Guest Post by E. J., INTJ

The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis

Dominant Te: Jadis is, as others notice, “terribly practical.” She only focuses on what will work in the real world: ideas that cannot be implemented (and people who cannot be used) do not interest her. A very assertive woman, Jadis frequently gives direct commands and makes no attempt to soften her opinions for the ears of others. She has no moral qualms about lying, but her natural bluntness often limits her ability to deceive others. In attempting to corrupt Digory, she accidentally alerts him to the fact that he is being manipulated. She convinces the more vicious Narnian creatures to join her side through bribery. By the time she attempts to corrupt Edmund, Jadis has resorted to using magic food to essentially drug anyone she needs to control.

Auxiliary Ni: Jadis is a woman of one idea—power. No matter where she finds herself, she immediately focuses on achieving her master plan of total domination. Jadis is willing to endure personal discomfort in order to achieve her ultimate goals, and she ignores anything or anyone irrelevant to her overall purpose. Jadis is normally excellent at anticipating her enemies’ plans and quashing internal rebellion. Unfortunately, her hyperfocused Ni renders Jadis less perceptive than she thinks she is. Jadis normally assumes that she is surrounded by idiots, and this tendency leaves her unprepared to deal with Aslan. She seems to assume that his goodness somehow limits his capacity for insight. It does not occur to her that He would expect her to attack the Pevensies after His death and probably left countermeasures in place.

Tertiary Se: Most people (with the exception of Polly Plummer) consider Jadis breathtakingly beautiful. Jadis certainly has an eye for beauty, as her wardrobe—and her jewelry store robbery in London—indicate. But Jadis is also extremely strong and athletic. Even without the ability to use magic, she proves dangerous: she holds off an entire crowd of Londoners by herself. Jadis has excellent aim and is a superb horsewoman. In dangerous situations, Jadis is able to react quickly. She easily adjusts her fighting style and weaponry to confront changing circumstances.

Inferior Fi: Jadis believes that her behavior is appropriate, despite its obvious selfishness. When Digory and Polly express shock at her destruction of Charn, Jadis argues that great monarchs like herself cannot follow a moral system intended for commoners: “The weight of the world is on our shoulders. We must be freed from all rules.” Her disregard for other people’s rules ultimately brings about her downfall. Jadis initially hinders her own aims in Narnia by ignoring the prohibition against stealing from the walled garden. She also fails to understand the moral system undergirding Narnia, causing her attempted takeover to backfire.