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Dear C.S. Lewis:
It's common for people to be cheated out of childhood. Like in The Magician's Nephew. Digory was forced to take on the role of an adult. In the beginning of the book, he was a foolish little boy. Toward the end of the book, he took up the responsibility of a man. After reading your book, I realize that sometimes life encourages and even requires young people to prematurely mature.
What is maturity? Is it a measure of a person's years and physical growth, or is it more than that? How does a person reach maturity? These questions and more are what your book has caused me to ask. After much deliberation about it, I have come to know the answer to these questions. Your book shows me that becoming mature, when it happens, all depends on the situations in life. What people live through and how they respond to it determine their maturity.
In the past there have been other situations in which a person had to prematurely mature. For example, King Tut's parents died when he was nine. He had to suddenly mature so he could take up the responsibility of a king. Another example is Joan of Arc. She was at the age of fourteen when she went to the king to lead the army for him. The situation in which Digory was in is a very developing situation because he had to get something so that his mother could be healted.
In my personal life, I am going through a situation in which I am maturing at a young age. I am twelve. I am the oldest child in my family. Since my father died, I have had to get part time work at the grocery store to support the rest of my family. I have night shifts, so I am exhausted. I am strainging to get through school. I understand what Digory went through.
As I have told you, many people have had to and will have to mature at a young age. Digory, King Tut, Joan of Arc, and myself have all had situations in which we had to mature at a young age. Digory to save his mother, King Tut to rule a country, Joan of Arc to lead an army, and myself to support my family. They were all for different reasons, but they all lead to a premature maturity. Many people mature at a young age and for many different reasons. I have enjoyed your book and you have great knowledge and imagination. Einstein once said that imagination is more important than knowledge, and you have both so that's better.
Sincerely,
Jay Byam
Jay Byam
6th Grade
Delta Junction, Alaska
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