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Chapter 15
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Bravery
Christianity
Growing Up and Selflessness
Temptation
Summary
Analysis
Drinian, Edmund, Lucy, and Reepicheep continue to be the only ones who can see the Sea People as the Dawn Treader sails east. As they go farther, Caspian is surprised to see what looks at first like ice in the water but is in fact a mass of lilies. The ship continues through the lilies and for a while, white is almost all anyone can see.
As the Dawn Treader reaches the end of its journey, the light keeps increasing, representing enlightenment but also possibly death (like the light at the end of the tunnel). The beauty of the light, combined with the flowers and water continues to emphasize the splendidness of nature and God’s creation.
Themes
The water gets shallower and shallower, and the Dawn Treader is in danger of grounding. At last, Caspian announces that they have accomplished their goal. He entrusts his ship to Drinian and abdicates the throne so that he can continue to go with Reepicheep toward the World’s End in a smaller boat. Many of the crew members don’t want Caspian to go, but he insists that they must trust his judgement.
Caspian wants everything that the World’s End promises (heaven), and he’s willing to give up everything to achieve it, even his throne. This passage demonstrates the lengths a person should be willing to go to in order to seek spiritual fulfillment. Leaving behind the Dawn Treader reflects how many people seeking enlightenment leave behind material possessions.
Themes
But as the crew of the Dawn Treader continue to argue with Caspian, he remembers old promises he still has to keep to the people of Narnia. Feeling that Aslan is speaking to him, Caspian realizes that he can’t go on ahead in the boat after all. It will just be Reepicheep, Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace going on to the World’s End.
Themes
The children are sad to leave Caspian behind, but they go ahead in the boat with Reepicheep. The boat floats on east and they see a grand country with impossibly high mountains and a sweet musical sound coming from it. They believe they’re seeing over the World’s End into Aslan’s country.
Themes
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The boat runs aground, and the water is shallow enough to walk in. Reepicheep says he will go on forward alone and no one tries to stop him. No one hears from him ever again, but the narrator believes Reepicheep made it to Aslan’s country.
Themes
Meanwhile, Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace wade south in the water on instinct. They come out of the water to a grassy place with trees. There a lamb by a fire invites them to have breakfast. Lucy asks if they’re headed to Aslan’s country, but the lamb says that they can only enter Aslan’s country through their own world. The lamb then reveals itself to be Aslan in disguise.
Themes
Caspian and the crew of the Dawn Treader make it back to Ramandu’s island. The three Narnian lords on the island wake from their slumber, and Caspian eventually marries Ramandu’s daughter. Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace all make it back to the real world. Everyone compliments Eustace on how much better he has become, except Alberta, who believes that the Pevensie children have been a bad influence on him.
Themes
