Arguably, Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the novel which shows the most influence of Lewis' Irish background. It is reminiscent of the Immram genre of Irish literature.[13][14] Lewis draws inspiration from the Medieval text The Voyage of Saint Brendan, a clear example of the Immram. Lewis' characters follow the plot of St. Brendan's voyage almost exactly, showing the influence of the classic Celtic fable.[15] However, unlike such voyages, Dawn Treader travels East rather than West, maybe because Lewis wanted to signify new beginnings and rebirth, as opposed to the traditional connotation of death and closure associated with heading west.[16]
The novel also underscores the idea of Aslan representing Jesus Christ. In the end of the novel Aslan appears as a lamb which has been used as a symbol for him, in a scene evoking the Gospel of John 21:9.[17]
Eustace's transformation into a dragon in the presence of gold recalls the fate of Fáfnir in Norse myth. Had Eustace been educated to know about myths and fairytales, he would have known that dragons' gold is cursed.
In chapter 13, Ulysses in Dante's Inferno (Canto 26 v.112-119) is closely paraphrased by one of the three lords when they reach Ramandu's island.
Mary Coombe noted that "The Fifth book of Rabelais' Gargantua and Pantagruel depicts a King with his loyal followers sailing in a ship, stopping at various islands and having strange adventures. To be sure, in Lewis' handling of the same theme, the details of the King, his retinue and the islands they visit are all very different from those of Rabelais.(...) Lewis considered Rabelais to be mainly 'a teller of coarse jokes'. It might have appealed to Lewis to take up a theme from Rabelais and treat it in a less coarse way. In particular, the quest undertaken by Pantagruel and his companions is entirely and manifestly farcical, while that of Caspian is conducted very earnestly indeed."[18]
