Creation From A Picture

        It was truly amazing for me personally to learn that C.S. Lewis himself came up with the entire series of the Chronicles of Narnia from a simple picture in the figment of his imagination.  From the figure of a fawn carrying an umbrella and packages in the snow, came the creation of the entire world of Narnia and the stories that surrounded it.  It inspires me as an artist to know that all one needs is an idea to spark a creation.
        In class, we talked about how the snow represents death.  The winter is dark and cold, and nothing can live or grow.  That is the reason for why it is surprising to see a fawn, a creature that represents life, nature, and spring, out in the snow.
        When I see this picture and remember what the snow and the fawn mean, I think that maybe Lewis is trying to send a message of hope by starting at the end of the mythic cycle to show that even after death comes new life.  In the story, that hope is the coming of the lion, Aslan, and spring.  This could also be interpreted in terms of the Bible.  Since being banished from the Garden of Eden, man has had to live in a world of darkness, cold, and death.  His hope is Christ, Aslan, and life, spring.
        The ability of one image to hold an entire story and to mean so much is an amazing thing.  It brings to my mind the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words", and that is true.  If we would just look deeper into a picture, we would be able to bring out the full potential of that picture and truly understand the story it tells.  All it takes is looking, and from that one picture comes new ideas and emotions in the minds of those who look at it.