Consciously Rejecting the Magic – The Cases of Susan Pevensie and Petunia Dursley

Most characters in fantasy novels seem to be irresistibly drawn towards the world of magic, whether they can actually reach it or not. This paper deals with the special situations of Susan Pevensie in C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia and Petunia Dursley in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Having had contact with magic, these two women find the strength to renounce dreaming about a reality that has closed its doors to them and build a “normal” functional life for themselves.