Polly Plummer

Infobox Narnia character
name=Polly Plummer
race=Human
nation=England
birthplace= London, England, Earth
gender=Female
major1=The Magician's Nephew
major2=The Last Battle

Polly Plummer (1889 - 1949) is a major fictional character from C. S. Lewis's fantasy series "The Chronicles of Narnia". She appears in two of the seven books: "The Magician's Nephew" and "The Last Battle".

Biography

The Magician's Nephew

Polly is introduced in "The Magician's Nephew", which was the sixth book in the series to be published but is first in the internal chronology of Narnia. She is an eleven-year old girl who lives in London, England and is the neighbour of Digory Kirke. Polly and Digory become friends and frequently meet to play together in the attic which connects all of the row-houses on their block. Polly uses the attic as a hide-out where she drinks ginger beer and writes a story (which she refuses to let Digory read).

One day the children accidentally enter the study of Digory's Uncle Andrew, who has made a set of magic rings which transport the wearer to other worlds via the Wood between the Worlds. Uncle Andrew tricks Polly into trying on a ring; after she disappears, he blackmails Digory into following her with another ring, in order to bring her back.

After being reunited in the Wood, Polly and Digory travel to the dying world of Charn. There, against Polly's advice, Digory breaks an enchantment which releases Jadis, the future White Witch. Jadis follows the children back through the Wood to London. After returning home and being confined to her room for missing dinner, Polly helps Digory return Jadis to the Wood and thence to the new world of Narnia, where they witness the creation of the world by Aslan. Polly, Digory, and a cabby and his horse (who were brought along by mistake) are the only ones not alarmed by Aslan or his singing (Jadis and Uncle Andrew are both terrified). After the world is created, the children and the flying horse Fledge then travel to a walled garden in the Western Wild to retrieve a magical apple. This apple, when planted, grows into a tree that serves to protect the young land of Narnia. Polly and Digory return to England, where they remain friends.

The Last Battle

In "The Last Battle", the final book in the series (both chronologically and in order of publication), Polly is an elderly woman. She remains in contact with the other British "friends of Narnia" and is present with them when the apparition of Narnia's King Tirian appears to request their help. She seems like a very cheery and friendly adult, and insists the others call her "Aunt Polly". She is later killed in a railway accident and is transported to Aslan's country along with the other friends of Narnia. Once she arrives in Narnia, she becomes young again, as does Digory.

Trivia

*When Digory first meets Polly and tells her of the strange goings-on that occur in Uncle Andrew's private attic, Polly muses that he might keep a mad wife locked up there. This could be a reference to "Jane Eyre", for one of the main characters, Rochester, is forced to keep his violent and insane wife Bertha locked away in the attic. By chance, the movie version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe had an actress who went to play Young Jane Eyre in a television adaption of the Jane Eyre book (Georgie Henley).

References

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