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Chapter 2
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
Surrounding Jill and Scrubb is a scene of immense grandeur and beauty. There is an opulent castle with an impressive ship docked nearby. Around the castle is a crowd watching as an elderly man (the King) boards a ship. In the crowd there are people, animals, and all manner of mythical creatures, such as satyrs, centaurs, and giants. Suddenly, Jill remembers the first sign that Aslan told her to look out for. She turns to Scrubb and tells him that he must find his old friend and talk to him.
Although different than Aslan’s land, the beauty of the realm of Narnia also stands in sharp opposition to the drudgery of Jill and Scrubb’s school. As soon as she steps foot in Narnia, Jill gets an overwhelming view of what it has to offer, so much so that she nearly forgets the first sign, which she spent a lot of time memorizing.
Themes
Scrubb is angry with Jill for causing him to fall off the cliff and does not listen to what she says. Instead, they turn their attention to the King’s departure. The King is speaking with a dwarf named Trumpkin who seems to be his second in command. The King kisses Trumpkin’s cheeks, boards the ship, and the ship departs. As the King leaves, a giant owl named Glimfeather lands next to Scrubb and Jill. The owl tells them that he noticed they came floating down from the sky. Rather than answer, Scrubb asks where they are. Glimfeather tells them they have landed next to Cair Paravel, a great castle in Narnia.
Jill lets Scrubb’s anger, along with the King’s departure, distract her from following the first sign. Although she made an effort, Jill has already fallen behind on following the signs, which could prove troublesome for her quest moving forward. Meanwhile, although his size is intimidating, Glimfeather proves he may be a keen ally, as he is the only one attending the King’s departure who noticed Jill and Scrubb.
Themes
Scrubb informs Glimfeather that Aslan sent them to Cair Paravel to rescue the prince, and the owl says they should speak to Trumpkin. Before speaking with Trumpkin, Scrubb asks the owl for the King’s name. The owl responds, “Caspian the Tenth,” which causes Scrubb’s face to turn a sickly color. Before Jill can ask Scrubb what is wrong, Glimfeather introduces them to Trumpkin. Unfortunately, Trumpkin is quite deaf and misinterprets everything the owl says. Eventually, the owl gets his message through, and Trumpkin invites Jill and Scrubb to stay in the castle. Notably, Glimfeather does not mention that Jill and Scrubb want to find the prince, though he does not say why.
The sick look on Scrubb’s face implies that he recognizes the name Caspian the Tenth, as will the readers of previous Narnia novels. However, for the moment, Jill is left in the dark, hoping that Glimfeather and Trumpkin will lead them in the right direction. Although Glimfeather appears eager to help, his decision not to tell Trumpkin about the missing prince is something of a red flag. It seems that Glimfeather does not trust Trumpkin with the information for some reason, and it is unclear whether his behavior is altruistic.
Themes
After getting cleaned up in the castle, Scrubb and Jill meet to trade information. Scrubb tells Jill that time passes differently in Narnia than it does in the real world. Last time Scrubb was in Narnia, he went on an adventure with King Caspian, who, at the time, was barely older than Scrubb. This information distresses Jill because she worries that King Caspian was the friend Scrubb was supposed to meet with and now he is gone. After briefly arguing over who is at fault for their failures thus far, Jill and Scrubb go to the great hall of the castle and eat a magnificent dinner. Then they head to bed, exhausted.
Here, Jill realizes that she has already failed the task Aslan gave her, which may make the rest of the journey all the more difficult. Although Jill’s failure is not ideal, her worry suggests that she cares about what Aslan thinks, as well as the task at hand. Indeed, she will spend much of the novel worrying that she has either missed or misinterpreted Aslan’s signs. Her struggle recalls the Christian desire to properly interpret and carry out the word of God.
Themes
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