Screwtape's The Patient: An Analysis Of Characters

The interesting part about this novel is that I can compare the “patient” with almost anyone and I think that was the original purpose behind why that particular character is unnamed. I will try to compare this character with my uncle, Keith. He is not a Christian so I would think right now he would have been in a similar position as the “patient” in the beginning of the story. They both are probably associating with more stable, but materialistic friends, which isn’t good though. Screwtape explains,”I was delighted to hear from Triptweeze that your patient has made some very desirable new acquaintances and that you seem to have used this event in a really promising manner. I gather that the middle-aged married couple who called at his office are just the sort of people we want him to know--rich, smart, superficially intellectual, and brightly skeptical about everything in the world.” (Lewis, pg. 49) These would be the sort friends, my uncle has unfortunately. Now that is not for sure because I don

Sadly, Keith doesn’t go to church for reasons other than my aunt goes though. The both of them have a sense of vanity when comes to looking slick for others which is understandable but it is a similarity. Screwtape says,”And you seem to have made good use of all his social, sexual, and intellectual vanity.” (Lewis, pg. 49) The difference between there vanities is that one wants to have stylish, intellectual friends while my uncle likes to have more expensive and fancy things. Later the patient starts to attend church and so that becomes a similarity as well. My uncle is very friendly and joyful, and you can’t tell if the patient is kind or friendly or if he is kind of a grumpy old man. Those are a few of the similarities and differences between my uncle and the patient from The Screwtape