Much like last year's Prompt 6, this is mostly meta commentary expressed as fanfic. Set in the DU, in the mid to late 2030s. I've never solidified the precise years, but this happens at some point after the release of CSLCoN: The Last Battle.
Amnesty 2: "We teach everything by stories. Much more sensible than what passes for schooling in that other world." (Gerald Morris)
"Oh, we never actively tried to be subtle," said Lucy Benson to the interviewer. "We just tried to follow Lewis as much as possible. So you think we were subtle, then? That's interesting. Other people have said we used a sledgehammer."
"Yeah," Chris put in. "Honestly, opinions have been pretty split on Lewis' subtlety or lack thereof for decades. I remember one particular meme from...well, I'm not sure when it originated, but I first saw it in my early thirties, where Tolkien is complaining that people see his writing as allegory, and Lewis is saying he'll set himself on fire if anyone doesn't understand Aslan is Jesus. And yet ever since Narnia was first published there's been plenty of people who have read the entire series and never picked up on the Christian themes. It's above my pay grade to guess why. I find it more interesting to think about the people who find it easier to relate to Aslan than to Jesus. And of course that's also been happening since the books came out."
"Yes, and ironically enough I'm one of them," said Lucy. "Or sort of, because he wouldn't be Aslan at all if he wasn't Jesus. But you know, they say familiarity breeds contempt, or at least indifference. I'm a cradle Catholic. I grew up learning all about God, going to Mass and everything. But because God had been there my whole life, I got used to him. It was just how things were, and I could rarely summon up any awe or wonder."
"I think I see where you're going with this," said the interviewer. "Christ was too familiar, but Aslan..."
"Exactly! I didn't grow up learning about Aslan. Even though I did, really, it's not like the priest was preaching homilies about Aslan. We didn't sing songs about Aslan. My family didn't pray to Aslan every night. I read Narnia when I was young, so he's familiar, but it's not the same kind of familiar. There's still some of that awe intact. I don't have the same kind of mental struggle with Aslan that I do with Christ—even though he's the same person."
"And even though Aslan is a fictional character, he still teaches truth about Jesus. It's pretty neat how stories can still be true in terms of meaning even when they're false in terms of literal facts," said Chris. "I'll get flack for this from some people, but Genesis is a great example."
He winked at the camera, and the interviewer laughed.
"Now, now, Mr. Benson! Let's keep this chat to Narnia, and save theological debate for another day. Moving on, some sharp-eyed fans have spotted one specific extra that appears in all seven films, as well as a line reading 'Ellen – Relina Murphy' that appears at a different random point in each movie's credits. I think our viewers would love to know if there's a story behind that."
"Oh, goody!" said Lucy with a chuckle. "We wondered if anyone would notice Relina. Yes, there is a story, though it's a bit of a personal one. You see, I had a sister named Eleanor..."
