How Puddleglum the Marshwiggle Helps Us Understand Ecclesisates
In C. S. Lewis’ Narnian story The Silver Chair, a Marshwiggle, named Puddleglum, along with two children, Jill and Eustace, are trapped trying to free a Narnian prince who has been enslaved in an underground world by an evil witch. The witch interrupts their rescue effort and attempts to enchant them all with a spell which would cause them to forget the world above, persuading them that things like the sun or lions were merely wish-projections from having seen and cats and wishing for bigger and better versions of them. Just as the group is about to fall under the enchantment, Puddleglum bravely stamps out the fire on which the enchanted power had been sprinkled. The pain of such a move brings him to clarity of mind. With such clarity Puddleglum bears witness to his faith in Narnia: "'One word, Ma'am,' he said... 'One word. All you've been saying is quite right, I shouldn't wonder. I'm a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the b...