Maybe I read more into it, but I thought enchantment was also involved?
(My imagining was of some light chocolate treat... the kind that melts in your mouth and is almost impossible to overeat.)
(My imagining was of some light chocolate treat... the kind that melts in your mouth and is almost impossible to overeat.)
"Probably the Queen knew quite well what he was thinking; for she knew, though Edmund did not, that this was enchanted Turkish Delight and that anyone who had once tasted it would want more and more of it, and would even, if they were allowed, go on eating it till they killed themselves."
http://www.shmoop.com/lion-witch-wardrobe/supernatural-quote...
The article actually points that out too, but glosses over it: "(To be fair, it was enchanted. But still, Edmund. Still.)"
Seems like an important point though. Yes, Edmund liked turkish delight enough to ask for it in the first place, but once he had the Queen's Turkish Delight he was more hopeless than a heroin addict desperate for their next fix.
As an aside, I can't believe we're debating Turkish Delight and "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" on Hacker News.
Yes. The enchantment would strongly affect Edmund. I am surprised the article author thinks this a trifle.
¹ - Assuming that the holocaust happened. It is my understanding that a lot of people deny that any ethnic minorities were killed by the Nazi regime and that the entire thing was fabricated, but the overwhelming opinion is that a number of people perished in the camps and a not insignificant amount of the survivors were severely maltreated.
In terms of reading more into it: I didn't get the impression that Edmund was willing to "sell everyone out" for a piece. More like, Edmund was willing to judge the white witch positively because she gave him attention and gifts. He became enchanted, both in the magical and in the mundane sense -- he was sure that she was telling the truth, that she had his best interests in mind, and therefore that anyone who viewed her negatively must have selfish ulterior motives. Whatever negative feelings he had about his siblings became magnified -- every memory of every white lie any of them had told, every mistake in judgement shown by any of them, became a reason to think they were now intentionally committing treason against the true and righteous queen of Narnia.
We've all seen that effect with someone becoming "enchanted" with a politician, celebrity, or religious figure. Their reasons for thinking highly of that person might be trivial or even stupid, but once they hold that opinion, they'll respond to criticism with anger. It's a pattern often seen with abusive relationships -- "he's just a great guy!" "he comes home drunk and chokes you" "YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS!!!!"