Are you Peter, Edmund, Susan, or Lucy?

"Peter, Adam's Son," said Father Christmas.

"Here, Sir," said Peter.

"These are your presents," was the answer, "and they are tools not toys. The time to use them is perhaps near at hand. Bear them well." With these words he handed to Peter a shield and a sword. The shield was the colour of silver and across it there ramped a red lion, as bright as a ripe strawberry at the moment when you pick it. The hilt of the sword was of gold and it had a sheath and a sword belt and everything it needed, and it was just the right size and weight for Peter to use. Peter was silent and solemn as he received these gifts for he felt they were a very serious kind of present.

"Susan, Eve's Daughter," said Father Christmas. "These are for you," and he handed her a bow and a quiver full of arrows and a little ivory horn. "You must use the bow only in great need," he said, "for I do not mean you to fight in the battle. It does not easily miss. And when you put this horn to your lips and blow it, then, wherever you are, I think help of some kind will come to you."

Last of all he said, "Lucy, Eve's Daughter," and Lucy came forward. He gave her a little bottle of what looked like glass (but people said afterwards that it was made of diamond) and a small dagger. "In this bottle," he said, "there is a cordial made of the juice of one of the fire-flowers that grow in the mountains of the sun. If you or any of your friends are hurt, a few drops of this will restore you. And the dagger is to defend yourself at great need. For you also are not to be in the battle."

"Why, Sir," said Lucy. "I think—I don't know—but I think I could be brave enough."

"That is not the point," he said. "But battles are ugly when women fight. And now"—here he suddenly looked less grave—"here is something for the moment for you all!" and he brought out (I suppose from the big bag at his back, but nobody quite saw him do it) a large tray containing five cups and saucers, a bowl of lump sugar, a jug of cream, and a great big teapot all sizzling and piping hot. Then he cried out "A Merry Christmas! Long live the true King!" and cracked his whip and he and the reindeer and the sledge and all were out of sight before anyone realised that they had started.

  -excerpt from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C. S. Lewis

Who are you in this little excerpt? Would you receive the sword and shield? The bow and quiver or arrows? Or the cordial and dagger? Skillful authors weave the characters, the plot, and the theme together in a way that the audience can resonate with. As readers, we want to connect with the story. Something I’ve had fun with lately is thinking of which character I’m the most like-how do I fit into the drama-how do I make sense of life.

The childish characters of our childhood storybooks echo our struggle and burden in living on this earth. The authors present these issues in such a charming way we can’t help but love the characters, all the while seeing ourselves in them. Whether it’s Little Toot’s aimless, lazy antics, Amelia Bedelia’s willy nilly-last minute-chaotic care of the house, Ira’s fear of what other people think, or Mike Mulligan’s fervor to impress others, we all know deep down inside that those characteristics are a part of us.

In a favorite picture book of mine, called Roxaboxen, there’s a line-up of characters that take me back to my childhood. These children were creating make-believe houses in the desert. Marian was the mayor-and she knew everything. Frances’s house was built of amber, amethyst, sea-green, a house full of jewels. Charles house was the biggest with the biggest stones. Quiet, little Jean helped Anna May in the bakery, but when they played with their imaginary cars, she was always speeding, you’d think she’d like to go to jail! Jamie was the policeman. Can’t you just name your childhood friends that would fit into each of these characters? I think of my lovely friends Andrea, Tony, Verena, Jason, Justin, Ted, and Heather and smile wide by matching these characters with our playful excursions.

There’s a number of classics that contain a number of characters or a family/sibling group. In the Chronicles of Narnia we have Peter, Edmund, Lucy, and Susan.

Peter- He’s mature, protector, dubious, gets angry at Edmund his brother, eventually becomes King.

Edmund- He’s naïve, flighty, easily deceived, spiteful, mean, liar, has a conscience but lacks the stamina to overcome his bad actions.

Susan- She’s gentle and tenderhearted, tends to be in the background, logical, she doesn’t appear in all the books.

Lucy- She believes in Narnia, is faithful and close to Aslan, the youngest, golden-haired, sensitive, vulnerable, loves animals, and helps others.

In Little Women we have a lovely set of sisters. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy start out the book young and impulsive. As the story plot thickens, life forces them to change and adapt to experience, just as it does to us all.

Here’s how the book starts out:

Meg remembered when life was pleasant, she was fond of luxury. However, she is uncomplaining, pretty, sentimental, and good.

Jo tended to be a bit more shocking. Sharp-tempered and tongued, she had a harum scarum restless spirit. She grows up and develops a sweeter side as time passes.

Beth was more unschooled. She is gentle and kind, quiet, and sacrificial. She was housewifely and cheerful.

Amy at the beginning was spoiled, vain, and artistic. Her personality deepened and her loyalty was always evident.

It’s interesting that when I first read the book as a young girl I thought I was Jo. After all, I enjoyed writing, just like Jo did. I enjoyed Jo & Laurie’s interactions and just felt like that’s where I fit into the story. Now as I read the story from an adult viewpoint, I decided I think I’m rather like Meg. Fond of luxury. Maybe not pretty, but sentimental and I hope good. None of these girls were “more right or more wrong” even with their differences. I love in this book how all these personalities complement each other. I grew up with a bunch of sisters around me. Although our personalities don’t match identically, we maybe do have some tendencies just like the girls in Little Women. I find these musings so fun.

It also made me giggle when I thought of me and my sisters in the opening pages of the Penderwick series. Rosalind was twelve, she was the oldest, practical and responsible. Driving along in their vehicle, feisty Skye was blowing her cheeks in and out imitating a fish, artistic Jane was jotting in her blue notebook, and shy little Batty was wiggling. I wonder if my sisters would agree with me which of us was each of these Penderwick girls.

In the classic Winnie-the-Pooh stories, Pooh is the main character. Forgetful and with barely any brain at all, Pooh somehow still is the most lovable, truly, the best brain in the whole wide world. In every family or group of friends, I’m pretty sure there is an Eeyore. Gloomy, miserable, but utterly truthful. Kanga is sensible, protective with her little and dear sidekick-Roo. Piglet is loyal and friendly. Although easily frightened he is the best kind of friend one would ever want. Owl thinks he’s wise, but mostly it’s good he’s the traditional type of fellow and always gives a listening ear. Rabbit is gullible, dramatic, and easily irritated. Even though he talks a lot, Rabbit is hospitable and goes with the flow, ready to take on adventure. Again, a lovely group of characters which we have loved for years resonating with their strong points and flaws.

Perhaps the most known characters, though, are the ones from the Bible stories. From the very first people, Adam and Eve, we start putting ourselves in their shoes. We follow Moses’s hesitancy and stubbornness, David’s sinfulness and emotional turbulence, Ruth’s dedication, and Daniel’s loyalty to God. Who are we?

We’re into the Christmas season and as usual our thoughts turn to Mary and Joseph. Both had heard from an angel. Could it be, as they walked toward Bethlehem, they had a discussion on the different things their angel’s had told them? Perhaps they took comfort that there were two things that were exactly the same to both of them. To fear not, and that the baby’s name would be Jesus. Could I believe with simple faith the way Mary did? Could I disregard what people thought of me and care for Mary the way Joseph did? It’s good practice to put ourselves in the shoes of the characters in these stories.  

I found this exercise intriguing and fun. Maybe you could start up a conversation with someone over character comparisons. Comment below and tell me if there is a character you think you are like.

Jennifer

Ps. This post was written before Christmas. We got sick, and my dear 95 year old Grandma died. Instead of Merry Christmas wishes, I'll wish you a Happy New Year.