hwin lived happily to a great age in Narnia and both got married but not to one another. And there weren’t many months in which one or both of them didn’t come trotting over the pass to visit their friends at Anvard.

Related Characters: Shasta/Cor, Horse/Bree, Aravis, Hwin, King Lune
Page Number: 241
Explanation and Analysis:
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Aravis Quotes in The Horse and His Boy

The The Horse and His Boy quotes below are all either spoken by Aravis or refer to Aravis. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Freedom and Justice Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2  Quotes

“What is it?” gasped Shasta.

“Lions!” said Bree, without checking his pace or turning his head.

Related Characters: Shasta/Cor (speaker), Horse/Bree (speaker), Aravis, Hwin
Related Symbols: Lion
Page Number: 27
Explanation and Analysis:

“Why, it’s only a girl!” he exclaimed.

“And what business is it of yours if I am only a girl?” snapped the stranger. “You’re probably only a boy: a rude, common little boy—a slave probably, who’s stolen his master’s horse.”

“That’s all you know,” said Shasta.

Related Characters: Shasta/Cor (speaker), Aravis (speaker), Horse/Bree, Hwin
Related Symbols: Lion
Page Number: 31
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3  Quotes

“I didn’t say it half so well as that,” muttered the mare.

“Hush, Ma’am, hush,” said Bree, who was thoroughly enjoying the story. “She’s telling it in the grand Calormene manner and no story-teller in a Tisroc’s court could do it better. Pray go on, Tarkheena.”

Related Characters: Horse/Bree (speaker), Hwin (speaker), Aravis, Ahoshta
Page Number: 39
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7  Quotes

“I’ll take you home. My husband’s away and no one will see you. Phew! It’s not much fun with the curtains drawn. I want to see people. There’s no point in having a new dress on if one’s to go about shut up like this.”

Related Characters: Lasaraleen (speaker), Aravis
Related Symbols: Tashbaan
Page Number: 104
Explanation and Analysis:

“But, darling, only think! Three palaces, and one of them that beautiful one down on the lake at Ilkeen. Positively ropes of pearls, I’m told. Baths of asses’ milk. And you’d see such a lot of me.”

“He can keep his pearls and palaces as far as I’m concerned,” said Aravis.

“You always were a queer girl, Aravis,” said Lasaraleen. “What more do you want?”

Related Characters: Aravis (speaker), Lasaraleen (speaker), Ahoshta
Related Symbols: Tashbaan
Page Number: 108
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10  Quotes

“Stop,” bellowed Shasta in Bree’s ear. “Must go back. Must help!”

Bree always said afterward that he never heard, or never understood this; and as he was in general a very truthful horse we must accept his word.

Related Characters: Shasta/Cor (speaker), Horse/Bree, Aravis, Hwin
Related Symbols: Lion
Page Number: 152
Explanation and Analysis:

“Go home! Go home!” For a fraction of a second he was staring right into its wide-opened, raging mouth. Then, to his utter astonishment, the lion, still on its hind legs, checked itself suddenly, turned head over heels, picked itself up, and rushed away.

Shasta did not for a moment suppose it had gone for good.

Related Characters: Shasta/Cor (speaker), Horse/Bree, Aravis, Aslan, Hwin
Related Symbols: Lion
Page Number: 154
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13  Quotes

“Now the ram has started. If I could hear as well as see, what a noise that would make! Stroke after stroke: and no gate can stand it forever. But wait! Something up by Stormness has scared the birds. They’re coming out in masses. And wait again…I can’t see yet…ah! Now I can. The whole ridge, up on the east, is black with horsemen. If only the wind would catch that standard and spread it out. They’re over the ridge now, whoever they are. Aha! I’ve seen the banner now. Narnia, Narnia! It’s the red lion. They’re in full career down the hill now. I can see King Edmund. There’s a woman behind among the archers. Oh!—”

“What is it?” asked Hwin breathlessly.

“All his Cats are dashing out from the left of the line.”

Related Characters: Hwin (speaker), Hermit (speaker), Shasta/Cor, Aravis, Prince Rabadash
Page Number: 202
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 14  Quotes

“Aslan,” said Bree in a shaken voice, “I’m afraid I must be rather a fool.”

“Happy the Horse who knows that while he is still young. Or the Human either. Draw near, Aravis my daughter. See! My paws are velveted. You will not be torn this time.”

Related Characters: Horse/Bree (speaker), Shasta/Cor, Aravis, Aslan, Hwin
Related Symbols: Lion
Page Number: 215
Explanation and Analysis:

“Well, as soon as he saw Corin and me, it seems this Centaur looked at me and said, A day will come when that boy will save Archenland from the deadliest danger in which ever she lay. So of course my Father and Mother were very pleased. But there was someone present who wasn’t.”

Related Characters: Shasta/Cor (speaker), Aravis, Corin
Page Number: 221
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 15  Quotes

Aravis also had many quarrels (and, I’m afraid, even fights) with Cor, but they always made it up again: so that years later, when they were grown up, they were so used to quarreling and making up again that they got married so as to go on doing it more conveniently. And after King Lune’s death they made a good King and Queen of Archenland and Ram the Great, the most famous of all the kings of Archenland, was their son. Bree and Hwin lived happily to a great age in Narnia and both got married but not to one another. And there weren’t many months in which one or both of them didn’t come trotting over the pass to visit their friends at Anvard.

Related Characters: Shasta/Cor, Horse/Bree, Aravis, Hwin, King Lune
Page Number: 241
Explanation and Analysis: