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''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'' is a
portal fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or magical elements, often including imaginary places and creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, which later became fantasy literature and drama. From the ...
novel written by British author
C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer, literary scholar and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Magdalen College, Oxford (1925–1954), and Magdalen ...
, published by
Geoffrey Bles David Geoffrey Bles (5 September 1886 – 3 April 1957) was a British publisher, with a reputation for spotting new talent. He started his eponymous publishing firm in London in 1923 and published the first five books of C. S. Lewis' ''Narnia'' ...
in 1952. It was the third published of seven novels in ''
The Chronicles of Narnia ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' is a series of seven portal fantasy novels by British author C. S. Lewis. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, the series is set in the fictional realm of Narnia (wor ...
'' (1950–1956).
Macmillan US Macmillan Inc. (also known as Macmillan US, and formerly The Macmillan Company) was an American book publishing company originally established as the American division of the British Macmillan Publishers. The two were later separated and acquire ...
published an American edition within the calendar year, with substantial revisions which were retained in the United States until 1994. It is volume five in recent editions, which are sequenced according to the novels' internal chronology. Like the other ''Chronicles of Narnia'', ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'' was illustrated by
Pauline Baynes Pauline Diana Baynes (9 September 1922 – 1 August 2008) was an English illustrator, author, and commercial artist. She contributed drawings and paintings to more than 200 books, mostly in the children's genre. She was the first illustrator ...
, and her work has been retained in many later editions. In the novel, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie (along with their cousin Eustace Scrubb) are taken out of this world into the enchanted land of Narnia. They are reunited with the Pevensies' friend, King Caspian X of Narnia, aboard Caspian's ship, the ''Dawn Treader''. Caspian has vowed to sail east across the Great Eastern Ocean for a year and a day to find the seven lost Lords of Narnia. Lewis dedicated the book to Geoffrey Corbett, who later changed his name to Jeffrey Barfield and is the adopted son of
Owen Barfield Arthur Owen Barfield (9 November 1898 – 14 December 1997) was an English philosopher, author, poet, critic, and member of the Inklings. Life Barfield was born in London, to Elizabeth (née Shoults; 1860–1940) and Arthur Edward Barfield (186 ...
, a friend of Lewis's. ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'' has been adapted and recorded as four episodes of a BBC television series in 1989 and as a
feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...
in 2010.


Plot summary

The two youngest Pevensie children,
Lucy Lucy is an English language, English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings ar ...
and
Edmund Edmund is a masculine given name in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector". Persons named Edmund include: People Kings and nobles *Ed ...
, are staying with their odious cousin
Eustace Scrubb Eustace Clarence Scrubb is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis's '' Chronicles of Narnia''. He appears in '' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'', ''The Silver Chair'', and ''The Last Battle''. In ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'', he is accompan ...
while their older brother,
Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...
, is studying for an exam with Professor Kirke, and their older sister,
Susan Susan is a feminine given name, the usual English version of Susanna or Susannah. All are versions of the Hebrew name Shoshana, which is derived from the Hebrew ''shoshan'', meaning ''lotus flower'' in Egyptian, original derivation, and severa ...
, is travelling through America with their parents. Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace are drawn into the Narnian world through a picture of a ship at sea. (The painting, hanging neglected in the guest bedroom in which Lucy was staying, had been an unwanted present to Eustace's parents.) The three children land in the ocean near the pictured vessel, the titular ''Dawn Treader'', and are taken aboard. The ''Dawn Treader'' is the ship of
Caspian X Prince Caspian (also known as Caspian X, King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel and Emperor of The Lone Islands, and as Caspian the Seafarer or Caspian the Navigator) is a fictional character in ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' by C. S. Lewis. He is fe ...
, King of
Narnia ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' is a series of seven portal fantasy novels by British author C. S. Lewis. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, the series is set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a ...
, whom Edmund and Lucy (along with Peter and Susan) helped to regain the throne of Narnia in ''
Prince Caspian ''Prince Caspian'' (originally published as ''Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia'') is a high fantasy novel written by British author C. S. Lewis and published by Geoffrey Bles in 1951. It was the second published of seven novels in ''The C ...
''. Also present on board are the Lord Drinian (the captain of the ''Dawn Treader'') and first mate Rhince. Peace has been established in the three years since then, and Caspian has undertaken a
quest A quest is a journey toward a specific mission or a goal. It serves as a plot device in mythology and fiction: a difficult journey towards a goal, often symbolic or allegorical. Tales of quests figure prominently in the folklore of every nat ...
in fulfilment of his
coronation oath An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before assuming the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations. Suc ...
to sail east for a year and a day to find the seven lost Lords of Narnia: Argoz, Bern, Mavramorn, Octesian, Restimar, Revilian, and Rhoop. He mentions that
Trumpkin Trumpkin is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis' fantasy novel series ''The Chronicles of Narnia''. Trumpkin is an intensely practical and skeptical dwarf who lives during the reigns of King Miraz and King Caspian X. He is a major character ...
the dwarf has been left in charge of Narnia as Lord Regent in his absence. Lucy and Edmund are delighted to be back in the Narnian world, but Eustace is less enthusiastic, as he has never been there before and had taunted his cousins with his belief that this alternate universe had never existed. The
Talking Talking or Talkin' may refer to: * Speech, the product of the action of ''to talk'' * Communication by spoken words; conversation or discussion Songs * "Talking" (A Flock of Seagulls song), 1983 * "Talking" (The Rifles song), 2007 * " Talking / ...
Mouse A mouse (: mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus'' ...
Reepicheep Reepicheep the Mouse is a fictional character in the children's fantasy series ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' by C. S. Lewis. He appears as a minor character in '' Prince Caspian'' and as a major character in '' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'', and ...
is also on board, as he hopes to find
Aslan's Country Narnia is a fantasy world created by C. S. Lewis as the primary location for his series of seven fantasy novels for children, ''The Chronicles of Narnia''. The name is derived from the land where much of the ''Chronicles'' takes place. In Narn ...
beyond the seas of the "utter East". When Eustace teases Reepicheep, much is revealed about the mouse's pugnacious character. They first make landfall in the
Lone Islands Narnia is a fantasy world created by C. S. Lewis as the primary location for his series of seven fantasy novels for children, ''The Chronicles of Narnia''. The name is derived from the land where much of the ''Chronicles'' takes place. In Narn ...
, nominally Narnian territory but fallen away from Narnian ways: in particular the
slave trade Slave trade may refer to: * History of slavery - overview of slavery It may also refer to slave trades in specific countries, areas: * Al-Andalus slave trade * Atlantic slave trade ** Brazilian slave trade ** Bristol slave trade ** Danish sl ...
flourishes here, despite Narnian law stating that it is forbidden. Caspian, Lucy, Edmund, Eustace, and Reepicheep are captured as merchandise by a slave trader, and a man "buys" Caspian before they even reach the slave market. He turns out to be the first lost lord,
Bern Bern (), or Berne (), ; ; ; . is the ''de facto'' Capital city, capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city".; ; ; . According to the Swiss constitution, the Swiss Confederation intentionally has no "capital", but Bern has gov ...
, who had moved to the islands and married a woman there after being banished from Narnia by
Miraz Miraz is a fictional character from C. S. Lewis's fantasy series ''The Chronicles of Narnia''. He is the main antagonist in the book '' Prince Caspian'', and is the uncle of the book's protagonist. Miraz killed his brother, Caspian IX, allowin ...
. When Caspian reveals his identity, Lord Bern acknowledges him as King. Caspian reclaims the islands for Narnia and replaces Gumpas, the greedy governor, with Lord Bern, whom he names
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
of the Lone Islands. Caspian also declares that slavery is forbidden in all his dominions and that all slaves are free. At the second island they visit, Eustace leaves the group to avoid participating in the work needed to render the ship seaworthy after a storm has damaged it and hides in a dead
dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...
's cave to escape a sudden downpour. The dragon's treasure arouses his greed: he fills his pockets with gold and jewels and puts on a large golden bracelet; but as he sleeps, he is transformed into a dragon. In his new guise, he becomes aware of how bad his previous behaviour was; he attempts to shed his dragon skin without success. It is only with the help of Aslan that he is able to become human again, though the process is very painful. Caspian recognises the bracelet: it belonged to Lord Octesian, another of the lost lords. They speculate that the dragon killed Octesian — or even that the dragon ''was'' Octesian. Aslan turns Eustace back into a boy, and as a result of his experiences, he is now a much nicer person. The crew narrowly escape being sunk by a sea-serpent and stop at Deathwater Island, so named for a pool of water which turns everything immersed in it into gold, including one of the missing lords who turns out to have been Lord Restimar. Then they land on the Duffers' Island, where Lucy removes an invisibility spell from the Duffers (later Dufflepuds) at their request and befriends the Magician who cast it. Next they reach the "Island Where Dreams Come True", called the Dark Island since it is permanently hidden in darkness. It turns out that the "dreams" that come true there are not necessarily ''nice'' dreams and
Lord Rhoop The Seven Great Lords of Narnia are fictional characters from The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. They are briefly mentioned in ''Prince Caspian'' and are central to the plot in ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'', the second and third publis ...
, whom they rescue there, has been tormented for years by his nightmares. Eventually they reach the Island of the Star, where they find the three remaining lost lords in enchanted sleep.
Ramandu Ramandu is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis's '' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'', part of the series ''The Chronicles of Narnia''. About He appears as an old man with a silver beard that comes down to his bare feet, dressed in a robe tha ...
, the fallen star who lives on the island with his daughter, tells them that the only way to awaken them is to sail to the edge of the world and to leave one member of the crew behind there. Lord Rhoop wishes to "sleep without dreams" beside his friends until they wake and everyone agrees before they set out again. The ''Dawn Treader'' continues sailing into an area where merpeople dwell and the water turns sweet rather than salty, as Reepicheep discovers when he belligerently jumps in to fight a mer-man whom he thinks challenged him. At last the water becomes so shallow that the ship can go no farther. Caspian orders a boat lowered and announces that he will go to the world's end with Reepicheep. The crew object, saying that as King of Narnia he has no right to abandon them. Caspian goes to his cabin in a temper, but returns to say that Aslan appeared in his cabin and told him that only Lucy, Edmund, Eustace, and Reepicheep will go on. These four venture in a small boat through a sea of lilies until they reach a wall of water that extends into the sky. Fulfilling Ramandu's condition, Reepicheep paddles his
coracle A coracle is a small, rounded, lightweight boat of the sort traditionally used in Wales, and also in parts of the west of Ireland and also particularly on the River Boyne, and in Scotland, particularly the River Spey. The word is also used for ...
up the waterfall and is never again seen in Narnia. Edmund, Eustace, and Lucy find a Lamb, who transforms into Aslan and tells them that Edmund and Lucy will not return to Narnia. When Lucy becomes sorrowful and despondent about the prospect of not seeing Aslan again, Aslan tells the children that he exists in their world, too. Aslan adds, "There I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there". Aslan then sends the three children home. Back in the real world, everyone remarks about how much Eustace has changed.


Main characters

*
Lucy Pevensie Lucy Pevensie is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis's ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' series. She is the youngest of the four Pevensie children and the first to find the Wardrobe entrance to The Chronicles of Narnia, Narnia in ''The Lion, the Witc ...
– the youngest of the four Pevensie children. *
Edmund Pevensie Edmund Pevensie is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis's ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' series. He is a principal character in three of the seven books (''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'', '' Prince Caspian'', and '' The Voyage of the Dawn T ...
– the next youngest. *
Eustace Scrubb Eustace Clarence Scrubb is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis's '' Chronicles of Narnia''. He appears in '' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'', ''The Silver Chair'', and ''The Last Battle''. In ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'', he is accompan ...
– a cousin of the four Pevensie siblings; Edmund and Lucy are staying with him at the house that Eustace shares with his parents. *
Caspian X Prince Caspian (also known as Caspian X, King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel and Emperor of The Lone Islands, and as Caspian the Seafarer or Caspian the Navigator) is a fictional character in ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' by C. S. Lewis. He is fe ...
– the King of Narnia. *
Reepicheep Reepicheep the Mouse is a fictional character in the children's fantasy series ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' by C. S. Lewis. He appears as a minor character in '' Prince Caspian'' and as a major character in '' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'', and ...
– a valiant talking mouse who is a main ally to King Caspian. * Lord Drinian – The captain of the ''Dawn Treader''. *
Seven Great Lords of Narnia The Seven Great Lords of Narnia are fictional characters from The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. They are briefly mentioned in '' Prince Caspian'' and are central to the plot in ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'', the second and third publi ...
– characters whom Caspian is seeking. Of the seven, two prove to be dead and three in an enchanted sleep; only the Lords Bern and Rhoop have any part in the story. *
Ramandu Ramandu is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis's '' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'', part of the series ''The Chronicles of Narnia''. About He appears as an old man with a silver beard that comes down to his bare feet, dressed in a robe tha ...
– a "star at rest" who regains youth through fire-berries. *
Ramandu's daughter Ramandu's daughter, also known as Lilliandil in the 2010 film version of '' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'', is a fictional character from ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' by C. S. Lewis. Introduced in the 1952 book ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treade ...
– the daughter of Ramandu and the future Queen of Narnia, wife of Caspian, and mother of Rilian. *
Pug The Pug is a breed of dog with the physically distinctive features of a wrinkly, short-muzzled face, and curled tail. An ancient breed, with roots dating back to 400 B.C., they have a fine, glossy coat that comes in a variety of colors, most ...
– slaver and pirate of the Lone Islands, who takes the protagonists prisoner. * Gumpas – governor of the Lone Islands, enabler of slavery, whom Caspian deposes. *
Coriakin Coriakin is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis's '' Chronicles of Narnia''. He appears in '' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader''. Fictional character biography Coriakin was originally a star, who, as reparation for past misdeeds was charged by A ...
– the Magician (and star) who rules the Dufflepuds (monopods) as penance for unspecified misdeeds.


Differences between British and American editions

Several weeks or months after reading the proofs for the British edition of ''The Chronicles'', Lewis read through the proofs for the American edition. While doing so, he made several changes to the text.
HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...
took over publication of the series in 1994 and made the unusual decision to ignore the changes that Lewis had made and use the earlier text as the standard for their editions. In ''Dawn Treader'', Lewis made two changes, one minor and one more substantial. The minor change appears in the first chapter where Lewis changes the description of Eustace from "far too stupid to make anything up himself" to "quite incapable of making anything up himself". Paul Ford, author of ''Companion to Narnia'', suggests that Lewis might have felt the need to soften the passage for his American readers or perhaps he was starting to like Eustace better. Peter Schakel, author of ''Imagination and the arts in C.S. Lewis'', opines that the passage should have been changed in both cases as "calling a character 'stupid' in a children's book is insensitive and unwise". Both Schakel and Ford agree that it is not an accurate depiction of Eustace as Lewis describes him, and this too may be the reason for the change. The more substantive change appears in Chapter 12, "The Dark Island", where Lewis rewrote the ending in a way that, Schakel maintains, improves the imaginative experience considerably. A side by side comparison of the ending of chapter 12 follows:


Reception

Boucher and McComas found ''Voyage'' "not quite up to the high level set by previous Narnian adventures". They singled out Reepicheep for praise as "one of Lewis's finest imaginings." Researcher Sue Baines wrote: "In contrast to other Narnia books, ''Dawn Treader'' has virtually no overt villains, other than the slavers in the very beginning who are quickly overcome and disposed of. Rather, the plot confronts the protagonists again and again with the flaws of their own character. Eustace's greediness and general bad behavior cause him to turn into a dragon, and he must work hard to show himself worthy of becoming human again; Caspian is tempted to seize the magic pool which turns everything to gold – which would have turned Caspian himself into a greedy tyrant ready to kill in order to preserve his power and wealth; later, Caspian faces the nobler but still wrong-headed temptation to go off to
Aslan's Country Narnia is a fantasy world created by C. S. Lewis as the primary location for his series of seven fantasy novels for children, ''The Chronicles of Narnia''. The name is derived from the land where much of the ''Chronicles'' takes place. In Narn ...
and abandon his responsibilities as a King; Lucy is tempted to make herself magically beautiful, which would have led to her becoming the focus of terrible wars devastating Narnia and all its neighbors; and having resisted this temptation, she succumbs to a lesser temptation to magically spy on her schoolmates – and is punished by hearing malicious things and destroying what could have developed into an enduring nice friendship. ... Edmund, who had undergone a very severe test of his character on his first arrival in Narnia, is spared such an experience in the present book, and acts as the most mature and grown-up member of the group."


Influences

Arguably, ''Voyage of the Dawn Treader'' is the novel which shows the most influence of Lewis' Irish background. It is reminiscent of the ''
Immram An immram (; plural immrama; , 'voyage') is a class of Old Irish tales concerning a hero's sea journey to the Otherworld (see Tír na nÓg and Mag Mell). Written in the Christian era and essentially Christian in aspect, they preserve elemen ...
'' genre of Irish literature. Lewis draws inspiration from the Medieval text ''The Voyage of
Saint Brendan Brendan of Clonfert (c. AD 484 – c. 577) is one of the early Irish monastic saints and one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. He is also referred to as Brendan the Navigator, Brendan the Voyager, Brendan the Anchorite, and Brendan the Bold ...
'', a clear example of the Immram. Lewis' characters follow the plot of St. Brendan's voyage almost exactly, showing the influence of the classic Celtic fable. However, unlike such voyages, ''Dawn Treader'' travels East rather than West, maybe because Lewis wanted to signify new beginnings and rebirth, as opposed to the traditional connotation of death and closure associated with heading west. The novel also underscores the idea of Aslan representing
Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
. In the end of the novel Aslan appears as a lamb which has been used as a
symbol A symbol is a mark, Sign (semiotics), sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, physical object, object, or wikt:relationship, relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by cr ...
for him, in a scene evoking the
Gospel of John The Gospel of John () is the fourth of the New Testament's four canonical Gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "Book of Signs, signs" culminating in the raising of Lazarus (foreshadowing the ...
21:9. Eustace's transformation into a dragon in the presence of gold recalls the fate of
Fáfnir In Germanic heroic legend and Germanic folklore, folklore, Fáfnir is a Germanic dragon, worm or dragon slain by a member of the Völsung family, typically Sigurð. In Nordic mythology, he is the son of Hreiðmarr, and brother of Regin and Ótr ...
in Norse myth. Had Eustace been educated to know about myths and fairytales, he would have known that dragons' gold is cursed. In chapter 13,
Ulysses Ulysses is the Latin name for Odysseus, a legendary Greek hero recognized for his intelligence and cunning. He is famous for his long, adventurous journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, as narrated in Homer's Odyssey. Ulysses may also refer ...
in
Dante Dante Alighieri (; most likely baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri; – September 14, 1321), widely known mononymously as Dante, was an Italian Italian poetry, poet, writer, and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called ...
's ''
Inferno Inferno may refer to: * Hell, an afterlife place of suffering * Conflagration, a large uncontrolled fire Film * ''L'Inferno'', a 1911 Italian film * ''Inferno'' (1953 film), a film noir by Roy Ward Baker * ''Inferno'' (1980 film), an Italian ...
'' (Canto 26 v.112-119) is closely paraphrased by one of the three lords when they reach Ramandu's island. Mary Coombe noted that "The Fifth book of Rabelais' ''
Gargantua and Pantagruel ''The Five Books of the Lives and Deeds of Gargantua and Pantagruel'' (), often shortened to ''Gargantua and Pantagruel'' or the (''Five Books''), is a pentalogy of novels written in the 16th century by François Rabelais. It tells the advent ...
'' depicts a King with his loyal followers sailing in a ship, stopping at various islands and having strange adventures. To be sure, in Lewis' handling of the same theme, the details of the King, his retinue and the islands they visit are all very different from those of Rabelais.(...) Lewis considered Rabelais to be mainly 'a teller of coarse jokes'. It might have appealed to Lewis to take up a theme from Rabelais and treat it in a less coarse way. In particular, the quest undertaken by Pantagruel and his companions is entirely and manifestly farcical, while that of Caspian is conducted very earnestly indeed."Mary Cecilia Coombe, "In the Footsteps of the Giants - The Echos of Gargantua and Pantagruel in 19th and 20th Century Literature", in Edgar Cooper and Judith Barnaby (eds.), "Round Up of New Essays in Literary Criticism and Analysis", p. 171-2, 176


Adaptations


Theatre

* In 1983, the world premiere of the musical stage adaptation of ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'' was produced by
Northwestern College (Minnesota) Northwestern College can refer to: *Northwestern College (Illinois) in Bridgeview, Illinois *Northwestern College (Iowa) in Orange City, Iowa *The former Northwestern College (Minnesota) in Roseville, Minnesota, now known as University of Northwest ...
at the Totino Fine Arts Center. * A stage adaptation of "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", written and directed by Ken Hill, designed by Sarah-Jane McClellan with music by Brendan Healy, was first presented at the Newcastle Playhouse on 29 November 1985. *
BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...
produced a radio play based on the book in 1994. *
Focus on the Family Focus on the Family (FOTF or FotF) is an American Christian fundamentalism, Evangelical Protestant organization founded in 1977 in Southern California by James Dobson, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The group is one of a number of Evangel ...
released a longer version as part of its complete production of all the Chronicles of Narnia. * In 2000, a musical version was written and produced by the
Alternative Community School The Lehman Alternative Community School (LACS) is a public, alternative, combined middle and high school in the Ithaca City School District in Ithaca, New York. The school serves grades 6–12 with approximately 305 students. History In 1974, pa ...
of
Ithaca, NY Ithaca () is a city in and the county seat of Tompkins County, New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York, Ithaca is the largest community in the Ithaca metropolitan statistic ...
. * BG Touring Theatre company produced a version of the Glynn Robins stage adaptation of ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'' at the
2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe The 2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe was the 59th Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Events 2006 was the first Fringe following the introduction of the new legislation banning smoking indoors. During a photocall at the Assembly Rooms for a play in which ...
.


Film

''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'' is the third installment in ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' film series from
Walden Media Walden Media, LLC is an American independent studio that develops, produces and finances feature films and television series for the U.S. and global markets. Its films focus on stories of courage drawn from biographies, historical events, and li ...
. Unlike the earlier two films, which were distributed by
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
, it was distributed by
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
. However, Disney now owns the rights following the acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019.
Michael Apted Michael David Apted (10 February 1941 – 7 January 2021) was an English television and film director and producer. Apted began working in television and directed the ''Up (film series), Up'' documentary series from 1970 to 2019). He later di ...
took over as director from
Andrew Adamson Andrew Ralph Adamson (born 1 December 1966) is a New Zealand film director, producer, screenwriter and animator. He is best known for directing the DreamWorks Animation, DreamWorks animated film ''Shrek'' (2001), which is based on the Shrek!, ...
, who opted to produce with Mark Johnson,
Perry Moore William Perry Moore IV (November 4, 1971 – February 17, 2011),[http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/02/18/2011-02-18_narnia_producer_dead_in_soho_home.html Weichselbaum, Simone and Kemp, Joe. "'Narnia' Executive Producer Perry Moore Found De ...
and Douglas Gresham. Will Poulter joined the cast as
Eustace Scrubb Eustace Clarence Scrubb is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis's '' Chronicles of Narnia''. He appears in '' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'', ''The Silver Chair'', and ''The Last Battle''. In ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'', he is accompan ...
, while
Georgie Henley Georgina Helen Henley (born 9 July 1995) is an English actress. She began acting as a child, and became known for starring as Lucy Pevensie in the fantasy film series ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' (2005–2010), which grossed over US$1.5 bi ...
,
Skandar Keynes Alexander Amin Caspar Keynes (born 5 September 1991) is an English political advisor, and former actor. Best known for starring as Edmund Pevensie in ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' film series, he appeared in all three installments: ''The Lion, th ...
, Ben Barnes,
Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Liam Neeson, several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, BAFT ...
, and
Tilda Swinton Katherine Matilda Swinton (born 5 November 1960) is a British actress. She is known for playing eccentric and enigmatic characters, often working with auteurs. Her accolades include an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and a Volpi Cup, in addit ...
all returned. The film had a wide theatrical release in traditional 2D, and a limited theatrical release in
RealD 3D RealD 3D is a digital stereoscopic projection technology made and sold by RealD. It is currently the most widely used technology for watching 3D films in theaters. Worldwide, RealD 3D is installed in more than 26,500 auditoriums by approximatel ...
and
Digital 3D Digital 3D is a non-specific 3D standard in which films, television shows, and video games are presented and shot in digital 3D technology or later processed in digital post-production to add a 3D effect. One of the first studios to use digital ...
in the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom on 10 December 2010.


Television

* The
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
produced a TV miniseries of ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'' (1989); it was combined with the previous book and released as '' Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader''.


Legacy

"The Dawntreader" is a song about the sea by
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...
, one track on her debut album ''
Song to a Seagull ''Song to a Seagull'' (also known as ''Joni Mitchell'') is the debut studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Produced by David Crosby, the album was recorded in early 1968 at Sunset Sound and released in March 1968 by Re ...
'' (1968). "Dawn Treader" is a song by
Charlotte Hatherley Charlotte Franklin Hatherley (born 20 June 1979) is an English singer, guitarist and songwriter. She initially came to prominence as guitarist and backing vocalist for alternative rock band Ash (band), Ash. Since leaving Ash in 2006, she has wo ...
on her 2007 album ''
The Deep Blue ''The Deep Blue'' is the second studio album by English musician Charlotte Hatherley, released on 5 March 2007 under Hatherley's own label Little Sister Records. She left Ash in January 2006; she visited Australia, where she stayed for two mont ...
''. The spaceship ''Dawn Treader'' in
Greg Bear Gregory Dale Bear (August 20, 1951 – November 19, 2022) was an American science fiction writer. His work covered themes of Interstellar_war, galactic conflict (''The Forge of God, Forge of God'' books), parallel universes (''The Way (Greg Bear ...
's novel ''
Anvil of Stars ''Anvil of Stars'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Greg Bear, a sequel to '' The Forge of God''. The book was initially released in 1992. Overview In the novel, volunteers from among survivors of the recently destroyed Earth are s ...
'' is presumably also named for the ship in this book.


Notes

{{notelist , notes= {{efn , name=italics , 1= Note that the name of the ship ''Dawn Treader'' is italicised in the title on the first edition dust jacket. By English typographical conventions, both book titles and ship names are usually italicised when they are written. Where "Dawn Treader" appears as part of the full title, it might be distinguished by another typographic convention but in this article, the entire title is simply italicised. "''Dawn Treader''" alone always refers to the featured ship.


References

{{reflist


Sources

* {{cite book, last = Downing, first = David C., title = Into the Wardrobe: C. S. Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles, year = 2005, publisher =
Jossey-Bass John Wiley & Sons, Inc., commonly known as Wiley (), is an American multinational publishing company that focuses on academic publishing and instructional materials. The company was founded in 1807 and produces books, journals, and encyclope ...
, location = San Francisco, isbn = 978-0-7879-7890-7, url-access = registration, url = https://archive.org/details/intowardrobecsle00down * {{cite book, last=Duriez , first=Colin, title = A Field Guide to Narnia, date = 2 June 2004, publisher = IVP Books, isbn = 978-0-8308-3207-1 * {{cite book, author = Ford, Paul, title = Companion to Narnia: A Complete Guide to the Magical World of C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, date = 2005, publisher = HarperCollins Publishers, isbn = 978-0-06-079127-8 * {{cite book, last = Schakel, first = Peter, title = Imagination and the Arts in C.S. Lewis: Journeying to Narnia and Other Worlds, url = https://archive.org/details/imaginationartsc00scha, url-access = limited, year = 2002, publisher = University of Missouri Press, isbn = 978-0-8262-1407-2, page
35


External links

{{Wikiquote, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader * {{FadedPage, id=201410B3, name=The Voyage of the Dawn Treader * {{worldcat , oclc=813638072 —immediately, the full-colour C. S. Lewis centenary edition * {{isfdb title , 914 , The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Narnia Fans

NarniaWeb
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