The White Witch in Narnia: Power, Justice, and Tyranny

Watercolor illustration of the White Witch in Narnia, with Charn ruins on the left and a snowy Narnia landscape on the right

Fantasy might seem like pure escape, but in the classroom it can serve as a springboard for exploring moral growth, responsibility, temptation, creation, justice, and the dynamics of power—if the right book is chosen. The Narnia saga, for example, is packed with rich, accessible material for discussion and classroom projects (and The Hobbit, of course! Readers of this blog will know I can’t resist mentioning it; it’s my favorite novel for middle schoolers and has inspired multiple articles here). In earlier posts—one on The Magician’s Nephew and one on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe explored the thematic richness of these novels and highlighted ways they can inspire cross-curricular classroom activities.

In this article, I focus on one particularly compelling thread: the White Witch in Narnia as a case study in tyranny, the abuse of power, and the meaning of justice. While not the central themes of Lewis’s books for young readers, they offer ample opportunities for students to reflect critically.

Reading The Magician’s Nephew followed by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe allows students to observe the White Witch’s ideology in development—from abstract ideas in Charn to concrete actions in Narnia. This sequence vividly illustrates both the origins and consequences of authoritarian rule.

The White Witch as a Study in Tyranny

Tyranny is more than cruelty; it is structured, defended, and rationalized. Jadis, the White Witch of Narnia, provides a clear, age-appropriate example of how authoritarian thinking translates into oppression.

**Tyranny in Charn (The Magician’s Nephew, Chapters 4–5)**

In Charn, Jadis is more than a villain; she is a ruler who has destroyed her own world. Lewis describes:

“This place was at least as quiet as the Wood between the Worlds. But it was a different kind of quietness. The silence of the Wood had been rich and warm (you could almost hear the trees growing) and full of life: this was a dead, cold, empty silence. You couldn’t imagine anything growing in it.” (Ch. 4)

The silence captures the sterility of absolute power: nothing can flourish under tyranny.
Jadis’s theory of power emerges in dialogue with Digory:

“What people, boy?” asked the Queen.
“All the ordinary people,” said Polly, “who’d never done you any harm. And the women, and the children, and the animals.”
“Don’t you understand?” said the Queen (still speaking to Digory). “I was the Queen. They were all my people. What else were they there for but to do my will?”
“It was rather hard luck on them, all the same,” said he.
“I had forgotten that you are only a common boy. How should you understand reasons of State? You must learn, child, that what would be wrong for you or for any of the common people is not wrong in a great Queen such as I. The weight of the world is on our shoulders. We must be freed from all rules. Ours is a high and lonely destiny.”
(ch. 5)

Here, tyranny is explained as a “higher” law. As a teacher, you can spark a lively discussion with your students about what “reasons of State” really mean, turning a potentially dry concept into an engaging exploration of authoritarian thinking.

**Tyranny in Narnia (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)**

In Narnia, Jadis’s ideology becomes reality. Her rule is absolute: she suppresses joy, instills fear, monitors her subjects, and punishes dissenters—turning them to stone. Lewis writes that it is “always winter, but never Christmas” (Chapter 6)—a frozen, joyless landscape that embodies both cruelty and the stagnation of tyrannical rule.

By comparing Charn and Narnia, students can observe how authoritarian ideas evolve from abstract reasoning to destructive practice, noticing in an age-appropriate way how fear, rules, and justifications for power manifest in action.

Interdisciplinary Teaching Suggestions

Drawing on my classroom experience, here are ways to connect the study of the White Witch in Narnia with other disciplines. Think of these as friendly suggestions from one teacher to another, designed to spark discussion and hands-on learning.

1. History (WWII): Totalitarianism and “Reasons of State”

Lewis wrote Narnia during World War II. Invite students to compare the White Witch’s methods—fear, propaganda, suppression, concentration of power—with real-world authoritarian regimes, exploring how extreme measures were justified in the name of national destiny or survival.

2. Civic Education: Authority vs. Tyranny

The White Witch’s rule contrasts sharply with Aslan’s leadership, based on sacrifice rather than fear. Encourage students to reflect on legitimacy, rule of law, and civic responsibility through this comparison.

3. Ethics: Law, Justice, and Moral Responsibility

The Witch invokes the “Deep Magic” to demand Edmund’s life. Discuss whether her actions reflect justice or misuse of legal rules, and what fairness truly entails. Comparing Jadis’s rigid logic with Aslan’s restorative approach fosters age-appropriate ethical reasoning, offering students a safe space to explore law, justice, and moral responsibility.

Expanding the Conversation: Other Middle Grade Texts on Tyranny

It is useful to situate Narnia among age-appropriate works exploring similar themes. Middle school students may also engage with:

Animal Farm by George Orwell – an accessible allegory examining how revolutionary ideals can devolve into authoritarian control.
The Giver by Lois Lowry – raises questions about conformity, surveillance, and the cost of eliminating suffering.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – suitable for older middle school students, exploring spectacle, propaganda, and systemic oppression.
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry – provides a historical perspective on resistance to totalitarianism during WWII.

Even a single lesson drawing parallels between the White Witch in Narnia and one of these texts can deepen students’ understanding of how literature across genres addresses the concentration of power and the fragility of justice. Narnia thus becomes part of a broader literary conversation about authority, responsibility, and resistance.

Classroom Inspiration

Thank you for reading! I hope these ideas inspire you to explore Narnia in fresh ways with your students. By connecting The Magician’s Nephew and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, students gain insight into power, justice, and responsibility in an age-appropriate, imaginative context.

For more practical ideas, activities, and interdisciplinary projects to bring these novels—and others—to life, explore the rest of the blog. You can also visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store for a wide variety of resources on these novels, including chapter introductions, analyses, crosswords, quizzes, and biblical comparisons:

Go to the Store!

Wishing you an inspiring teaching experience,

Chiara