We have already had occasion to examine part of the conversation between Arsheesh and the Tarkaan Anradin. Let us now look at the initial salvo in that debate. Arsheesh initially refuses to sell Shasta to the Tarkaan due to the (false) fact that Shasta is his son. As support as to why this should stand in the way of the sale, Arsheesh quotes the poets who observes that, “Natural affection is stronger than soup, and offspring more precious than carbuncles.” The verse speaks of two concepts, the affection a parent has for a child and the value of a child to a parent. This affection is observed to be very strong, even stronger than soup. A child is also very valuable and thus not generally available for sale.
Why does Lewis compare the affection of a child to soup? True there are some soups that may be termed strong, but it is doubtful that soup is one’s first thought when describing strength!
One possibility, in line with the identification of the Carlomenes with the Ottoman Turks, is that it is apparently customary in Turkey to have soup at the iftar meal, the evening meal that breaks the daily Ramadan fast. Certainly, after a long fast, one would look with affection at such soup. The point of the verse is that affection for children is stronger than even the affection one may have for food when ravenously hungry.
However, perhaps Lewis had something else in mind. The term "souperism" was coined during the Irish Great Famine and referred to a missionizing attempt in which Protestant schools were established and fed starving children on conditioned that they be instructed in the Protestant religion. As can be imagined, this was anathema to Catholic families who saw this as having to abandon faith for food. In this context, soup is symbolic of an enticement used to weaken one’s religious sensibilities.
Indeed, in the Chronicles are Narnia soup is introduced to play the role of the enticer. Soup is found three times in The Silver Chair, once at a meal is Cair Paravel, once when describing what one might think of upon seeing Harfang, and once at a meal in Harfang. In all three cases, the soup is meant to keep Jill and Eustace where they are, and stop them from completing their mission.
Soup is also used in one of Trumpkin’s expletives in Prince Caspian. Specifically, when Master Cornelius suggests escaping to Aslan’s How, Trumpkin rejects the reliance on ‘fairy tales’ exclaiming, “Soup and celery! I wish our leaders would think less about these old wives' tales and more about victuals and arms." (Soup is also mentioned in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader as part of the meal Caspian and his party ate with the Dufflepuds when they were still invisible. In that context, however, it seems to just be a way of emphasizing how messy the meal was).
With this we now turn back to the Carlomene poet who states that affection of children is even stronger than that of soup. Now, perhaps, the affection is too strong! The poet is suggesting that love for children should be stronger than that of one’s faith, while Abraham, in his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac, demonstrates just the opposite. Once again, the Carlomene poet sounds reasonable, but, in fact, misunderstands true virtue.
Why does Lewis compare the affection of a child to soup? True there are some soups that may be termed strong, but it is doubtful that soup is one’s first thought when describing strength!
One possibility, in line with the identification of the Carlomenes with the Ottoman Turks, is that it is apparently customary in Turkey to have soup at the iftar meal, the evening meal that breaks the daily Ramadan fast. Certainly, after a long fast, one would look with affection at such soup. The point of the verse is that affection for children is stronger than even the affection one may have for food when ravenously hungry.
However, perhaps Lewis had something else in mind. The term "souperism" was coined during the Irish Great Famine and referred to a missionizing attempt in which Protestant schools were established and fed starving children on conditioned that they be instructed in the Protestant religion. As can be imagined, this was anathema to Catholic families who saw this as having to abandon faith for food. In this context, soup is symbolic of an enticement used to weaken one’s religious sensibilities.
Indeed, in the Chronicles are Narnia soup is introduced to play the role of the enticer. Soup is found three times in The Silver Chair, once at a meal is Cair Paravel, once when describing what one might think of upon seeing Harfang, and once at a meal in Harfang. In all three cases, the soup is meant to keep Jill and Eustace where they are, and stop them from completing their mission.
Soup is also used in one of Trumpkin’s expletives in Prince Caspian. Specifically, when Master Cornelius suggests escaping to Aslan’s How, Trumpkin rejects the reliance on ‘fairy tales’ exclaiming, “Soup and celery! I wish our leaders would think less about these old wives' tales and more about victuals and arms." (Soup is also mentioned in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader as part of the meal Caspian and his party ate with the Dufflepuds when they were still invisible. In that context, however, it seems to just be a way of emphasizing how messy the meal was).
With this we now turn back to the Carlomene poet who states that affection of children is even stronger than that of soup. Now, perhaps, the affection is too strong! The poet is suggesting that love for children should be stronger than that of one’s faith, while Abraham, in his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac, demonstrates just the opposite. Once again, the Carlomene poet sounds reasonable, but, in fact, misunderstands true virtue.
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