Sexism In The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

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Since its publication in 1950 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has been a popular novel among both children and adults. Like most popular forms of entertainment, the novel has received its fair share of criticisms over time; one being the profoundly sexist nature of the story. As someone who watched the film before having read the novel, the sexist tones of the story were not initially noticed by me. After reading the book, it’s become easier understand what critics and the other readers of the novel have been talking about. There are many instances in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe where sexist stereotypes and statements about women are implemented into this fantastical children’s tale.

Sexism was seen very early on in the novel when Edmund found …show more content…
Not only was this sexist, but it’s also ironic. While Edmund said his sister was off sulking, he was moping around Narnia because he couldn’t find her. His statement could have also been seen simply as part of a sibling rivalry; until this point in the novel all Edmund has been doing to bothering and bullying his sister, Lucy. While what he said was sexist, it’s also just a form of Edmund being rude to Lucy. What Edmund said was one of the more straightforward examples of sexism in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. A subtler example would be from Father Christmas, who was not only sexist through his words, but through his gifts as well. Father Christmas arrived bearing gifts for the children and Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. For Mr. Beaver, Father Christmas finished his dam and “mended all the leaks stopped and a new sluice-gate fitted” (Lewis, 117), while Mrs. Beaver received a new sewing machine. Peter received a sword and shield for the inevitable battle against the White Witch. Susan and Lucy were also assumed to be involved in the battle, but unlike Peter were not “Sons of Adam” (140). For them, Father Christmas brought weapons but only
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