The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe less common research angles by scholars of "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" is the political, particularly with respect to the Cold War. One scholar, Roger Chapman, focuses on the underlying theme of the Cold War and Lewis' "negative attitudes" towards Totalitarianism. It is speculated that this theme of war contributes to the massive popularity of "The Chronicles of Narnia" novels. The characters are on a quest to help Narnia, much like the west was doing; launching a quest against communism. The trials many of the children face in Narnia are comparable to those children faced in resilience to
The Chronicles of Narnia and ideas from Greek and Roman mythology as well as from traditional British and Irish fairy tales. The books have profoundly influenced adult and children's fantasy literature since World War II. Lewis's exploration of themes not usually present in children's literature, such as religion, as well as the books' perceived treatment of issues including race and gender, has caused some controversy. Although Lewis originally conceived what would become "The Chronicles of Narnia" in 1939 (the picture of a Faun with parcels in a snowy wood has a history dating to 1914), he did not finish writing the first book "The