Nobility from George MacDonald to C.S. Lewis

Abstract

C.S. Lewis first discovered the works of George MacDonald when he read Phantastes, A Faerie Romance, a book he “unwittingly” picked up from a bookstall before a train journey (Surprised by Joy 219). He went on to read dozens of books by MacDonald and later wrote that “the quality which had enchanted me in his imaginative works turned out to be the quality of the real universe, the divine, magical, terrifying, and ecstatic reality in which we live” (George MacDonald preface). As Lewis’s career matured, he followed in the steps of MacDonald by writing on literature and faith and, ultimately, by writing fantasy. Lewis called MacDonald his master, and their shared concept of nobility makes a fascinating study of the themes that inspired both men. These themes include the value and costliness of nobility as well as the significance of belonging to a kingdom in order to become noble. The connections between their fiction and faith reveal an idea of goodness within reach of every person. As a result, MacDonald and Lewis created a particular type of fantasy that has endured into the twenty-first century.