An Introduction to The Screwtape Letters
Angels and Devils: The Thoughts and Philosophy of Screwtape
Jul 28, 2008 Sabrina Louise Webb
An Introduction to C.S Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis, or C.S Lewis as he is popularly known is most well known for his children’s stories, The Chronicles of Narnia. However, he has penned over 30 books which have been translated into as many languages; and he remains a much loved author throughout the world.
A Short Biography of C.S Lewis
C.S Lewis was born in Belfast in November 1898 to Albert and Flora Hamilton Lewis; he was the younger of the couple’s two sons. Growing up, Lewis hated the boarding school he attended in England, following the death of his mother from cancer in 1908. Lewis moved schools around 1910 and found his newest school much more enjoyable. His interests included classic literature, poetry and foreign languages.
In 1916 Lewis attended the University of Oxford; however, world war one interrupted and Lewis volunteered for service. Upon the end of the war, he resumed his studies at Oxford. His specialities included Greek, Latin and English literature and Philosophy.
Following his graduation, Lewis took up a teaching post at Oxford; in 1935 he moved to Cambridge University to continue teaching until his death in 1963.
Lewis and Christianity
Lewis was a Christian for the majority of his life; his religious views are visible throughout his work. Perhaps the most prominent example of this was in his book The Screwtape Letters.
The Screwtape Letters
The Screwtape letters are between the devil Screwtape and his ‘nephew’ Wormwood, concerning a ‘patient’ which they are trying to secure in ‘our father’s house.’ During the course of the letters, Screwtape discusses ways of ensnaring the patient from the enemy’s (God) grasp.
Ultimately, Screwtape and Wormwood fail to secure the patient; he dies during the war, and goes to heaven:
‘There was a sudden clearing of his eyes (was there not?) as he saw you for the first time, and recognised the part you had in him and knew that you had it no longer.’ (Lewis, 2002, p.171)
This is most humiliating for Wormwood and Screwtape. As Lewis notes in the prologue of the novel, the devil cannot stand to be mocked:
‘The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn.’ (Lewis, 2002)
Messages Within the Novel
Perhaps the greatest message of the novel is simply, Love. God’s love for humans is unconditional and everlasting: this is something that the devil never could comprehend; indeed he was hurled from heaven partially for this reason:
Screwtape writes: ‘All His (God) talk about Love must be a disguise for something else – He must have some real motive for creating them…’ (Lewis, 2002, p.100) and he continues ‘He (the devil) admitted that he felt a real anxiety to know the secret (of unconditional love); the Enemy replied ‘’I wish with all my heart that you did.’
Following this conversation between God and his fallen angel, Screwtape notes that ‘Our Father’ was not forcibly thrown from Heaven but removed himself.
However, we must remind ourselves that the devil and his angels are liars: anything they say must be taken with a pinch of salt as it were, and cannot be trusted.
References:
Lewis, C.S., 2002, The Screwtape Letters, London: Harper Collins Publishers
Further Reading:
http://www.factmonster.com/spot/narnia-lewis.html
C.S. Lewis
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