Common Themes In C. S. Lewis The Great Divorce

At first glance, The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis might seem like a sympathetic fantasy, but when you search deeper into its roots, a whole universe of analogies is found. Connections found in the book not only add contrast to the Bible but also introduce the reader to new ideas. Religion and differences between heaven and hell are one of many themes that correspond to Christianity and other beliefs. C.S. Lewis is an outstanding author that gives purpose to ordinary themes like sin, free will, and Christianity.

Throughout this novel, sin is shown numerous times each with a unique connection to the other, that derives a deeper meaning of the theme. An example of sin first occurs in chapter four, when the Big Ghost reconnects with a spirit named

Len explains that if the Big Ghost can “make a poor mouth,” (quote from where it is) as Len did before dying, he too will be born again. Upon listening to Len, the Big Ghost is furious and with a sudden rage, responds to the spirit stating, “If they’re too fine to have me without you, I’ll go home.”(Lewis 31). The Big Ghost is shocked by his standings of being placed below a murderer and refuses to take “charity” from Len. In chapter five 5, another interaction takes place between the fat ghost and Dick, which unveils the characters’ sin. The fat ghost starts by telling Dick that the Ggrey Ttown, can be a type of Hell heaven. Dick the spirit responds in opposition, stating that there is heaven and hell and that if the fat ghost is to repent, he too will see the real heaven. As repeated by past ghosts, the fat ghost refuted Dick’s request and retold himself that the Grey Towngrey town is superior. Lastly, the interaction of the Artist, a ghost, (a ghost) and the spirit taking place in chapter nine 9 further proves the common effect of sin. At their first connection, the spirit is

The first appearance of this theology takes place in the first couple of pages, where people have the choice to ride the bus to The Vally of the Shadow of life. The Narrator, one of few, decides to ride, while several others choose to remain. For some, taking a leap of faith and preceding to the unknown is unthinkable, whereas, for some, it's an adventure. The people who remain in the Ggrey Ttown are too stubborn and unwilling to lose what they have, so they choose to stay. Other examples of free will occur at the so-called middle ground, where the spirits roam around. A common repeated outcome that mostly all ghosts resort to is returning to the Ggreay Ttown, but in chapter Eleven 11, one ghost, with a lizard, decides to do things differently. In this story, the lizard the ghost carried was his weakness holding him back, representing lust. When he finally decided to let go of the lizard, he transformed into something great and was on the path to salvation. This further proves that there is free will, for the narrator, and everyone else, it is only up to them to choose their path. Revelation 3:20 says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Lastly, free will is shown through the game of chess at the end of the book. At first, the Narrator is confused but later realizes that the