Roundabout Lessons
When I was 5 years old, an animated version of The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe was broadcast on television. As I've recently mentioned, my mother strictly forbade me to watch anything involving witchcraft. But as she was deeply involved in conversation with her parents at the time, she didn't notice what I was doing and I successfully watched a good half hour of the cartoon before she caught me and forced me to turn off the TV. Amazingly, I received no punishment, unless you count the agony of forever wondering how the story ended. I would also spend the remainder of my childhood desperately examining closets for escape passages to other worlds.
This past weekend, my husband suggested that we see a sneak preview of the new Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe. Of course I jumped at the chance.
So over 27 years later I finally found out how the story ends. But finding out the ending wasn't nearly as enjoyable as watching my kids get excited about the magic and mystery of the movie. It also couldn't beat the feeling of sneakiness that came from defying my mother. (I felt so guilty in such a good way!)
During the past several years, I've realized that my parents' words will stay with me, no matter how far away I am (Japan) or how old I get (mind your own business ~_^). But that doesn't mean I always choose to obey them—In fact, I frequently go out of my way to disobey them.
I suppose something good did come from my mother's severe strictness: I learned that if I am unreasonably strict with my children, I can expect them to take pleasure in defying me (even if it's many years later). So in a roundabout way, my mother taught me how to be a better parent. Thanks, Mom (and I really hope you're not reading this).
This past weekend, my husband suggested that we see a sneak preview of the new Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe. Of course I jumped at the chance.
So over 27 years later I finally found out how the story ends. But finding out the ending wasn't nearly as enjoyable as watching my kids get excited about the magic and mystery of the movie. It also couldn't beat the feeling of sneakiness that came from defying my mother. (I felt so guilty in such a good way!)
During the past several years, I've realized that my parents' words will stay with me, no matter how far away I am (Japan) or how old I get (mind your own business ~_^). But that doesn't mean I always choose to obey them—In fact, I frequently go out of my way to disobey them.
I suppose something good did come from my mother's severe strictness: I learned that if I am unreasonably strict with my children, I can expect them to take pleasure in defying me (even if it's many years later). So in a roundabout way, my mother taught me how to be a better parent. Thanks, Mom (and I really hope you're not reading this).
The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, old and new.
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If you get the chance, get the whole set of books and read them. I love them. They are definately in my top 5 books of all times!
Was the movie fab? I plan to go and see it next week on the cheap Wednesday.
I heard that the books are meant to be teaching all sorts of Christian ideals too, so I would think your mum would have liked that ;) I didn't notice much of this in the movie though, and the books scared me too much when I was little so I've never attempted to get through one!
Anita and I were really choked that the movie opened in Thailand the day we were leaving! had to settle for smallscreen instead because we decided we couldn't wait till it's release in Japan.
laura
Ellen: The movie was good, although there were a few slowish parts. The kids absolutely loved it, though.
Laura: There was a unicorn in the movie, so my mom still would've been freaked out. o_O
Yeah, but like Laura said the whole series is often likened to an allegory on the life of Christ. Still I guess when you were younger, you most likely wouldn't have heard of that. I think I read somewhere that US Christian groups had bought into the idea and were planning on showing it or recommending it to their congregations.
Personally the plummy voices of the BBC TV version, from about ten years ago, put me off the whole thing.
Actually, my mom did hear that it represented the story of Christ, but she also believed that the anti-christ would initially be viewed as good. ("He will be a wolf in sheep's clothing," as she would say.) So she still thought the story was evil.
Wow, your parents sound a lot like mine--and I get the same thrill out of doing things I know they wouldn't approve of. We got to read the Narnia books, though, because they're a pretty obvious allegory of the gospels--Aslan sacrifices himself for another person, but then he comes back. If you're familiar with the Bible you can really see the connection when you watch the movie. Some of the details, especially relating to Aslan's death are exactly what's written in the Bible (the sky growing dark, the earthquake, the stone breaking=the temple curtain being broken).
But, even though I got kind of annoyed at the obviousness of the allegory, I thought the movie was good.
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