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Relationship Between Heaven And Hell In C. S. Lewis The Great Divorce

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“The Great Divorce” by C. S. Lewis is a fascinating and unique tale that tells of the afterlife, involving the relationship between Heaven and Hell. Because it is a book like no other, it causes readers to contemplate what the afterlife may be like. Therefore, because “The Great Divorce” is so distinctive and stimulating it has the ability to teach life lessons and to strike a nerve with people of all backgrounds.
In the book’s preface Lewis mentions that he did not intend for this book to express what he believed about Heaven and Hell, but rather to cause the readers to think about what Heaven and Hell really could be like, as the boundaries given in the Bible are decently sized. Therefore, the pictures of Heaven and Hell in “The Great Divorce” are exaggerated and designed more to cause one to contemplate rather than assume that what the book talks about are true and respectable opinions. In order for the reader to not judge what Lewis writes as what he believes, one must constantly keep in the back of his or her mind. The book was not made to question the facts …show more content…

The ghost is disgusted that she cannot see her son who had died earlier. The ghost does not understand why she cannot see her son when she gave all her love to him and no love to anyone else. The spirit tries to convince his sister to understand that although she has devoted all her love to one being it is in the wrong being, as, once again, the only way to get to Heaven is to believe in God and no one else. Therefore, although she has does have love in her heart she does not have love for God. The Spirit also tells her that if she loves God, she will truly love her son and her selfish love would turn into real love. Through this conversation Lewis again explains how, while on earth one must not put all their love into one earthly thing or person but in the Almighty

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C.S. Lewis was a Christian writer who was able to understand deeply about the world around him, what God had done in his life, and what he could do for others. He instilled the Christian faith in everything he wrote as seen in his well-known book, “The Screwtape Letters.” In this story, the “affectionate uncle” Screwtape was talking to his nephew Wormwood about his patient and what Wormwood could do to persuade his patient’s soul for the “Father Below.” Screwtape, a demon, was highly concerned to teach Wormwood, his nephew and apprentice, the law of undulation so that it would allow Wormwood to understand man’s nature in regards to the Law of Undulation, the “Enemy’s” tactics during the two phases of undulation, and how to use the trough phase

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Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters explores the struggles of temptations that mankind goes through before and after they become Christians. By taking advantage of vanity, pride, and pleasures, Wormwood attempts to lure the patient into Satan’s camp with the guidance of Screwtape. The Law of Undulation is where a person goes through a series of troughs and peaks and is presented with the options of growing closer to God or falling into temptation. During and after World War II, people began questioning religion and the role it played in their lives. This was a great valley in which many were presented with conflicting views.

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C.S. Lewis, a christian apologist writer wrote Mere Christianity in the nineteen-forties during world war two. Lewis wrote Mere Christianity in attempt to bring together a “common ground” of truths for the core of the Catholic Church’s beliefs. Mere Christianity shows readers logical ways of understanding the Catholic faith and he is presenting this central idea to help comprehend such ideas. The preface of Lewis’s Mere Christianity sets forth his ideas and arguments. Lewis is trying to convince readers his argument is credible and trustworthy, he is trying to get readers to understand his positioning and he is trying to give a sense of clarity.

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He comes to terms at the end, saying that “sin was what you took and didn’t give back.” This literary work is told through the use of several rhetorical devices, including imagery, symbolism, and

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This confrontation also results in Lewis explaining his true ideas about love and

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Dante’s Inferno is an epic poem by Durante “Dante” degli Alighieri, written in the 1300s. He wrote a trilogy, known as the Divine Comedy, consisting of Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise. Dante was inspired by many events and issues happening at that time, such as the war between Guelphs and Ghibellines, the Battle of Montaperti, and Christian religious beliefs. In this paper, I will explore the first book, Inferno, on the topic of Hell and how the sinners had a significant impact on Dante’s journey through Hell. In Circle 5: Styx, Canto VIII, Filippo Argenti, a sinner of Wrathful, helped Dante to symbolize to readers his anger towards Black Guelphs, political enemies of the White Guelphs.

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In C. S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce, Lewis is arguing that Hell is not necessarily a place where wicked people who detest God end up; Hell is a place that offers people exactly what they want. The Great Divorce presents “the reason for Hell,” which is people choosing their own wishes over God (Gibson 110). This novel reveals that the self-imprisonment of one’s greatest dreams can lead to infernal results (Gibson 113). In The Great Divorce, Lewis uses Dantean structure, the nature of Grey Town, and the various Ghosts’ interviews to prove that to live in Hell is to receive and accept everything except God and his will.

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