Dark Island

From WikiNarnia, the Narnian Encyclopedia

The Dark Island was a highly mysterious area located in the Eastern Ocean where any approachers spontaneously began to experience frightening hallucinations. It was basically a region of semi-solid fog-like darkness, with no obvious shore or land mass. Caspian X and his crew attempted to pass through this "island" on their voyage in the Dawn Treader. Lord Rhoop was trapped on this island for a time, and when rescued said that it was the Island where Dreams Come True (But not in a good sense--here it means that you relive nightmares). He requested never to be asked what he saw during his stay. Then the Dawn Treader sailed away with the island fading away into the distance. Once you're on the island, the only way to leave is with Aslan's help.

[edit] Differences between British and American editions

A substantive change appears in chapter 12, "The Dark Island", where Lewis rewrote the ending.

A side by side comparison of the ending of chapter 12 follows:

British Edition	Pre-1994 American Edition
In a few moments [...] warm, blue world again. And all at once everybody realized that there was nothing to be afraid of and never had been. They blinked their eyes and looked about them. The brightness of [...] grime or scum. And then first one, and then another, began laughing. “I reckon we’ve made pretty good fools of ourselves,” said Rynelf.	In a few moments [...] warm, blue world again. And just as there are moments when simply to lie in bed and see the daylight pouring through your window and to hear the cheerful voice of an early postman or milkman down below and to realise that it was only a dream: it wasn’t real, is so heavenly that it was very nearly worth having the nightmare in order to have the joy of waking, so they all felt when they came out of the dark. The brightness of [...] grime or scum.
Lucy lost no time [...] Grant me a boon.” “What is it?” asked Caspian.	Lucy lost no time [...] Grant me a boon.” “What is it?” asked Caspian.
“Never to bring me back there,” he said. He pointed astern. They all looked. But they saw only bright blue sea and bright blue sky. The Dark Island and the darkness had vanished for ever. “Why!” cried Lord Rhoop. “You have destroyed it!” “I don’t think it was us,” said Lucy.	“Never to ask me, nor to let any other ask me, what I have seen during my years on the Dark Island.” “An easy boon, my Lord,” answered Caspian, and added with a shudder. “Ask you: I should think not. I would give all my treasure not to hear it.”
“Sire,” said Drinian, [...] the clock round myself.”	“Sire,” said Drinian, [...] the clock round myself”
So all afternoon with great joy they sailed south-east with a fair wind. But nobody noticed when the albatross had disappeared.	So all afternoon with great joy they sailed south-east with a fair wind, and the hump of darkness grew smaller and smaller astern. But nobody noticed when the albatross had disappeared.