The Magician's Nephew

Polly is the deuteragonist, or the second most important character in the book. She is a static character who changes little from the moment when she first befriends Digory. She too is adventurous and stubborn, though she is more aware and often more astute than Digory. She serves as his foil, being patient where he is rushed and intelligent where he is ignorant. She is his moral compass, not believing he is actually enchanted in the Hall of Images and later forcing him to apologize and take responsibility for his actions.

Polly is also kind and loyal, so she is quick to forgive Digory and always returns to support him. When Digory is tasked with retrieving the apple of youth, Polly asks if she can accompany him and refuses to leave his side. Polly is a straightforward and good character. She is innocent and naive but becomes more aware of the world’s evils through her experiences with the Witch and with Digory, who has suffered in ways she has not.

Uncle Andrew is the first antagonist the children encounter; he is mean, manipulative, prideful, and cowardly. Lewis describes him as having a sharp nose, bushy gray hair, and long, thin fingers. He is responsible for creating the rings that transport the children to other worlds and for tricking them into using the rings, which sets the events of the book into motion.

Uncle Andrew is a dynamic character, changing through each event. Though he is fearsome and intimidating at the start of the book, he becomes pathetic when he meets the Witch and becomes her servant, unable to stand up to her even when the Witch throws Aunt Letty across the room. Having meddled with magic, he cowers when faced with the results and selfishly tries to convince Digory to take him back to London and leave everyone else in Narnia.

His reaction to Aslan and the song Aslan sings demonstrates his closed mind. He convinces himself that Aslan is not singing and that the Talking Beasts are only growling because his worldview cannot account for their behavior. He represents people who have hardened their hearts against God and try to rationalize miracles. He reaps the consequences when he is comedically tormented by the Talking Beasts, who believe he is a tree and try to plant him. This ruins all of his finery, and therefore all of his pride, and he returns to London a changed man. After his experiences in Narnia, he never touches magic again and becomes a kinder and less selfish man. 

The Witch is the true antagonist of the story, embodying evil. The narrator describes her as incredibly tall, fiercely prideful, and strikingly beautiful. She is strong enough to cut through the iron bar of the lamppost without magic. She is a well-developed, multifaceted character, but she is static, remaining the same throughout the story. One of the first things she tells the children is that she used magic to kill everyone in her world rather than allow someone else to rule. Her pride and selfishness compel her to destroy anything that interferes with her desires, even at personal cost: She enters the garden in Narnia by climbing over the wall and then eats the apple of youth for her own gain, an immortal but miserable existence.

The Witch twice plays the role of the serpent in the Garden of Eden, first tempting Digory to ring the bell and then to eat the fruit. Though she does not succeed in the second instance, she makes Digory question whether Aslan is worth obeying and twists Digory’s innocent desire to help his mother, solidifying her own evil nature.

The Cabby is a static character who is simple and good. He goes out of his way to help others and puts himself in danger to protect the crowd from the wild horse in London. Though he gets whisked away to Narnia against his will, his first instinct is to ensure everyone is okay and then to sing a hymn. The latter act hints that he is religious, which explains why he is particularly receptive to Aslan’s song; when the music begins, he is filled with joy and wonder, making everyone else in be quiet so he can listen.

When Aslan offers the Cabby a permanent home in London, the Cabby thinks first of his wife, again demonstrating his selflessness. He is humble and kind, wanting to do his best for Narnia and the creatures in it and allowing Aslan to teach him to rule justly. The only change he experiences is losing the meanness he acquired as a London cabby to embrace the courage and kindness he always had within him. From the beginning, he is a natural leader and exemplifies the traits of a good ruler.