Why Can’t Adults Go To Narnia? C.S. Lewis’ Rule Explained

C.S. Lewis’ seminal children’s book series, The Chronicles of Narnia, has been highly influential in the way young people’s fantasy literature has developed. One of the key features of Lewis’ universe is that when the Pevensie children get older, they can’t return to Narnia. In the books, Aslan is the voice of reason and imparts his wisdom and many of the rules of Narnia to the children. One of these is that Peter and Susan, the oldest Pevensie children, won’t be able to come back after the events of Prince Caspian, but it’s never explicitly stated why.

The Narnia reboot will struggle to fix problems from the books, and the open-ended questions and weaker world-building are some of the biggest issues with the novels. It will be interesting to see how Greta Gerwig handles mysteries like why adults aren’t allowed in Narnia and if the movies will explicitly state why. While the first adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe won’t have to deal with this facet of the story, it won’t be long before the issue comes up, and audiences are wondering why Peter and Susan must move on without their siblings.

Why Adults Can’t Go To Narnia In C.S. Lewis’ Books

Aslan makes it clear that the Pevensies get too old for Narnia

From the first moment that Lucy Pevensie steps into Narnia, her innocence and willingness to believe in its power indicate that childhood is an essential part of the Narnia experience. When Susan and Peter start nearing the end of adolescence and take their first steps towards young adulthood, Aslan tells them they can’t come back anymore. This is the best explanation that Lewis gives throughout the story, which is one of the harsh realities of reading The Chronicles of Narnia today. The reasoning behind the adults growing out of Narnia is implied rather than fully developed.

There are many books and pieces of media that use the transition from childhood to adulthood as the moment when the characters can’t enter the magical fantasy realm anymore. In Narnia, imagination and wonder are paramount to being let into the world, so it makes sense that when the kids grow up and have more responsibilities, they can’t return. Though the Pevensies grow old within Narnia in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, this differs from their maturation outside Narnia, which leads to adult issues and accountability to the real world.

There May Be A Darker Meaning To Chronicles Of Narnia’s No Adults Rule

The hidden truth behind their absence could be more sinister

Since Narnia is in conversation with many religious themes, the loss of faith could be part of why Peter and Susan can’t return to Narnia after Prince Caspian. Corruption and misuse of Narnia’s magic could also come into play, as many of the adults seen in the Narnia books are after power for selfish reasons, like Uncle Andrew in The Magician’s Nephew. While this isn’t a happy reason, it plays into some of the darker underlying themes in Narnia and ties into why it’s so important that children return to the real world when they’re getting too mature.

This is why the Narnia remake must do justice to Susan, as the reason for her not getting to move on with the rest of the characters in The Last Battle is rooted in misogyny. She’s described as only caring about her looks and no longer having time for Narnia, indicating that loss of innocence and the discovery of sexuality might exclude characters from Narnia. The fact that Peter gets to come back at the end of the series is an unfair twist of fate that Gerwig should undo if she adapts the final installment of The Chronicles of Narnia.