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Chapter 7
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Last Battle, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Belief, Deception, and False Prophets
The Value of Friendship
Redemption and Forgiveness
The End of the World
Summary
Analysis
A strange creature moves toward Tirian and the others, gliding along the grass. The creature has a humanoid body with four arms and a bird’s head. It is also translucent, and everything it touches appears to wither and die. The creature pays Tirian’s group no mind, moving right past them. Once it is out of sight, the weather returns to being sunny and beautiful. Tirian explains that he saw a statue of the creature once before in Tisroc’s court. The statue was labeled Tash. Poggin laughs, thinking Shift is going to get what he deserves. Because Shift has been claiming things in Tash’s name, it seems Tash has come for him.
Tash’s sudden appearance is frightening not only because of how he looks, but because death seems to follow in his wake. Largely, Tash resembles a mix between a human and a bird of prey, making it a monstrosity that looks predatory in nature. Although Poggin is happy that Shift is going to get what is coming to him, Tash’s presence signals a larger problem for the Narnians as well. After all, once Shift is gone, Tash will still remain.
Themes
Then, the group discusses their next move. They need to decide between finding Roonwit and returning to Stable Hill. On the one hand, heading to Stable Hill would make everything much faster, and the enemy would not have time to cause more problems. However, on the other hand, Tirian worries that his fellow Narnians will not believe his version of the story, similar to the dwarves. Ultimately, he decides it would be best to go and find Roonwit first.
Tirian knows that every decision he makes could make the difference between Narnia’s destruction and its salvation. As such, he decides to go in the direction where he is sure he will find allies rather than enemies or creatures too scared to join his cause.
Themes
Once the plan is settled, Tirian, Jill, and Eustace decide to remove their Calormene disguises, so Narnians do not mistake them for their enemy. Puzzle asks if he can remove his costume as well, but they convince him that he must continue wearing it for the time being. They want to show Puzzle wearing the costumes as proof of Shift’s scheme. Once everyone is ready, the group sets off to find Roonwit.
Tirian, Jill, and Eustace get to once again feel comfortable in their own skin. However, Puzzle must continue to wear the lion skin, which is a constant reminder of his wrongdoings. As such, although wearing the skin might be necessary, it also feels like a punishment for Puzzle.
Themes
On the road, Jill says that Narnia is wonderful and hopes that it never comes to end. Jewel tells her that all nations meet their end eventually, with the exception of Aslan’s country. A moment later, a large eagle swoops down from the sky with an urgent message for Tirian. The eagle, whose name is Farsight, declares himself an ally and sadly states that he has bad news. The eagle says that the Calormenes took Cair Paravel by surprise, arriving via the sea, and slaughtered all of the Narnians therein. Many noble creatures died, including Roonwit. After absorbing this terrible news, Tirian defeatedly declares, “Narnia is no more.”
Despite its dangers, Jill has a great appreciation for the wonders Narnia holds. However, moments after she praises its greatness, the group discovers that it may have fallen. Without Roonwit and the forces of Cair Paravel, Tirian does not have any allies left who he is sure will fight on his side. Although Tirian is still around to fight, he feels defeated. For the first time in the series, it looks like Narnia might be coming to an end, which terrifies Tirian and his followers.
Themes
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