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Lucy Barfield: The Real Lucy of Narnia

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Lucy Barfield: The Real Lucy of Narnia

Postby Reep » May 27th, 2006, 1:55 am

Last edited by Reep on June 1st, 2006, 12:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
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re: Lucy Barfield: The Real Lucy of Narnia

Postby Ticket2theMoon » May 27th, 2006, 10:20 pm

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It is with words as with sunbeams, the more they are condensed, the deeper they burn. --Robert Southey (1774-1843)

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re: Lucy Barfield: The Real Lucy of Narnia

Postby Puddleglee » May 30th, 2006, 9:32 am

I had no idea of how the 'real' Lucy's life turned out. How sad - and yet how much joy there was for her, too.
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re: Lucy Barfield: The Real Lucy of Narnia

Postby carol » May 30th, 2006, 10:35 am

Reep, thanks for posting that info. Yes, Lucy Barfield gave the character her name - although it wasn't the "second" book, but the first - since Jack wrote this book first and it was the first publised.... in fact he had no thought of a series at that time.(The Magician's Nephew wasn't published until near the end of the series - it's a preque).
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re: Lucy Barfield: The Real Lucy of Narnia

Postby Ticket2theMoon » June 1st, 2006, 3:06 am

Okay, I've looked everywhere and I tried everything, on the web at least, and couldn't find anything more than you did. Even Wikipedia failed me this time. Alas. I may have to turn my search to actual books! Do people still do research at libraries these days?
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re: Lucy Barfield: The Real Lucy of Narnia

Postby carol » June 1st, 2006, 7:18 am

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re: Lucy Barfield: The Real Lucy of Narnia

Postby Sven » June 1st, 2006, 7:58 pm

Rat! he found breath to whisper, shaking. Are you afraid?
Afraid? murmured the Rat, his eyes shining with unutterable love.
Afraid! Of Him? O, never, never! And yet -- and yet -- O, Mole, I am afraid!
Then the two animals, crouching to the earth, bowed their heads and did worship.
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re: Lucy Barfield: The Real Lucy of Narnia

Postby Ticket2theMoon » June 2nd, 2006, 12:36 am

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It is with words as with sunbeams, the more they are condensed, the deeper they burn. --Robert Southey (1774-1843)

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re: Lucy Barfield: The Real Lucy of Narnia

Postby carol » June 2nd, 2006, 7:03 am

Too truuuu, tooo truuuu, we kneeew, we kneeew!

What a to-dooo, we're laughing with youuuuu.

:wink: [your friendly Parliament of Owls]
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re: Lucy Barfield: The Real Lucy of Narnia

Postby Ticket2theMoon » June 3rd, 2006, 3:31 am

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It is with words as with sunbeams, the more they are condensed, the deeper they burn. --Robert Southey (1774-1843)

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Lucy Barfield Research

Postby Reep » June 4th, 2006, 12:26 am

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re: Lucy Barfield: The Real Lucy of Narnia

Postby carol » June 4th, 2006, 4:47 am

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re: Lucy Barfield: The Real Lucy of Narnia

Postby carol » June 4th, 2006, 6:35 am

Reep, I'm going to have to give you a less helpful answer than I expected. I have found the entry from Paul F. Ford's book, but having looked right through my copy of "Past Watchful Dragons" (paperback, Fount, 1980), I have not found any information there about Lucy Barfield. Your information (links quoted in your post that begins this thread) is probably the most complete available.

I've come to an important personal conclusion and would respectfully suggest this to other inquirers:
I think that we must accept that Miss Barfield (Mrs Rake) was a private person who lived a quiet life, and little was written about her. Why should we question that? This lady had a debilitating condition for most of her life, and relied on other people for many things. Let's not complain because her life has remained private; she blessed those who she knew, and gave her name to one of our favourite characters. Why should we expect to find lots of information about her on the Internet? - Carol


However, here is the text from Paul Ford:

DEDICATIONS, DEDICATEE(S)

Lewis’s particular affection for the children of some of his dear friends is the source of the dedications of the first six chronicles (LB has no dedication).
LWW is dedicated to Lucy Barfield (1935-2003), Lewis’s god-daughter and the adopted daughter of Owen and Maud Barfield, who was four when Lewis began to write the book and thirteen when he resumed and finished it. Lucy loved music and ballet and eventually taught music. In 1966 she was diagnosed as having multiple sclerosis. She married Bevan Rake and lived happily, although she was often hospitalised. When her husband died in 1990, her health deteriorated; she lived in the hospital for the rest of her life. During that time, she told Walter Hooper how much the dedication meant to her: “What I could not do for myself, the dedication did for me. My godfather gave me a greater gift than he could have imagined.”
Hooper wrote: As every creature comfort was taken from her, and she had lost her sight, Lucy’s faith in God grew and blessed not only her, but also those who knew her. Owen Barfield, touched by her humility, said many times, “I could go down on my knees before my daughter.” During the last seven years of her life in the Royal Hospital for Neurodisability in London, her brother Jeffrey - to whom Lewis dedicated the Voyage of the “Dawn Treader” - read her the Chronicles of Narnia.

[Paul F. Ford, Companion to Narnia, Fifth Edition, 2005, p 160.]
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re: Lucy Barfield: The Real Lucy of Narnia

Postby Reep » June 5th, 2006, 12:46 am

Dear carol - what a Pentecost Gift! I was overwhelmed and deeply touched when I opened the Wardrobe this morning. The message of Paul Ford not only is precisely what I was seeking for but it also keeps telling me more than I expected.

I can almost see "Our Dear Lucy", forever almost fifteen, in a cabin of the "Dawn Treader", on her last seven-year-voyage to Aslan's Land. And her little brother Jeffrey, who was ten as "her" book came out, now reading it to her... reading all seven books, "his own" included... to her and to himself again and again...

May she continue to bless us as she did bless those whom she knew!
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re: Lucy Barfield: The Real Lucy of Narnia

Postby Sven » June 5th, 2006, 8:02 pm

There are a couple of small things I can add. Lucy was an adopted daughter of the Barfields. When young she wanted to be a ballet dancer, later she decided to become a teacher, and eventually qualified as a teacher of music. She was employed as such for two years at a school for girls in Kent when the MS struck her.

Her brother Jeffery was a foster child of the Barfield's, and never formally adopted. His London mother was unable to provide for him, so the Barfields took him in, at first temporarily, then permanently. The only way the Barfields could afford to keep him was that Jack Lewis paid for his school fees. His birth name was Geoffrey Corbett, which is how VDT was originally dedicated (now it says Geoffrey Barfield). When he was 22, and established as a landscaper and evangelical preacher, he legally changed his name to Jeffery Barfield.
Rat! he found breath to whisper, shaking. Are you afraid?
Afraid? murmured the Rat, his eyes shining with unutterable love.
Afraid! Of Him? O, never, never! And yet -- and yet -- O, Mole, I am afraid!
Then the two animals, crouching to the earth, bowed their heads and did worship.
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