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h ps://cu en sign
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Me am Fa ima
D . No een Saba
D . Mahwish Mum az Niazi
Vol. 3 No. 3 (2025)
NARRATING NATURE AND POWER: ECO-
LINGUISTIC DIMENSIONS IN THE CHRONICLES
OF NARNIA
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Na a ing Na u e and Powe : Eco-Linguis ic Dimensions in The
Ch onicles o Na nia
This esea ch pape p o ides a c i ical
Ecolinguis ic analysis o C.S. Lewis's The
Ch onicles o Na nia, wi h an emphasis
on how na u e, animals, and ecological
sys ems a e po ayed, The esea ch
explo es he deepe meanings bu ied in
language choices h oughou he se ies,
guided by he goals o analyzing how
me apho s, na a i es, and discou ses
cons uc he na u al wo ld wi hin
Na nia. The analysis shows how powe
dynamics a e linguis ically and
symbolically encoded in he ex by
examining how na u e is posi ioned in
ela ion o bo h human and nonhuman
cha ac e s. The s udy e eals how
Na nian language p ac ices e lec
la ge en i onmen al and ideological amewo ks h ough an
in e disciplina y app oach ha inco po a es ecolinguis ics and c i ical
analysis.
Key Wo ds: Eco-linguis ics, Na u e, Powe dynamics, Me apho , The
Ch onicles o Na nia, C i ical Analysis
In oduc ion
The esea ch examines “THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA” om an Ecolinguis ic
pe spec i e. Acco ding o he In e na ional Ecolinguis ic Associa ion (IEA)
Ecolinguis ics unc ions as a linguis ics sub-b anch ha analyzes he impac
o language on ela ionships be ween human beings along wi h o he
animals and he na u al en i onmen sus aining li e (2018). Ecolinguis ics
now de ines i sel as "an app oach o language which examines he complex
ne wo k o en i onmen al in e ac ions be ween en i onmen s and he
languages h ough hei speaking communi ies" (Wendel, 2005, p. 51).
B i ish w i e C. S. Lewis c ea ed a po al an asy collec ion called The
Ch onicles o Na nia wi h se en published books be ween 1950 and 1956.
The se en books and illus a ions by Pauline Baynes in he pe iod om
1950 o 1956 ollow he de elopmen o Na nia's his o y h ough a ious
Me am Fa ima
MPhil English Linguis ics Schola
Na ional Uni e si y o Mode n
Languages Islamabad (Mul an
Campus)
me am a [email protected]
D . No een Saba
Assis an P o esso
Na ional Uni e si y o Mode n
Languages Islamabad (Mul an
Campus)
no een.s[email p o ec ed]
D . Mahwish Mum az Niazi
Assis an P o esso English
Na ional Uni e si y o Mode n
Languages Islamabad (Mul an
Campus)
[email protected]
Abs ac
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human cha ac e s in his magical wo ld popula ed by an h opomo phic
animals and my hical beings and enchan men .
All majo cha ac e s eside in eal-wo ld eali y be o e magical
anspo o Na nia whe e hey de end he kingdom om e il alongside he
lion Aslan excep o Sheumis and Loulis in The Ho se and His Boy. The
se en publica ions in The Ch onicles o Na nia ollow Na nia h oughou
ime s a ing wi h The Magician's Nephew all he way o The Las Ba le
while emaining one o he bes -selling child en's li e a u e pieces wi h 120
million sold ac oss 47 languages. The Lion Wi ch and he Wa d obe se es
as he main ocus o his esea ch because he B i ish au ho C.S Lewis
published i h ough Geo ey Bles in 1950. This book belongs o he po al
an asy gen e. The Ch onicles o Na nia (1950–1956) se ies con ains se en
books wi h The Lion, he Wi ch and he Wa d obe es ablishing i sel as he
ini ial book elease and mos amous adap a ion.
The biological, physical, and social en i onmen s a e all included in
his con ex when he e m "en i onmen " is used since, as he well-known
publica ions by linguis s, including Halliday (2001), Mühlhäusle and Fill
(2001), Mühlhäusle and Peace (2006), Fill (1998), and Mühlhäusle (2001,
2003).Acco ding o he same line, C.S.Lewis(2015) desc ibes he " he
lion , he wi ch,and he wa d obe in The Ch onicals o Na nia " as "cogni i e
s uc u es in he minds o mul iple indi iduals ac oss a cul u e" o people
ha a ec hei hough s, speech, and beha io ".
Li e a u e se es as an essen ial examina ion poin o human-na u e
in e ac ions because ecological p oblems a e escala ing in se e i y. The
esea ch discipline known as ecolinguis ics in es iga es language in luences
on bo h en i onmen al ideas and human conduc and cogni i e
de elopmen which p oduces subs an ial knowledge o his ongoing
discussion. The Ecolinguis ic me hodology enables esea che s o e eal
use ul and oxic en i onmen al s a emen s embedded wi hin he ex s ha
e eal unde s anding abou human ecological ela ionships acco ding o
S ibbe (2015). Th ough such li e a u e child en lea n e hical amewo ks
abou en i onmen al ca e and animal espec as well as na u al s ewa dship.
Th ough i s publica ion om 1950 o 1956 C.S. Lewis c ea ed The Ch onicles
o Na nia which se es as an exempla y examina ion o na u e.
This pape analyzes The Ch onicles o Na nia h ough an Ecolinguis ic
me hod o s udy en i onmen al a i ude encoding and iden i y de elopmen
in language. The s udy employs App aisal Theo y as desc ibed by Ma in
and Whi e (2005). The analysis emphasizes how he ex p esen s na u e as
a mo ally ac i e o ce ha is able o expe ience pain, ebi h, and e en
judgmen . I also akes in o accoun he spi i ual aspec s o na u e in Na nia,
especially he cha ac e o Aslan, who ep esen s ecological balance and
di ine connec ion. This s udy makes he case ha Lewis's Na nia no only
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p o ides en e ainmen bu also se es as a model o a wo ld iew ha
emphasizes he close connec ion be ween spi i ual and ecological well-
being by looking a hese discu si e echniques. By doing his, i c ea es a
ich en i onmen o alking abou how child en's books can encou age an
eco-cen ic mindse and mo al in e ac ion wi h he non-human wo ld.
Ecolinguis ics iews language as a undamen al social elemen ha
belongs o a comp ehensi e ecological sys em. The co e objec i e o
ecolinguis ics in ol es de eloping linguis ic heo y by examining human
beings in hei collec i e social se ing as well as in hei ole wi hin he li e-
sus aining ecological sys em. Th ough ecolinguis ics linguis ic applica ions
become isible o esol ing impo an ecological p oblems which keep
in ensi ying such as en i onmen al injus ice and biodi e si y loss and
clima e change.
Resea ch Ques ions
1. How a e he desi able and des uc i e ela ionships wi h he
en i onmen cons uc ed in The Ch onicles o Na nia h ough he use o
me apho and na a i e aming?
2. How a e he ecological philosophies suppo ed o challenged by he
depic ions o na u e in The Ch onicles o Na nia?
Resea ch Objec i es
1. To examine how na u e, animals, and ecological sys ems a e po ayed in
he Na nian wo ld h ough me apho s, s o ies, and discou ses.
2. To in es iga e he connec ion be ween language choices and powe
dynamics wi h a ocus on he posi ioning o na u e in ela ion o bo h
human and nonhuman cha ac e s.
Li e a u e Re iew
In ecen decades, he nexus o language, ecology, and li e a u e has
a ac ed a lo o schola ly a en ion, especially wi hin he de eloping ield
o ecolinguis ics. Ecolinguis ics, which began as Halliday's (1990) demand
ha linguis ics add ess global ecological issues, has g own in o a
amewo k ha c i ically analyzes he ways in which language ei he
p omo es sus ainabili y o ecological deg ada ion. Acco ding o (S ibbe,
2015), Ecolinguis ics unco e s he "s o ies we li e by"— he p o ound
ideologies and na a i es ing ained in language ha in luence how we
in e ac wi h he na u al wo ld. App aisal Theo y, which was c ea ed by
Ma in and Whi e (2005) and o e s ins umen s o examining how a i udes,
judgmen s, and emo ions a e exp essed in ex s, is a signi ican
con ibu ion o Ecolinguis ics. In li e a y analysis, whe e desc ip ions o
na u e, mo al alignmen , and spi i ual symbolism equen ly ely on
e alua i e language, his heo y is especially pe inen . App aisal heo y has
been used in child en's li e a u e o examine how en i onmen al alues a e
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p esen ed o young eade s in an emo ional and ideological manne
(Sunde land, 2011).
Because o i s imagina i e se ings and abili y o inco po a e in ica e
mo al and ecological hemes in o easily unde s ood na a i es, child en's
an asy li e a u e in pa icula p o ides a unique lens o Ecolinguis ic
analysis. Fan asy wo lds equen ly se e as mi o s o c i iques o he
Ecological p oblems acing he eal wo ld, acco ding o academics like Goga
(2008) and Zap (2016).By os e ing empa hy o non-human li e and
p omo ing eco-cen ic alues om a young age, hese books can be
e ec i e ools o eco-pedagogy.
The Ch onicles o Na nia by C.S. Lewis has ga ne ed conside able
a en ion in his ield due o i s mo al and heological hemes, bu less so
o i s ecological implica ions. Recen esea ch has s a ed o examine i s
en i onmen al aspec s, hough. The landscapes o Na nia se e as mo al
ma ke s, lou ishing unde jus ice and wi he ing unde y anny, acco ding
o Cu y (2008), who in e p e s Lewis's use o na u e as a e lec ion o
di ine ha mony. As s a ed by Filimon (2011), Na nia also o e s a ype o
eco-spi i uali y in which mo al and spi i ual o de a e connec ed o
ecological balance and na u e and di ini y a e in e wined.
Addi ionally, Na nia's depic ion o non-human agency— h ough
alking animals, li ing ees, and anima ed landscapes—challenges
an h opocen ic no ms and exempli ies wha Plumwood (2002) e e s o as a
pos human ecological e hic, which gi es non-human beings mo al
signi icance, oice, and eason. These depic ions speak o con empo a y
Ecolinguis ic conce ns abou e hinking how humans in e ac wi h he non-
human wo ld. The explici in eg a ion o Ecolinguis ic amewo ks wi h he
ex ual and symbolic analysis o na u e and eco-spi i uali y in Na nia is s ill
lacking, despi e hese con ibu ions. By applying app aisal heo y o
examine how language in The Ch onicles o Na nia po ays na u e as an
ac i e agen and spi i ual o ce, his s udy seeks o close ha gap and
ad ance an Ecolinguis ic unde s anding o child en's an asy li e a u e.
Resea ch Me hodology
This s udy is based on he b anch o linguis ics called Ecolinguis ics, which
examines how language in luences when people in e ac wi h he na u al
wo ld. Acco ding o S ibbe (2015), Ecolinguis ics goes beyond me ely
summa izing en i onmen al discou se o c i ically e alua e whe he
language p omo es ecological ha mony o ecological ca as ophe.
Da a O e iew
Wi hin a i idly imagined seconda y wo ld, C.S. Lewis's se en-pa an asy
se ies, The Ch onicles o Na nia (1950–1956), combines Ch is ian allego y,
my hological elemen s, and mo al ins uc ion. The na a i e mos ly cen e s
on g oups o eal-wo ld kids who a e aken o he an as ical ealm o
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Na nia, whe e hey a e asked o aid in b inging abou o de , hwa ing e il,
and ca ying ou long-s anding p ophecies. Na nia i sel is p esen ed
h oughou he se ies as a dynamic, li ing se ing ha is in ica ely linked
o he mo al and spi i ual well-being o i s occupan s. The Lion, he Wi ch,
and he Wa d obe (1950), Book 1 in publica ion o de , se es as he p ima y
ocus o his s udy since i in oduces eade s o Na nia. The plo e ol es
a ound ou siblings—Pe e , Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pe ensie—who use a
magical wa d obe o ind hei way o he land o Na nia. They en e a wo ld
uled by he Whi e Wi ch, who has h own he land in o an unna u al, ne e -
ending win e , symbolizing bo h spi i ual decay and ecological imbalance.
Wi h he e u n o Aslan, a Ch is -like lion igu e who s ands o di ine
au ho i y, mo al o de , and spi i ual enewal, na u e in Na nia is e i alized
a e ac i ely su e ing unde he Wi ch's ule. Sp ing e u ns o Na nia wi h
Aslan's dea h and esu ec ion, signi ying he es o a ion o mo al and
ecological balance.
The s o y concludes wi h he kids anquishing he Wi ch, ascending o
he h one, and uling o e a pe iod o ha mony and anquili y in he
coun y. Animals speak, ees exhibi emo ional esponses, and he wea he
e lec s mo al e en s h oughou he book, all o which sugges ha na u e
is po ayed as communica i e, spi i ual, and agen i e. Because o hese
ac o s, he ex is a ich sou ce o Ecolinguis ic esea ch, pa icula ly when
looking a how language con eys alues associa ed wi h eco-spi i uali y and
en i onmen al consciousness.
Fan asy books like Na nia can se e as a ype o "cul u al ecology,"
e lec ing and eshaping ou pe cep ion o he na u al wo ld, as sugges ed
by Zap (2016). Fu he mo e, h ough symbolic s o y elling and cha ac e
in e ac ions wi h he en i onmen , child en's li e a u e plays a c ucial ole
in os e ing ecological awa eness, as no ed by Goga (2008). This awa eness
is gi en mo al and spi i ual unde ones in Lewis's w i ing, which u ns i
in o a s o y o eco-spi i ual ans o ma ion as well as ad en u e.
C i e ia o Da a Selec ion
This s udy's p ima y goal is Ecolinguis ic analysis, and i uses wo linguis ic
ea u es s ance and e alua ion as a echnique o examina ion. The e o e, he
p ima y goal o Ecolinguis ic analysis is o unco e he na a i es ha he
cha ac e s in “ he ch onicles o Na nia” by ela ing he chosen exce p s o
he en i onmen and he desc ip ion o a ious ecological sys em
componen s.
Concep ual S uc u e
S o y w i e s na u ally in oduce hemsel es o hei wo k by using li e a y
ools and language op ions o each hei w i ing objec i es h ough hei
pe sonal eelings and belie s. The "in e pe sonal me a unc ion" o language
demons a es how w i e s communica e wi h eade s acco ding o Halliday
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hus "in e pe sonal meaning" con ains "a h ead o meaning which uns
h ough ex o con ey w i e - eade ela ionship along wi h au ho ial
iewpoin abou he opic (Eggins, 2004, p. 11). W i ing au ho s pa icipa e
in his collec i e g oup o people who sha e in e pe sonal meaning ei he by
using hei own s a emen s o c ea ing dialogues be ween hei cha ac e s.
Hood (2012) explains u he , E e y ime we examine he e m "s ance" we
en e he ield o in e pe sonal meaning acco ding o Hood (2012, p. 52).
Acco ding o Bibe e al. (1999) s ance alongside o he linguis ic ools help
w i e s con ey in e pe sonal meaning in hei ex s. Acco ding o S ubbs
(1986) in e pe sonal meaning possesses such impo ance because: A
speake o w i e inco po a es hei pe sonal s andpoin in o e e y message
hey ansmi . These speake s demons a e hei ou look h ough each
indi idual linguis ic elemen hey use. In acco dance wi h his pe spec i e
linguis ics should desc ibe hese iewpoin ma ke s and es ablish wha hey
signi y (Engleb e son 2007 p. 17) .
Munday (2012) explains in his pa ag aph ha s ance unc ions as an
exp ession o indi idual opinions and a i udes by using speech one and
selec ing wo ds and gen es oge he wi h g amma ical elemen s. This
e lec s how a gumen s a e cons uc ed and which dialec o language is
employed. The unde s anding o posi ion a ies acco ding o ci cums ances
since i can lead o shi ing e alua ions anging om posi i e o nega i e.
Any spoken o w i en language includes he de ec ed subjec i e oice o
he speake o w i e . A message achie es mul iple goals ha demons a e
wha alues a e p ized by he au ho o message c ea o .
The App aisal F amewo k
Ma in (2000) es ablishes ha he assessmen amewo k de ines e alua ion
ac oss h ee main a eas which include a i ude and engagemen and
g adua ion. The amewo k a anges mul iple seman ic elemen s ha bo h
nego ia e emo ions and judgemen s and ampli y e alua ions and
engagemen wi h hese assessmen s.
Domain o
app aisal
Pa ame e
Value
Illus a i e
ealiza ion
A i ude
A ec
Judgemen
App icia ion
Using emo ional
eelings , esponse
An indi iduals
Beha io
Reac ion
Cold, li eless,
silen ,
joy ull,
ali e ,blooming
c uel,unna u al
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aes he ic
beau y ,spi i uali y
G adua ion
Fo ce
Focus
Ele a e ,Lowe
Polished and
smoo h.
Ne e ,always
Decay , enewl
Engagemen
Monogloss
He ogloss
The con ac ion
expansion
Deep magic
A summa y o app aisal esou ces (Munday, 2012)
This s udy examines how mo al hie a chies a e shaped by na a i es abou
na u e and conside s how hese ep esen a ions a ec ac ual ecological and
e hical iewpoin s. In ac uali y, he app aisal heo y amewo k is ocused
"mo e on he o ical e ec s and meanings in con ex han on g amma ical
o ms" (Ma in & Whi e, 2005).The me hod ocuses on unde s anding he
meanings behind e alua ion esou ces ins ead o compiling linguis ic
indica o s ha exp ess ideas.
The applica ion o lexico-g amma ical de ices unc ions as a means o
exp ess e alua i e and locus meanings in his app oach. A i ude o ms he
basis o unde s anding he sys em o de ining emo ions. The sys em
con ains h ee seman ic a eas: impac whe e emo ions exp ess a o able
and nega i e eelings, e hics which deals wi h beha io e alua ion h ough
admi a ion o c i icism o commenda ion o condemna ion, and aes he ics
whe e app ecia ion examines ield-based alue sys ems o na u al and
semio ic e en s (Ma in & Whi e, 2005). The undamen al amewo k o
emo ion encoding ope a es h ough a ec while bo h o he p ocesses se e
as eelings ins i u ionalized as p oposi ions. The app aisal heo e ical
amewo k depends on a i ude and assessmen as i s undamen al
heo e ical componen s which all language s udies mus in eg a e o
language gene a ion and in e p e a ion p ocesses. The main limi a ion o
app aisal heo y exis s in i s emphasis on e alua ion and exp ession o
pos u es be o e iden i ying de ini i e ma ke s o hese abs ac ideas.
Ecolinguis ics Analysis
Na nia ep esen s a sac ed li ing wo ld in which animals in e ac wi h each
o he while na u e exis s in an ac i e mo al s a e h oughou he book. The
Lion, he Wi ch, and he Wa d obe shows Aslan as a di ine igu e who ies o
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na u al cycles like dea h and esu ec ion. A g ea c ack spli he S one
Table in o wo sec ions as desc ibed in he ex . These lion occu ences
signi y ha spi i uali y expanded ac oss all space while he spi i ual powe
symbolized na u al g een and esh su oundings. The Whi e Wi ch's
elen less powe o win e exposes he ecological imbalance while c ea ing a
b oken na u al connec ion acco ding o Ga a d (2004) in his discussion
abou ecoc i icism h ough seasonal symbolism.
Ecological Values and Me apho
Me apho s in Concep
The mo al essence o Na nian na u e desc ibes he way na u e esponds
h ough posi i e and nega i e ac ions agains cha ac e s.
Tex ual Re e ence: "Yes!" The speake behind hem u e ed hei magni icen
oice o him. "I is mo e magic." They looked ound. Unde he sunligh
Aslan s ood in all his magni icen magnanimousness wi h a shi e ing mane
ha had e u ned o o e whelm his size o hem.
The ex demons a es how na u e possesses spi i uali y because
win e c ea es da k days o na u al disdain un il sp ing a i es wi h i s new
colo s and blossoming blessings.
The an h opocen ic app oach di e s wi h "Animals as pe sons" since
alking animals ac i ely pa icipa e as agen s a he han passi e en i ies.
S ibbe (2015; Lako & Johnson (1980).
Tex ual e e ence "Aslan a man!" M . Bea e said s e nly. "Ce ainly no .
Acco ding o my wo ds he ules all animals in he o es as he descends
om he Empe o Beyond The Sea. Has you memo y ailed you? The i le o
Wild King belongs o no one else bu him. Lion s ands as his name e eals
which means he is he G ea Lion. They say you ha e o go en some hing
so I will espond o you," Aslan spoke wi h se ious demeano . "Tell us o
his Deep Magic." A lion named Aslan speaks o explain his knowledge o
deep magic ha will cleanse Na nia o e il which ep esen s animals being
i uous spi i ual elemen s in his ex . The an agonis embodies s e ile
supe na u al elemen s which u n li ing hings o s one as well as supp ess
li e c ea ion while Aslan p o ides na u al li e powe s o all li ing hings.
Lo e (2003), P ac ical Ecoc i icism.
Tex ual e e ence "The Whi e Wi ch?" said Edmund; "who's she?"
In hese lines he speake exp esses Wi ch's ha e ul cha ac e by
demons a ing how Wi ch belie es she domina es Na nia when in eali y he
hea is wicked and she is an e il wi ch.
Ideology and Con e sa ion
Domina ion s. Ch is ian S ewa dship
The en i onmen al philosophy o Lewis p omo es ca ing o ma e s o
na u e in a sus ainable manne a he han des uc i e ea men . The way
Aslan leads his ealm combines supe na u al guidance wi h en i onmen al
