ipl-logo

Analysis Of C. L. Lewis Screwtape Letters

835 Words4 Pages

In the book, Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis wrote from the perspective of an experienced tempter, who gave advice on tempting humans to his young nephew, Wormwood. Being posed with the question: does C. L. Lewis’ style effectively warns the readers of Screwtape Letters of the methods that Satan uses, or does the style encourage us to be sympathetic to Screwtape or Wormwood?, I believe that Lewis’s style was an effective teaching method and there are three lessons that can be learned from the book: a lesson on prayer, a lesson on not worrying about the future and a lesson on gluttony.
The first lesson that can be learned from Screwtape letters was on prayer. In the third letter, Screwtape instructed his nephew to have his “patient” avoid …show more content…

In his letters, Screwtape advised Wormwood to have his human think of the future fear as his appointed cross. Screwtape also explained that nearly all vices are rooted in the future, as "fear avarice, lust, and ambition look ahead." (Lewis, 76) Screwtape encouraged Wormwood to have the "patient" put his heart and treasure in the future. Screwtape expounded on the reason behind those strategies, saying that Because resigning oneself to multiple different conflicting fates at once is impossible, "What the Enemy means by this is primarily that he should accept with patience the tribulation which has actually been dealt out to him- the present anxiety and suspense. It is about this that he is to say 'thy will be done'". (Lewis, 25) We should not fear the future, instead, we should focus on our present trouble. Screwtape explained that although God wants us to either focus on the present or eternity, he wants us to think about the future, but only to plan out tomorrow's work. God absolutely does not want us to give the future our hearts as the Bible states in Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be

Show More
Related

Summary Of C. S. Lewis The Screwtape Letters

1007 Words | 5 Pages

Written by C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters take place in England during World War 2. The book is an epistolary novel, told in the form of thirty-one letters, written by Screwtape, a superior demon, and addressed to his nephew, a lower demon called Wormwood. In the book Screwtape responds to Wormwood’s letter as to how to get a human, called a patient throughout the novel, to shy away from Christianity and Jesus Christ, known as the Enemy”. At the beginning of the book C.S. Lewis does two things: he dedicates the book to his friend and author of the Lord of The Rings Trilogy, J. R. R. Tolkien, and quotes Martin Luther, the founder of Protestantism, and Thomas More, a Catholic saint.

Read More

Nathan Price In The Poisonwood Bible

445 Words | 2 Pages

In this chapter, Foster discusses the portrayal of Christ-like figures throughout literature. An allusion to Christ may include: uncanny knowledge of scripture, being good with children, being alone in the wilderness and being burdened with the task of redeeming a sinful world - all of which are traits that Nathan Price from The Poisonwood Bible exhibits or distorts. Nathan Price serves as an ironic depiction of Christ. Like Jesus, Nathan is intimately familiar with the Bible and can summon any portion of it from memory to support his arguments, such as when Anatole tells the Price family why the Kongolese people are not receptive to Nathan’s family. However, Nathan is abusive and dismissive towards anyone who disagrees with him, especially his children and wife, a perversion of

Read More

Adams Arrangement Letter Analysis

237 Words | 1 Pages

In the most recent couple of weeks of Adams' organization, before President Thomas Jefferson took office, Congress approved the arrangement of 42 judges of the peace in the District of Columbia and Alexandria, Virginia. President Adams made arrangements to these positions, and the Senate affirmed them on March 3, the day preceding Jefferson took office. The formal letters reporting the arrangements were to be conveyed by the Secretary of State's Office. Notwithstanding, not the greater part of the commissions were conveyed by the due date that night. William Marbury was one of those judges of the peace delegated by Adams who neglected to get his arrangement letter (bonus) on time.

Read More

Essay On Screwtape Letter

1186 Words | 5 Pages

While Satan, “Our Father Below,” is a self-loving, deceitful father. When everyone agrees that Lewis’s style of writing is instructive. Some say Lewis wrote the book for people to understand and feel sympathy for Satan and his followers “demons”. Lewis’s style of writing makes one better equip to reorganize Satan’s subtle deceptions in three ways: it helps people recognize distractions in our thoughts, it helps people recognize distractions

Read More

Screwtape Letter Character Analysis

670 Words | 3 Pages

To fail, in faith, we must first succeed in doubt and fear. For Wormwood and Screwtape to succeed in their victim falling from faith they must first feed him full of fear and doubt. Throughout the Screwtape Letters, both demons try to bring their subject to worship their father by practicing tactics that lead and misdirect their human to fall from his faith in Christianity. Fear, doubt, and insecurity are the first and foremost tools of misdirection that Screwtape tries to employ Wormwood to exploit. “The immediate fear and suffering of the humans is a legitimate and pleasing refreshment for our myriads of toiling workers”.

Read More

Exploring Hope In Sandra Brown's 'Mean Streak'

724 Words | 3 Pages

When should one surrender? For the reason of hope and not surrender Sandra Brown, Dr. Charles Raison, and Gina Kolata previously wrote why it is important to look forward. They composed their work so it demonstrates the point of view of both the doctor and patient. Hope allows one to obtain an expectation in an unpredictable situation.

Read More

On The Rainy River Summary

1276 Words | 6 Pages

The conception of such leads to an internal moral conflict where one compares and weighs the consequences of their fates. Conflicted with multiple impending fates, the individual has a choice to either embrace their uncertain fate, knowing they cannot prevent such, or reject their uncertain destiny, becoming negligent toward the possibilities of what is to come. When an individual is tasked with dealing with a future in which their lives are on the line, they will undergo the depiction of many futures. The result of which, will prompt the individual to either accept their fates, knowing that their fates are not preventable, or, challenge their futures, leading to the neglecting of what lies within the uncertain future; the futures born from ones

Read More

Who Is C. S. Lewis The Screwtape Letter

1393 Words | 6 Pages

How much would every sin people have ever committed affect someone’s everyday life? The Screwtape Letters, a religious fiction novel by C.S. Lewis, is in the form of letters that go back and forth between two devils, though the readers only hear the point of view of the Senior Demon. The Patient struggles to lead an honest, Christian life when given temptations to Hell. Wormwood, Screwtape’s Nephew, struggles with seducing into winning his soul for hell and sinning, Screwtape gives his abundant advice. However, it is never specific, and Wormwood fails to convert the patient.

Read More

Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God Language Analysis

492 Words | 2 Pages

In the sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, Jonathan Edwards, the sermon’s author, used multiple techniques such as figurative language, image interpretation and use of pathos to ensure his purpose gets through to the audience. Through the uses of figurative languages like metaphors, personification, similes, and oxymorons, Edwards creates vivid, visual images that provoke emotions in the audience, swaying them towards his purpose in which he stresses that people need to change before God, with his almighty power, destroys them all. For example one use of figurative language that illustrates an image for the audience is, “and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of hell, than a spider’s web would have to stop a falling rock.” In this example, Edwards uses a simile, a type of figurative language, to evoke fear and negative emotion in the audience by displaying a visual image of a spider’s web blocking a heavy rock.

Read More

The Theme Of The Screwtape Letters

454 Words | 2 Pages

In the novel, The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis, a theme that is conveyed is that we must have resilience in the face of adversity within our faith lives. This theme is supported throughout the book when the Patient is given many temptations, or distractions, that he must overcome. One instance where this theme is supported is when the Patient is encouraged to become acquainted with the wrong crowd. These people are poor influences on the Patient and will eventually lead him to stray away from God.

Read More

Pride In Jane Eyre And The Turn Of The Screw

169 Words | 1 Pages

The protagonist from “The Turn of the Screw”, is perceived to be despearate as she tries to achieve her dream but her personal pride leads her to an unstable condition. The author depicts the Governess believing that to attain her goal of gaining attentionby her employer, she must be a hero. Therefore, she invents lies about seeing her predessors haunting her pupils. Nonetheless, the more times James makes the Governess mention the ghosts the more she believes they are real and they, “want to get them (the children)” (82). The Governess is blinded by making it appear she sees the ghosts that she looses herself in her own lies leading her to an unstable condition of not knowing what is real or not.

Read More

Menghao Alternate Ending

1656 Words | 7 Pages

"The secret to have a noble spirit, then to have a fearless heart, eight mountains hold in their hearts, is a Director of the mountain then sea until nine when accommodated in the bottom of the sea, to

Read More

Julius Caesar Fate Vs Free Will

1004 Words | 5 Pages

It is as inevitable as their fates. What one does with their days shows their character. Knowing that death will come soon is no reason to hang back and miss out on living. The truly courageous ones are the ones who make a great and honorable life for themselves, while still having a deadly prophecy hanging over their head. Free will allows one to transcend the boundaries of fate, which will be forever hovering

Read More

Choosing To Know The Future In Oedipus The King

1015 Words | 5 Pages

The wanting to know your future plagues everyone in society. It is like a bug that gets inside of you making you lose your mind over the fact of the way of not knowing is the only way that is going to kill you. For the ones who know the future live in fear. The ones who don 't know are still living in that fear.

Read More

Allegory In Dante's Inferno Essay

413 Words | 2 Pages

In order for one’s message to influence their readers, they must do one thing: connect. If an author does not connect their reader’s previous knowledge with their story’s overall message, the message will never reach the reader. In order to create this connection, an author may use literary devices. Literary devices in The Inferno by Dante Alighieri produce understanding. These literary devices aid in a pagan’s comprehension of the allegory.

Read More

More about Analysis Of C. L. Lewis Screwtape Letters

Related Topics

Open Document