Following The Thread Forward
Through my studies of C. S. Lewis I have become a huge fan, and thus student of George MacDonald. Lewis considered MacDonald one his earliest influences after reading Phantastes at the age of 16. I am reading MacDonald’s great faerie tale The Princess and the Goblin right now. In this great literary work MacDonald told the enchanting story of Princess Irene and her brave encounters with the goblins who threaten her kingdom. Through her adventures, Irene discovers inner strength, the importance of faith, and the value of listening to wise guidance. The message MacDonald conveys highlights the triumph of good over evil, the significance of trust in oneself and others, and the idea that courage often comes from unexpected sources.
There was a line in the book as I was reading this morning where Princess Irene was on an adventure following a thread from her grandmother. It was said that, “She rose at once, and found the thread. But the instant she tried to feel it backwards, it vanished from her touch. Forwards, it led her hand up to the heap of stones – backwards it seemed nowhere” (p. 64). This really made me think about our moving forward in life. We really don’t get to go backward.
Then I thought about the genius of MacDonald having the thread represent guidance, intuition, and the idea of trust in one’s instincts or inner direction. When the thread leads Princess Irene forward but disappears when she tries to trace it backwards, it symbolizes the importance of looking ahead and having faith in the path we are on, rather than dwelling on the past or second-guessing.
George MacDonald seemed to be conveying a lesson about the necessity of moving forward in life with confidence, even when faced with uncertainty. He encouraged us to trust our instincts and follow the guiding forces in our lives, rather than getting lost in doubts or regrets about what has already happened. The metaphor of the thread suggested that progress often requires faith and courage, and that the right path may not always be clear if we focus too much on what is behind us.
Byron's Babbles 
[…] it. Another post inspired by George MacDonald’s The Princess and the Goblin. Yesterday, I wrote Following The Thread Forward. Today, I am writing after reading the lines, “But in the meantime you must be content, I say, to […]
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