The White Witch is a significant character in C.S. Lewis' novel "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." She is also known as the Queen of Narnia, and her real name is Jadis. The White Witch is portrayed as a beautiful and cunning sorceress who has ruled over Narnia for a hundred years. Jadis is known for her icy blue eyes, pale skin, and cold demeanor.
Let's say your setting allows you to enchant weapons to have powerful magical effects upon contact with the target. That could obviously make swords and bows strong enough to deliver as much of a punch as guns. But of course then comes the obvious question: why don't you enchant the guns in a similar way?
Put powerful enchantments on a sword or an arrowhead, and you ll get plenty of use out of that enchantment before the object takes enough damage that it needs to be reforged and, of course, re-enchanted. Yet coupled with the party s newfound intolerance for religious expression and ethnic separatism, this boost in the stocks of the UFWD may have more profound effects within China s borders.
Jadis is known for her icy blue eyes, pale skin, and cold demeanor. She is described as tall and intimidating, with a regal presence. She is often seen wearing a white fur coat, which symbolizes her connection to the winter season.
China: magic weapons and “plausible deniability”
Attention has understandably focused on the designs abroad of the United Front Work Department, yet more profound effects may be felt within China’s borders.
- China
This article is based on Episode 20 of The Little Red Podcast with Gerry Groot of the University of Adelaide. We’re also pleased to announce The Little Red Podcast is a finalist in this year’s Australian Podcast Awards, in the News and Current Affairs category.
Xi Jinping’s radical overhaul of the Chinese bureaucracy is not, as Xinhua would have you believe, just about streamlining government administration and reducing “red tape”. A host of state agencies that once stood between the public and the Chinese Communist Party have been done away with.
One of the chief beneficiaries is the United Front Work Department (UFWD), the same department whose influence operations have made headline news in Australia.
Government bodies, including the Religious Affairs Bureau, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, and the State Council’s Office of Overseas Chinese Affairs, have been absorbed by the UFWD. While the “nameplate” of these offices will likely be maintained for foreign consumption, the move demonstrates the importance Xi places on the party’s nearly century-old United Front strategy.
The strategy was developed during the 1920s and 1930s to ensure the survival of the CCP, to undermine the Nationalists from within, and to raise funds among the diaspora. Mao nominated it as one of the three “magic weapons” that brought victory in the civil war, yet held a deep suspicion of cadres involved in United Front work.
It involved collaboration with those outside the “natural constituencies” of the party, such as capitalists, intellectuals, and religious leaders. The mission was a simple wartime approach: win over or eliminate. Ironically, cadres who tried to defend United Front allies after the CCP took power, such as revolutionary leaders Liu Shaoqi and Zhou Enlai, soon found themselves in Mao’s cross hairs.
While the recent rise of the UFWD was in train under Hu Jintao, what was once only paid lip service has been given higher status under Xi. The UFWD now outranks the CCP’s Organisation Bureau and Propaganda Department. The University of Adelaide’s Gerry Groot argues that Xi has made his endorsement absolutely clear by appearing at numerous United Front functions:
It shows every official downstream that if Xi is taking it seriously, we should too. Now they’re going to be called to account. With the anti-corruption campaign and all these other imperatives, to be seen to be not doing something will be seen to be a political act.
This is not merely a shift in the wind’s direction – Xi has added 40,000 cadres to the UFWD’s ranks. Given that China’s substantial aid program was until last month run by less than 100 officials in the Department of Foreign Aid, this is a staggering increase of personnel in a system where the party strictly controls the nomenklatura.
Attention has understandably focused on the UFWD’s designs abroad, with Xi vowing “to fight the bloody battle against our enemies … with a strong determination to take our place in the world”. Yet coupled with the party’s newfound intolerance for religious expression and ethnic separatism, this boost in the stocks of the UFWD may have more profound effects within China’s borders.
Groot sees parallels with the United Front’s approach to capitalists in the 1950s, which moved from peaceful coexistence and different forms of ownership to “assimilation and confiscation” when Mao declared socialism realised in 1956. Under Hu and Jiang, religious and ethnic expression was tolerated, and even encouraged. Not so under Xi.
Groot speculates that Xi’s confidence in the social, political, cultural, and economic dominance of Han China is such to believe the CCP can force assimilation:
That might explain why those 40,000 people were employed, to help push this transition through.
To understand the complicated implications of United Front work for Australia, I encourage you to listen to the episode. Rather than naming the UFWD’s foot soldiers in Australia – ground covered by Clive Hamilton and Alex Joske in their submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security – Groot offers the example of the fictitious “Australian Association for Buddhists from Guangxi” to illustrate the importance of “plausible deniability” for UFWD activities in Australia:
It could represent all those people, or it could only represent a couple of people. A lot of these groups are created by entrepreneurs who try to parlay community associations into political influence in Australia. Or they’re doing it deliberately to curry favor with the United Front Department and get benefits that way.
If you have something specific say on Chinese Muslims, [and] there’s a discussion in Australia about policy in China regarding Muslims, then the tendency of the Australian media is to balance. So they’ll look for a community organisation to balance the claims of someone else, and they naturally come to these sorts of organisations, which then endorse the party line.
It’s a wonderful advantage for the United Front Department because it allows all sorts of plausible deniability.
Denials about UFWD operations in Australia are sure to continue. Sharp divisions are emerging among policymakers and scholars about how serious a threat UFWD operations pose: one scholar’s threat to sovereignty is another’s panicky comments.
It’s important for China scholars to keep an open mind and not to line up neatly along friend–enemy lines. If China scholars continue to feel the need to launch ad hominem attacks on those who disagree with their views about CCP influence operations, nothing will please the UFWD more.
It’s a wonderful advantage for the United Front Department because it allows all sorts of plausible deniability.
As the White Witch, Jadis has cast a spell on Narnia, turning it into a perpetual winter. She enforces strict laws and rules with an iron fist, causing fear and oppression among the creatures of Narnia. The White Witch is also known for her use of dark magic and her ability to turn her enemies into stone. Despite her beauty, the White Witch is portrayed as an evil and ruthless character. She is driven by power and a desire to maintain control over Narnia. She is known for her manipulation and deception, often tricking others to achieve her goals. One of the main conflicts in the story revolves around the White Witch's desire to kill the four Pevensie children, who are prophesied to bring about her downfall. She fears the return of Aslan, the true ruler of Narnia, and goes to great lengths to prevent his return. Throughout the novel, the White Witch's power and control over Narnia gradually weaken. This is largely due to the arrival of the four Pevensie children and their alliance with Aslan. Aslan sacrifices himself to save Edmund, one of the children who had fallen under the White Witch's spell. This act of selflessness weakens the White Witch's power and ultimately leads to her defeat. In conclusion, the White Witch is a formidable and iconic character in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." She symbolizes evil, oppression, and the struggle between good and evil. Her actions and motivations drive much of the plot and conflict in the story, making her a memorable antagonist..
Reviews for "The White Witch's Role in Propelling the Plot and Driving the Conflict in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe"
1. John - 2/5 - I was really disappointed with the portrayal of the White Witch in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe". She was supposed to be this formidable, terrifying villain, but instead, she came off as weak and unconvincing. The actress lacked the commanding presence that I imagined the White Witch to have. Additionally, the character lacked depth and complexity, making her feel one-dimensional and uninteresting. Overall, I felt let down by this interpretation of such an iconic literary villain.
2. Sarah - 3/5 - While I enjoyed "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" overall, I wasn't completely sold on the portrayal of the White Witch. I felt that the actress did a decent job in terms of her performance, but the costume design and makeup fell short. The White Witch is supposed to be this breathtakingly beautiful and alluring character, but in this adaptation, she looked more like a generic evil queen. I wish they had taken more creative liberties to bring out the enchanting and mesmerizing qualities of the White Witch.
3. Michael - 2/5 - The portrayal of the White Witch in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" was severely lacking in ferocity and intimidation. I expected her character to be truly terrifying, but instead, she came across as more annoying than anything. Her attempts to be menacing were feeble, and her dialogue delivery seemed forced. The overall effect was a disappointment, as the White Witch is such a crucial element of the story. The casting and performance of the White Witch in this adaptation failed to capture the essence of her character, leaving me underwhelmed.