Polly Plummer

Lore & Background

Polly is introduced in The Magician's Nephew—which is the sixth book in the series to be published, but is the first in the internal chronology of Narnia. One day, while exploring the inner roof space in the row of terrace houses, the children accidentally enter the study of Digory's Uncle Andrew. He offers Polly a yellow ring as a gift which causes her to vanish as soon as she touches it. Uncle Andrew blackmails Digory into following her with another ring in order to bring her back. Digory finds himself (with Polly) in the Wood between the Worlds. They realize that if they are careful, they can use this Wood in the same way as the inner roof space in the terrace houses; linking to all the worlds. Polly and Digory decide to try a nearby pool and travel to the ruined city of Charn on a dead world that has a dying sun. There, against Polly's advice, Digory breaks an enchantment that releases Jadis, the future White Witch. Jadis follows the children back through the Wood to London. After returning home and being confined to her room for missing dinner and having wet shoes and stockings from jumping in puddles, Polly helps Digory return Jadis to the Wood, and they attempt to return her to Charn. Instead, the pool they choose takes them to the new world of Narnia, where they witness its first dawning and the creation of life by Aslan. Polly, Digory, and a cabby and his horse (who were brought along by mistake) are the only ones not alarmed by Aslan or his singing. After the world is created, the children and the flying talking horse Fledge (Strawberry, the Cabby's roan horse who has been transformed) fly to a walled garden in the Western Wild to retrieve a magical apple. This apple, when planted, grows into a tree that serves to protect the young land of Narnia. Aslan gave Digory an apple from the newly planted tree to heal his sick mother. Polly and Digory then return to England, where he heals his mother and buries the apple core and the rings around it. Digory later moves away to a great house that his parents inherited from a great uncle. Polly spends nearly every holiday at their house in the country, and she and Digory remain close friends all their lives. Polly's stolidity, friendship, morality, and sense of caution counterbalance Digory's drive, aggression, and grief. Polly's role is one of emotional and moral support (and challenge) to Digory, who is written as the protagonist. Her own sense of adventure, discovery, and wonder are no less than Digory's, however, and her experience of Narnia and the spiritual enlightenment and security that their encounter with Aslan provides give both her and Digory the basis for a significant platonic friendship throughout their lives.

In Their Own Story

The air hummed with a sound deeper than thunder. Polly stood on fresh green grass, her boots sinking slightly into soil that had never known plow or foot. Beside her, Digory looked stunned, his eyes wide as the stars themselves seemed to lean down. A great lion roared, but it was not a roar of anger; it was a song. "Do you hear it?" Polly whispered, clutching the edge of her coat. "He is making everything." Jadis stood nearby, silent and pale against the vibrant new world. She looked at the girl with cold calculation. Polly did not flinch. She knew this magic was not for taking but for giving. As the first trees swayed in a wind that had just been born, Polly Plummer realized she would never be the same child who climbed fences in London.

Reader's Guide

Polly Plummer serves as the steadfast companion to Digory Kirke, prioritizing caution and moral integrity over glory. While her journey begins in London in 1900, it expands across worlds when curiosity leads them astray. She acts as a grounding force against reckless magic, often reminding Digory of their duty. Though brave enough to face Jadis, she remains sensible enough to know when to stop. Her arc transforms from a neighborly friend into a custodian of sacred history. By witnessing the birth of Narnia, she internalizes a truth that few others ever comprehend. She embodies the courage required for ordinary people to touch destiny without losing their humanity. Key skills include sharp intuition and loyalty.

Did You Know?

• Polly Plummer appears in only two of the seven Narnia books: The Magician's Nephew and The Last Battle.
• In The Magician's Nephew, Polly is 11 years old and lives in London, England in 1900.
• Polly uses her attic as a hide-out where she drinks ginger beer and is gradually writing a private story that she does not share with Digory.
• Polly is the first human to touch Narnian soil, as she and Digory step into the new world together.
• In The Last Battle, Polly is an adult of 60 and is killed in a railway accident, after which she is transported to Aslan's country.