Aravis facts for kids

Aravis is a fictional character in The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis.

Aravis is a young Tarkheena, a female member of the ruling nobility of Calormen. With her horse, Hwin, who is revealed to be a talking beast from the land of Narnia, she flees from her home, in order to escape an arranged marriage with Ahoshta Tarkaan. Aravis is a strong character, whose confidence, bravery and loyalty are offset by arrogance and self-centeredness. She is also said to be an amazing storyteller, which is partly the result of her upbringing: the art of telling stories forms part of the education of the nobility. On their journey north to freedom in Narnia, they fall into company with the talking stallion, Bree, and the boy Shasta. Aravis overhears a plot by the Calormenes to invade Archenland and Narnia, and with this intelligence the four companions are able to warn the Archenlanders in time to thwart the invasion. In the process of their adventures, through a series of "lessons" and encounters, Aravis's character is transformed, and she acquires humility and sensitivity. Her companion, Shasta, is discovered to be the lost heir to the kingdom of Archenland, and, upon reaching adulthood, he and Aravis marry, and rule as king and queen. They are the parents of Ram the Great, the "most famous of all the kings of Archenland".

Race issues

Several writers, including Philip Pullman, Kyrie O'Connor, and Gregg Easterbrook, consider the use of Calormene characters as villains to be evidence of racism. Aravis is often presented as a counterexample to this (along with Emeth, who is accepted in Aslan's country for good deeds worthy of Aslan), since she is sympathetically portrayed as a largely virtuous Calormene heroine.

See also

In Spanish: Aravis para niños