C.S. Lewis: Racist/Sexist?

[Sophus]

What do you make of this C.S. Lewis quote:

I do not believe that God created an egalitarian world. I believe the authority of parent over child, husband over wife, learned over simple to have been as much a part of the original plan as the authority of man over beast.

Sounds kind of nasty, right? Recently I've come across this and this review of Lewis' work claiming there was a racist or sexist theme in them. Why is this man still held in such esteem by modern Christians if he was a racist and sexist?

[Velma]

The more moderate or liberal ones will blame it on the time he lived in.  The more fundamentalist ones will agree with the sexism and say it is biblical.  Most of them will blame the time he lived in on the racism - except for the ones who are openly racist.

[LegendarySandwich]

I recently saw the third Narnia movie, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and I have to say that watching the story now, as an atheist, the religious themes/overtones were way too blatantly obvious for my tastes.

But yeah, it doesn't surprise me that C.S. Lewis is a bit of a racist and sexist. When I read the books as a child, I didn't notice it, but I'm sure I would now.

By the way, the His Dark Materials trilogy is way better (and I'm not saying that just because it's atheistic).

[Sophus]

But yeah, it doesn't surprise me that C.S. Lewis is a bit of a racist and sexist. When I read the books as a child, I didn't notice it, but I'm sure I would now.

I never read all of the Narnia series which is probably why I never picked up on this....

Most of the allegations of sexism centre on the description of Susan Pevensie in The Last Battle where Lewis characterises Susan as being "no longer a friend of Narnia" and interested "in nothing nowadays except nylons and lipstick and invitations".
J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series, has said:
There comes a point where Susan, who was the older girl, is lost to Narnia because she becomes interested in lipstick. She's become irreligious basically because she found sex, I have a big problem with that.[42]
Philip Pullman, author of the His Dark Materials trilogy and so fierce a critic of Lewis' work as to be dubbed "the anti-Lewis",[31][32][33][34] calls the Narnia stories "monumentally disparaging of women",[43] interpreting the Susan passages this way:
Susan, like Cinderella, is undergoing a transition from one phase of her life to another. Lewis didn't approve of that. He didn't like women in general, or sexuality at all, at least at the stage in his life when he wrote the Narnia books. He was frightened and appalled at the notion of wanting to grow up.[44]
...

Karin Fry, an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, notes, in her contribution to The Chronicles of Narnia and Philosophy, that "the most sympathetic female characters in the Chronicles are consistently the ones who question the traditional roles of women and prove their worth to Aslan through actively engaging in the adventures just like the boys."[47] Fry goes on to say, however,
The characters have positive and negative things to say about both male and female characters, suggesting an equality between sexes. However, the problem is that many of the positive qualities of the female characters seem to be those by which they can rise above their femininity ... The superficial nature of stereotypical female interests is condemned.[47]

 

By the way, the His Dark Materials trilogy is way better (and I'm not saying that just because it's atheistic).

Is it? Because I thought the movie sucked. Guess it didn't do it justice.

[The Magic Pudding]

There are figures from the past I would like to make allowances for, though I don't really care about Lewis.
The date 1956 doesn't seem long ago, but I think he was a bit of a relic.
I like The Lord of The Rings, but every one seems to have to be subservient to their "betters"
Even the eagles, symbols of freedom have a fricken lord.

Just highlights the problems of looking for moral values in old books.  

[LegendarySandwich]

Is it? Because I thought the movie sucked. Guess it didn't do it justice.

I've never seen the movie, but yeah, I've heard it didn't do it justice.

[periwinklefish]

I went to see the second Narnia movie in Colorado Springs and it was quite an experience.  Besides all the catcalls for jesus before, during and after the show, there was outright cheering and celebration during the killing scenes.  It was too much.

[Sophus]

I went to see the second Narnia movie in Colorado Springs and it was quite an experience.  Besides all the catcalls for jesus before, during and after the show, there was outright cheering and celebration during the killing scenes.  It was too much.  Even my 8 and 11 year old boys were appalled.

Which killing scenes would those be? Isn't there a battle at the end like the first one? The first one wasn't bad (religious overtones still obvious) but I thought the second one - or, erm... what I watched of it - was quite bland.

[LegendarySandwich]

I went to see the second Narnia movie in Colorado Springs and it was quite an experience.  Besides all the catcalls for jesus before, during and after the show, there was outright cheering and celebration during the killing scenes.  It was too much.  Even my 8 and 11 year old boys were appalled.

Which killing scenes would those be? Isn't there a battle at the end like the first one? The first one wasn't bad (religious overtones still obvious) but I thought the second one - or, erm... what I watched of it - was quite bland.

The first one is definitely the best so far.