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Chapter 6
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
Although Harfang is in sight, the party still has some traveling to go. The day is overcast and cold with freezing wind, and the terrain is hard and barren. After walking for some time, snow begins to fall—lightly at first, but soon so hard that the travelers can barely see where they are going. Eventually, they reach the bottom of a hill with a number of high ledges. Puddleglum has no trouble traversing the terrain because of his long limbs, but he has to help Jill and Scrubb over every obstacle.
The terrible weather conditions mean that Jill and Scrubb will be more tempted than ever to reach Harfang and ignore potentially important information for their journey. Meanwhile, although the cold also affects Puddleglum, it does not bother him as much because he is better built for the terrain, so he remains focused on the task at hand.
Themes
When the group reaches the top of the hill, they see a variety of steep trenches crisscrossing through the terrain. Each one is several feet high and will require great effort to surmount. To make matters worse, they are now facing the full force of the wind because they are on a top of a hill. Jill has a hard time thinking about anything other than that she is freezing. Because she can hardly see anything, Jill loses her footing and falls down into a trench. Luckily, she does not hurt herself, and she appreciates that the trench provides a nice respite from the wind and the snow.
What may seem like a minor obstacle for a giant is a major hurdle to overcome for Jill, Scrubb, and, to a lesser extent, Puddleglum. Although Harfang started as an object of temptation, the worsening weather conditions make it increasingly seem like a necessity. After all, Jill can barely think straight and could very well have hurt herself while falling into the trench.
Themes
Scrubb joins Jill down in the trench because he suspects they may be able to use the trenches to travel. Puddleglum stays outside, worried that the trench is likely to lead somewhere dangerous, like a dragon’s lair. Scrubb and Jill walk around the trench but can only find paths that either lead south or to dead ends. Then, they return to Puddleglum, who pulls them back out into the freezing weather.
Scrubb and Jill are eager to explore the trench, in part, because they are desperate to escape the current conditions of their journey. Meanwhile, Puddleglum’s pessimism prevents him from joining them in the trench, which appears to be a dead end anyway. As such, in this case, neither the children’s desperation nor Puddleglum’s pessimism get them any closer to success.
Themes
Puddleglum asks Jill about the signs Aslan told her to look for, but she is too overwhelmed to remember them at the moment. She knows if she thinks hard, she could still recite them, though secretly she is angry at herself for not remembering them better. In the distance, Jill and Scrubb spot Harfang through the snow and once again get excited about finding a warm bed. Puddleglum suggests that they stay and explore the area around the trenches because it could be useful to their journey. However, the children are set on going to Harfang.
Although Harfang is a tempting distraction, Jill knows she could have done a better job heeding Aslan’s instructions and secretly worries that the rescue mission might fail because of her. Once again, Puddleglum tries to insist that the children resist the temptation of Harfang, but he does not have the authority to convince them.
Themes
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After some more walking and climbing, Puddleglum, Jill, and Scrubb finally reach Harfang. Puddleglum calls out to the porter and asks to be let in. Although the porter is unsure at first, he eagerly lets the party inside after Jill repeats the message about the Autumn Feast told to her by the beautiful lady they met near the bridge. The porter takes the group to a nice fire and hands Puddleglum a large flask. Puddleglum worries it might be poison but ends up drinking the whole thing anyway. Rather than killing him, it makes him rather giggly. The porter leaves for a moment and then returns to tell the travelers that they are requested in the throne room. In the throne room, many giants are seated, including two—the King of the giants and the Queen of the giants—who are seated upon thrones. Jill and Scrubb bow as a sign of respect, and Puddleglum sits on the floor.
So far, it appears that the beautiful lady did not lead the party astray as Puddleglum suspected might happen. Once inside Harfang, Puddleglum starts giving into temptation himself, drinking from a flask that he suspects could contain poison. In reality, Puddleglum’s reaction to the flask implies that it contains alcohol or something similar, and he drinks far too much of it considering the dangerous situation he and the children may have found themselves in. Luckily, the giants don’t seem to be an immediate threat, as they welcome the travelers warmly and appear especially interested in Jill and Scrubb.
Themes
