As my favorite of the Chronicles of Narnia, A Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis provides more insight into writing from the perspective of a child without losing profundity and power than I had realized until reading it again for the nth time late last year. Lewis is a master at this endeavor in general, writing for all audiences in a way that neither panders nor overreaches. Specifically in A Horse and His Boy, the diction chosen to describe the motivations of many of the young characters, especially Shasta and Corin, who in the end of the book discover they are actually twin brothers, reveals Lewis’ mastery of this type of writing. Lewis’ characterization of these boys as young, adventurous, and brave but very much still young boys can be found in his descriptions of their motivations. His narration style as third-person limited-omniscient allows for crucial insight into the inner thoughts of these boys, furthering the voice of innocence throughout the book, without side-stepping the magic found in writing for children.

Lewis shows the reader a glimpse into Shasta’s mind by simply stating what is going on inside of it. He writes, “It was funny to think that if all went well he would never hear it again. Holding his breath and feeling a little bit sorry, but much less sorry than he was glad, Shasta glided away over the grass and went to the donkey’s stable…He bent forward and kissed the donkey’s nose. ‘I’m sorry we can’t take you,’ he said” (210). Here Lewis provides both the internal thoughts of Shasta and his outward actions and words to convey the young boy’s reaction to leaving all he’s known with the promise of a much better life.

This technique of stating complicated feelings in simple statements, like “holding his breath” and “feeling a little bit sorry, but much less sorry than he was glad” are ways in which a child might first physically exhibit the emotion and then verbally express it – a bit sorry, but less sorry than sad. Lewis then gives us even more with another action, when Shasta kisses his only friend goodbye, and then drives the point home by allowing Shasta’s sorrow to be conveyed in his own words. A small moment in the story, but the use of all these techniques to reveal to the reader what the little boy is feeling without being overly sentimental or complicated further the childlike state of the character.

In the case of Corin, Shasta’s twin brother, Lewis clearly characterizes him more as a boy who’s grown up in a palace, with all the confidence and cockiness that can come along with such a life. Corin’s character is shown most clearly in his dialogue, as Lewis is more closely following the character of Shasta in the narration. Yet, his dialogue is so clearly that of a young, rambunctious boy. (Of course, a young British boy in a fantasy novel undoubtedly sounds slightly different from a young American boy in suburbia. Still, boys are boys.) His first response to Shasta’s asking if he’s the prince is unsurprisingly cocky, “Yes, of course” (241). He is quick to want to use their situation at being mistaken for each other for more mischief, rather than rushing to rectify the situation. Corin says, “I say: we ought to be able to get some fun out of this being mistaken for one another” (241). He recounts the story of getting into a big fight, though by the size of him, it is all but clear he is exaggerating, saying about everyone who got in his way, “…so I knocked him down” (241).

Through these two boys, and the other young characters of Lewis’ books, specific characterization techniques provide more insight into writing about the past. I tend to write a fair amount about my childhood, specifically the church I grew up in, the things I was taught, and how my younger self interpreted them. It’s a strange feat – writing from a space of innocence and childlike understanding, especially as an adult who sees the moments I misunderstood or missed the mark. In writing about these moments in my life, I’ve struggled with holding the two “me’s” in tension – the me of the past and the me of the present. Reading Lewis and other books about or for children, like The Little Prince or even The Morning Watch, allow me to study how writers can jump into the mind of a child protagonist or narrator.

I’m still learning the techniques and the tension, but I especially love the excuse to read books I loved as a child and call it “research.” 😉

What were your favorite books as a child? If you’re a writer, have you ever revisited them for writing inspiration or direction?