The Horse and His Boy....read before you read the book...

In The Magician's Nephew we have the story of creation and the fall. In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe , we have the story of redemption. The Horse and His Boy is a story of providence. Providence means God provides for all things needed for those who have faith in Him, and this happens on so large a scale that it's impossible for us as humans to wrap our minds around it. It also brings up the question of "free will" and how that works in to God's providence, which is something we as humans probably can not understand, but C.S. Lewis tries to show us how this can happen in this story...so be watching for that as you read: how does Aslan guide them and how do the characters choices play into Aslan's plan.

In this book, Aslan is behind all events and he draws everything together, so be aware of that too as you read.

The Horse and His boy is also a story of a journey, or what literature teachers refer to as a "quest." All the main characters of the book are on a journey to Narnia. A journey in literature usually has common characteristics:
1. There must be a "quester." someone taking the journey.
2. There of course must be a place to go. It might be as little as a trip to the grocery store or as grand as a trip to Narnia.
3. There must be a stated reason to go there. It can be as little as going to get a loaf of bread, or as large a task as Killing the White Witch.
4. There must be challenges and trials! Watch for this as you read....
5. There must be a true reason for the journey...does the character learn something, does he mature?

When a character hits the road, we should pay attention, just to see if there's something going on there.

Enjoy,
Ms. Michelle