Once upon a time, in a dense forest, there lived a proud and majestic lion. He was the king of his territory and ruled over all the animals with a sense of authority and power. The lion was feared and respected by all, as he possessed enormous strength and unmatched hunting skills. One day, a cunning and sly jackal, named Quickwit, made his way into the forest. Quickwit was known for his sharp intelligence and quick thinking. Hearing about the lion's reign, he decided to find a way to befriend the mighty king of the jungle.
Several critics have noted the influence of rationing on the story. Judy Rosenbaum observes that the meal Lucy shares with Mr Tumnus
Lucky Lucille has a fantastic round up of links about different aspects of rationingand The History Girls have some brilliant resources, including a review of the Imperial War Museum s Fashion on the Ration exhibition. I don t have an exact publication date but the advertisement for Sandisons Real Shetland Yarns printed to the right of the pattern makes reference to coupons so I know it was published while rationing was still in effect.
Hearing about the lion's reign, he decided to find a way to befriend the mighty king of the jungle. Quickwit approached the lion with a humble demeanor and offered his services as a loyal advisor. The lion, intrigued by the jackal's confidence, agreed to give him a chance.
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe of Vintage Clothes
This week, I’ve been mostly marking essays from my undergraduate module Origins and Developments of Children’s Literature. Actually, I’ve been mostly marking essays about C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) because the majority of the class are completely fixated on the book and want to write about it. Which is no bad thing really.[1]
I’ve done a lot of research about C.S. Lewis, particularly into in his use of landscape and the role that his memories of Ireland and his relationship with Ireland play in his fiction. I’ve given a couple of talks about his work and there was a brief time when I thought I might write my next book about his Narnia series. But then I got distracted by Victorian children’s books and the possibilities of archvies I’ve had to put Narnia aside for another day….
But I still get to lecture about Lewis and Narnia every year which is some compensation.
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was published in 1950 though it was conceived of rather earlier. Lewis wrote to a friend in 1948 to say he was working on a children’s story “in the tradition of E Nesbit” and in his autobiography, Surprised by Joy, he notes that the image of the faun in the snow had come to him when he was a teenager. But the story is set during World War II and it bears the marks of its wartime setting throughout.
Several critics have noted the influence of rationing on the story. Judy Rosenbaum observes that the meal Lucy shares with Mr Tumnus
“is not, it would seem, a feast befitting a wondrous kingdom. Yet meals of this simple, hearty variety abound in Narnia. One reason might be that as Lewis wrote the Narnian Chronicles, England was still living under stringent wartime/postwar food rationing. Every English child would have savored reading about these meals.”[2]
But the description of the meal doesn’t just make it seem like a wonderful treat in the midst of rationing, it also suggests that there’s something very odd about Mr Tumnus. The meal he provides for Lucy is almost totally comprised of items that were rationed and were increasingly hard to come by. So, the tea may even hint that there is something sinister about Mr Tumnus. Is he a black-marketer? Does this luxury and abundance come from his alliance with the White Witch?
But the aspect of rationing that interests me is clothes rationing.
Clothes rationing came into effect in Britain in 1941. There are numerous blogs about vintage fashion that cover the topic. Lucky Lucille has a fantastic round up of links about different aspects of rationingand The History Girls have some brilliant resources, including a review of the Imperial War Museum’s “Fashion on the Ration” exhibition. One of the best things I’ve stumbled across is a radio show called “Harry and Edna on the Wireless” which combines old-timey tunes with up-to-date chats about the vintage scene: this episode features an interview with Laura Clouting, the curator of the “Fashion on the Ration” exhibition, and historian Julie Summers (who has her own wonderful blog here).
Clothes were so strictly rationed that, as Laura Clouting points out, a new outfit was seen as something you saved up for, a ‘dream’ purchase for some future after the war ended.[3]
Clothes play an essential part in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe – they help to describe character and they shape relationships between characters. The children enter Narnia through a wardrobe (which is full of fur coats and mothballs).
illustration by Pauline Baynes
So, for the most recent lecture on C.S. Lewis and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, I decided to focus on the role clothing plays in the text.
In the seminar on Lewis and Narnia, I put up the clothing allowances and the number of coupons allocated to each item and ask students to add up how many coupons their outfits would have cost them.
There are always gasps of horror and giggles as we realise how prodigal our attitudes to clothing have become. There’s usually an argument about why dresses should ‘cost’ more than trousers and why men’s shoes have to cost more than women’s shoes, regardless of the size. Most of this year’s group were either cutting it fine or well over the rationed allowance (wearing socks over a pair of tights was a particular extravagance). One student this year had an outfit that ‘cost’ 60 coupons – more than a whole year’s ration. And then there’s always the moment that the realisation sinks in…no more new clothes for a whole year.
Always winter, never Christmas.
Which makes clothes in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe all the more interesting.
Think about the wonderful new clothes bestowed on the children when they reach Aslan’s camp. Or think about the luxurious furs worn by the White Witch and the weight and warmth of the mantle she drapes over Edmund.
Clothes also reveal much about the characters in the story. For instance, Mr Tumnus’ dual nature is show by the contrast between his bare torso (his Pan-like wildness) and the red scarf muffling his throat (his essential domesticity).
In terms of rationing, we can look to the Beavers:
At the Beavers’ house, Mrs Beaver is busy sewing when the children arrive. Like the freshly-prepared meal that nourishes the children, sewing is a sign of a deeper trustworthiness. It’s a sign that the Beavers, unlike Mr Tumnus or Jadis, are frugal and are willing to make do and mend. Though they are Narnians, the Beavers adhere to the codes of food and fashion the children are familiar with from war-time England.[5]
And so to the wardrobe of war-time clothes…
When I visited the archives at the Imperial War Museum I found a bundle of knitting patterns. Some of them were terrible – things that could only be made for a joke, or for a post-apocalyptic horror movie where there’s no heating and fashion has been murdered in its sleep. But other patterns had the potential to pass as real garments and I planned to make a couple of them. The first one I made was a land girl’s pullover.
But then other projects and other archives grabbed my attention and I didn’t really think about the possible projects from the IWM for a long time.
Then in Autumn I heard that twin-sets were back.
I’m now pretty certain that this is a lie but the internet did a pretty good job of persuading me twin-sets were, indeed, THE thing to wear this winter. And I was pretty sure that Peggy Carter would be everyone’s idea of a style icon and I was certain that a twin-set would be just the ticket.
And so I turned to my notes and rediscovered this thing of magnificent and hideous beauty.
Striped Twin-set from Vogue’s 20th Knitting Book
Just look at those shoulders!
This striped twin-set is from Vogue’s 20 th Knitting book. I don’t have an exact publication date but the advertisement for Sandisons Real Shetland Yarns printed to the right of the pattern makes reference to coupons so I know it was published while rationing was still in effect.
This issue and several other issues of Vogue were used in the Imperial War Museum’s “Fashion on the Ration” exhibition.
The original pattern calls for 12oz of Sirdar Super Shetland 3-ply in dark green and 3oz of the same in light green. After a bit of research[6] I found out there was approximately 140 yards to the ounce of this yarn. It’s unavailable now so I cast on in Mabel and Ivy’s Supersoft 2-ply (Prussian blue because green makes me look like I need a lot of sleep and a generous amount of rouge). The Supersoft is rapidly becoming my go-to yarn for vintage projects.
Because I hate seaming, I decided to cast on the back and fronts together and knit them as a single piece. This didn’t seem to affect the overall width of the cardigan. The pattern suggests that it’s for a 34’’ bust but there is a lot of ease and the shape of the body (increasing gradually in width from the waistband to the underarms) leads to a very generous fit.
“is not, it would seem, a feast befitting a wondrous kingdom. Yet meals of this simple, hearty variety abound in Narnia. One reason might be that as Lewis wrote the Narnian Chronicles, England was still living under stringent wartime/postwar food rationing. Every English child would have savored reading about these meals.”[2]
From that day on, Quickwit became the lion's trusted advisor and adviser on various matters. As time went on, Quickwit began to feel empowered by his position. He started to manipulate the lion and influence his decisions for his own benefit. The jackal planted seeds of doubt in the lion's mind, convincing him that some of his trusted allies were conspiring against him. The lion, blinded by his trust in Quickwit, started to distance himself from his true friends and listened only to the jackal's cunning advice. Soon, the lion's territory began to suffer as his once loyal subjects felt ignored and mistreated. One day, a wise old owl visited the forest and noticed the turmoil caused by the lion's misguided decisions. The owl, known for his wisdom, decided to intervene and bring an end to this chaos. The owl approached the lion and shared his observations, revealing Quickwit's deceitful intentions. The lion, shocked and saddened, realized the mistake he had made and understood the importance of true loyalty. With newfound knowledge, the lion confronted Quickwit and banished him from the forest. The jackal, now exposed, had no choice but to flee. The lion apologized to his friends and subjects, vowing to make amends for his actions. From that day forward, the lion continued to rule with fairness, listening to the advice of those who had proven their loyalty. The forest was once again filled with harmony, and the lion and his subjects lived happily ever after, having learned the true value of trust and loyalty..
Reviews for "Rediscovering Childhood Wonder through the Lion and the Witch Wearoff"
1. Sam - 1 star
I was extremely disappointed in "The Lion and the Witch Wearoff". The characters were flat and uninteresting, and the plot was confusing and poorly executed. The dialogue was cliché and lacked depth, making it hard for me to connect with any of the characters. Overall, I found the book to be a tedious read and would not recommend it to others.
2. Emily - 2 stars
"The Lion and the Witch Wearoff" was a letdown for me. The concept had potential, but the execution fell short. The pacing was inconsistent, with slow-moving sections that failed to hold my interest. Additionally, the world-building was underdeveloped, leaving many unanswered questions. The ending also felt rushed and left me unsatisfied. I was hoping for more from this book, but unfortunately, it didn't deliver.
3. Mark - 2.5 stars
I had high expectations for "The Lion and the Witch Wearoff", but it fell flat for me. The writing style was overly descriptive and often got in the way of the story. The characters lacked complexity and felt one-dimensional. The plot, while interesting in theory, lacked depth and failed to engage me fully. Overall, I found it to be a mediocre read that didn't live up to its potential.