Smith’s work is deeply influenced by the literary philosophy of the Inklings, an informal group of Oxford scholars and writers active in the 1930s and 1940s, most famously including J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. Central to their approach was the concept of the “moral imagination,” the idea that fantasy narratives can shape a reader’s understanding of virtue and ethics not through direct instruction but through story, symbol, and myth. Lewis, for instance, believed that fiction can “baptize the imagination,” preparing the heart to receive truths that reason alone cannot (Dearborn, Kerry. “The Baptized Imagination.” The Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University, 2004). By embedding concepts like sacrifice, redemption, and courage into fantastical worlds, as Lewis did with Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia series (the first book of which is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), these authors sought to cultivate a reader’s moral sensibilities. For the Inklings, fantasy was a potent vehicle for conveying truth by making it meaningful and resonant on an emotional and imaginative level. 

The Inklings’ tradition is evident in The Green Ember. Smith has cited both Tolkien and Lewis as major inspirations, saying that the Lord of the Rings series “has made [him], more than almost any other book […] love the things (and persons) [he] ought to love” (Mesa, Ivan. “On My Shelf: Life and Books With S.D. Smith.” Christian Living, 18 Sept. 2017). His narrative reflects the Inklings’ focus on heroic virtue and moral formation. The story presents a world where courage, loyalty, and hope aren’t just abstract ideals but are embodied in the actions of characters like Heather and Picket. The central conflict between the noble rabbits and the predatory wolves and birds is a classic struggle between good and evil. The lore of King Jupiter, his betrayal, and the longing for the Mended Wood creates a mythological framework that, like the worlds of Tolkien and Lewis, explores themes of loss, duty, and hope, thereby engaging the reader’s moral imagination.