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Chapter 15
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Silver Chair, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Deception and Illusion
Freedom and Imprisonment
Temptation
Courage
Summary
Analysis
Jill wakes up the next morning with fond but fuzzy memories of the previous night. As soon as she is awake, she sees Glimfeather, who tells her and Scrubb that Rilian is already on his way back to Cair Paravel. King Caspian sent Prince Rilian a letter as soon as he learned his son was still alive, and they are planning to meet later the same day. King Caspian found Aslan while sailing around Narnia, and Aslan told him to return home to find his son.
Evidently, Aslan knew that Jill, Scrubb, and Puddleglum succeeded in freeing Prince Rilian, which is why he sends King Caspian back to Cair Paravel. King’s Caspian return gives the novel a circular structure, since the narrative began with his departure. Prince Rilian’s quick return to Cair Paravel demonstrates his excitement to see his father, though how long they will have together is uncertain.
Themes
After eating breakfast, Jill and Scrubb ride two centaurs to Cair Paravel so they can witness Rilian and King Caspian reunite. Riding on the centaurs is a great honor because centaurs never let anyone ride on their backs. As they travel to Cair Paravel, the centaurs talk to Jill and Scrubb about the forest surrounding them, though Jill and Scrubb hardly listen.
Jill and Scrubb are too distracted by everything that has happened in the past few weeks, as well as what is about to happen—to care about the centaurs. The entire experience has been overwhelming and, now that they are finally free of the Underland, they do not know what to do with themselves.
Themes
When Jill and Scrubb arrive in Cair Paravel, they see King Caspian’s ship docking and a crowd surround it. Jill and Scrubb sit on the centaurs in the back of the crowd while Rilian waits next to the ship. A man who is not King Caspian approaches Rilian and whispers something to him. Then, several other men carry a sickly King Caspian from the ship and place him next to his son. King Caspian gets to greet Rilian one final time, and they embrace. However, the king dies moments later. The crowd is equal parts happy and devastated from witnessing the bitter-sweet reunion.
Jill and Scrubb witness King Caspian and Rilian’s reunion from afar, as does the rest of the crowd, making the King’s death both public and private. Although King Caspian is dead, there is much relief among the Narnians because Prince Rilian’s return means that he will leave the Kingdom of Narnia in good hands, as Aslan intended. Still, King Caspian was beloved, so there is much sadness all around.
Themes
Suddenly, Aslan appears behind Jill and Scrubb. Jill worries that Aslan will be angry with her because she did not closely follow his signs, but he tells her not to worry. Moments later, Aslan transports Jill and Scrubb to his home, which floats high above Narnia—the same place they found themselves in after escaping Jill’s bullies in the schoolyard. Aslan takes Jill and Scrubb to a stream where King Caspian’s body lies. Gradually, life floods back into King Caspian’s body, and his looks revert to how they were when he was a young man. Caspian stands up and is thrilled when he sees Scrubb. They briefly discuss their former adventures together. Then Caspian explains that he will be able to live with Aslan on this plain high above Narnia, though he will never be able to go back to Narnia itself.
Jill cares about what Aslan thinks of her and does not want him to think she failed him. Aslan dismisses Jill’s concerns because, when she made mistakes, she corrected them and ultimately succeeded in her task. Jill and Scrubb leave Narnia without getting to say goodbye to some of their new friends, including Rilian, though the return of King Caspian in Aslan’s realm is a fitting reunion in itself. The eternal life King Caspian receives in Aslan’s realm is yet another indication that this realm is a heavenly place where the virtuous are rewarded for their good deeds.
Themes
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Although he cannot return to Narnia, Caspian asks Aslan if he can look upon Scrubb and Jill’s world. Aslan grants him five minutes of time and then opens a doorway back to Scrubb and Jill’s schoolyard. All four of them step through to see Jill’s bullies still clambering up the hill and looking for her. When they spot Scrubb and Jill, who are both holding swords, along with Caspian and Aslan, they run away and scream. When no one is looking, Scrubb and Jill sneak away and change back into their school clothes, while Caspian and Aslan return to Aslan’s realm. The incident results in an investigation at the school, which ends with the headmaster being fired. After returning from Narnia, Scrubb and Jill remain friends.
At the beginning of the novel, Jill did not have the courage to stand up to her bullies. She cried alone behind the gym, hoping no one would come looking for her. However, now, with Aslan, Scrubb, and Caspian behind her, she feels emboldened to stand up to her bullies. The result of her courage leads to a change in the power structure of the school, which Lewis identifies as the problem in the first chapter of the novel. However, regardless of what the school chooses to do, Jill and Scrubb now have a valuable moral education that they received from Aslan and their adventures in Narnia.
Themes
