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"Aslan?" said Mr. Beaver. "Why, don't you know? He's the King. He's the Lord of the whole wood, but not often here, you understand. Never in my time or my father's time. But the word has reached us that he has come back. He is in Narnia at this moment. He'll settle the White Queen all right. It is he, not you, that will save Mr. Tumnus."


"Is—is he a man?" asked Lucy.


"Aslan a man!" Mr. Beaver said sternly. "Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion—the Lion, the great Lion."


"Ooh!" said Susan, "I'd thought he was a man. Is he—quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."


"That you will, dearie, and no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver; "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."

This quotation comes near the beginning of Chapter 8 and it is our first real introduction to Aslan. According to the passage, Aslan is a type of god-like figure because of his longevity, immense power, and benevolence. Lewis deliberately keeps the parallel vague, contributing to Aslan's mystique. Lewis's vagueness allows us to form an opinion of Aslan before we see him as a Christian symbol. Lewis purposely wants to provide a different perspective to what many people during his time perceive as an aging faith. Aslan's actions and motivations are similar to those of Christ. Lewis wants us to realize that there is no harm in believing in Aslan, just as there is no harm in following Christ. The physical form of the lion does not matter. Lewis uses the form of the lion because of a child's vision of the lion as scary and ferocious. By making Aslan a gentle, courageous lion, Lewis alters the child's stereotype of a lion. Simlarly, Lewis seeks to alter our stereotypes about Jesus Christ and can understand Him on a more tangible level. Mrs. Beaver's comment demonstrates that while we should not be afraid of Aslan, we should still revere and respect him. Jesus, explains Lewis, is someone to awe, but also someone to trust.

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