The Chronicles of Narina: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005), first a popular children’s novel and now a major motion picture is famous for the vast number of Christian metaphors. It may be less well known, however, that there is another strong metaphor within the context of the film. Although biblical symbolism could also be drawn to the White Witch, she appears to be most significantly symbolic of the Snow Queen from Hans Christian Anderson’s fairytale, “The Snow Queen.” In the story, the Snow Queen takes a young boy into her sledge and wraps him in her fur robe to keep him warm. She then kisses him twice: once to warm him up, and a second time to make him forget about his family. This is precisely what happens in the scene in which Edmund first meets the White Witch of Narnia, only instead of kisses, she offers him treats: a warm drink, and Turkish Delight.
Upon first meeting Edmund, the White Witch comments that he looks very cold, and invites him to sit with her on her sleigh. After embracing him with her fur cloak, she offers the boy a drink and presents Edmund with a steaming goblet filled with hot cocoa. This first gift from the White Witch is a metaphor for the Anderson’s White Witch’s first kiss, which warms the boy in the story.
Next, the Witch tells Edmund she can make for him anything he likes, and offers him something to eat. Edmund requests Turkish Delight. Before consuming the bewitching treat, Edmund shows a certain amount of concern for his sister, who is also somewhere in Narnia, as well as what his other siblings, Peter and Susan, would think about Lucy being right about the world inside the wardrobe after all. After accepting her gifts, however, he is unconcerned for his siblings and resents the White Witch mentioning them until she suggests that they may become Edmund’s servants. This second gift represents the Snow Queen’s second kiss given to the boy in Anderson’s story, which makes him forget his family.
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