Puzzle

Personality

Kind, gullible, humble to the point of self-erasure, Puddleglum is not wicked : he is weak. He lacks confidence in his own moral judgment, which was nevertheless correct.

Perspective and analysis

Puddleglum raises a delicate question : what is the responsibility of someone who obeys without understanding ? Lewis judges him with leniency. Puddleglum acted wrongly, but out of naivety, and he is forgiven. He is a comforting figure for all those who have been led astray. It also reminds us that listening to one’s conscience matters more than believing oneself to be “clever”.

A misunderstood figure

Puddleglum is sometimes seen as a simple comic character. Upon rereading, he is one of the most touching figures in the last book. He sees the evil before the others, but does not dare trust his own conscience when faced with someone more eloquent than he is.

Relationships

• Shift  : the monkey who dominates him, flatters him, and disguises him.
• Jill  : who frees him from the stable and befriends him.
• Aslan  : who greets him gently at the end.

Name

In English, Puddleglum means “muddy puddle” or “muddy water”.

Symbolism

Puddleglum is the weak one manipulated : guilty of folly, not of malice. Aslan first speaks to him in a low voice, and what he says makes Puddleglum lower his long ears, then raise them again. The reader will never know more. Some see in this donkey an echo of the ass of Palm Sunday.