Walnuts and Screwtapes

Written in the form of letters, The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis is an amusing and insightful correspondence between a senior devil, Screwtape, and his obstreperous and incompetent nephew, Wormwood, a "young fiend." Screwtape and Wormwood attempt to sway a young new Christian male from the the Kingdom of Heaven into the depths of hell. It shows the transition and progress the young man makes in order to live a Christian life which includes falling in love woth a young Christian woman, attending church regularly, and going to serve in the war. The experiences the young man encounters in the book could be compared to that of C.S. Lewis himself. There are two major themes that Lewis shows in this book and that is reasoning and faith as well as war. Reasining and faith are dislayed in this literary work and show the struggles of temptation that are presented by Satan and the struggle one must make to stay on a Christian belief system and path.War plays a large part in this work because most often when people think of war they assume physical contact between to serperate sides with clashing ideas. Lewis is attempting to represent the state of war that one has with themsleves, what you want to do versus what you should do as well as the difficulty in making the proper decisions and controversy one has with themselves over issues and choices. The Screwtape Letters were also made in a theatrical, off Broadway play.


"Written in defense of Christian faith, this popular satire consists of a series of 31letters in which Screwtape, an experienced devil, instructs his young charge, Wormwood, in the art of temptation. Confounded by church doctrines and a faithful Christian woman, their efforts are defeated when their subject—a World War II pilot—dies in a bombing raid with his soul at peace. Through his satiric use of the demonic narrative persona, Lewis examines the opposing sides in the battle between good and evil." - Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia

"Screwtape Letters, The." Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995): N.PAG. Literary Reference Center Plus. EBSCO. Web. 19 Apr. 2010.

Bookrags: the Screwtape Letters Study Guide. 2005. WEB. April 16, 2010. htttp://bookrags.com/studyguide-the-screwtape-letters/.com

Schakel, Peter J. "THE SATIRIC IMAGINATION OF C.S. LEWIS." Studies in the Literary Imagination 22.2 (1989): 129. Literary Reference Center Plus. EBSCO. Web. 19 Apr. 2010.

The Nuts of Narnia

If, in our current world, we live in a state where we, as subjects, are constantly separated from the objects we would know, and if this is indeed because we face a disconnection among matter, mind, and spirit, then the problem of thinking and experiencing, of abstract analysis and concrete awareness is clarified. - Starr

C.S. Lewis is most commonly known for the Chronicals of Narnia written between 1949 and 1954 which are a collection of books, seven, that follow the lives and experiences of four brothers and sister who travel to the land of Narnia and experiences different events and encounters. All four children do not appear in every book in the series and their roles vary depending on the novel. The books contain Christian ideas intended to be easily accessible to young readers. In addition to Christian themes, Lewis also borrows characters from Greek and Roman mythology as well as traditional British and Irish fairy tales. The representation of time in the book series is very prevalent especially when referencing terms like "it's always winter, never Christmas." Lewis references this idea and theme in several of the Narnia books series including The Lion, the Witch and Wardrobe, as well as the Silver Chair. Lewis also is able to show the importance of time when the young children travel back and worth between worlds. During certain time frames, the children are in Narna for hours, days, even years but when they return back home to England, no time has lapsed at all. In each of the Narnian Chronicles the same pattern appears, and each book ends with the restoration or renewal of good elements from the past.- Patterson. Lewis does a fine job of showing the transfromations and beliefs of the Christian ideas and thoughts through the representation of imagination and using vivid imagination and character roles.


Patterson, Nancy-Lou. "Always Winter and Never Christmas: Symbols of Time in Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia." Mythlore 18.1 (Autumn 1991): 10-14. Rpt. in Children's Literature Review. Ed. Tom Burns. Vol. 109. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Literature Resource Center. Web. 19 Apr. 2010.

Starr, Charlie W. "Meaning, meanings, and epistemology in C. S. Lewis." Mythlore 25.3-4 (2007): 161+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 19 Apr. 2010.

Major Nut Works

British author C.S. Lewis is accredited with several popular and distinguished works published during is writing career. The following are a list of his accumalative works. I am going to go into more detail about The Chronicles of Narnia and other works by the author in future posts.
Fiction
The Pilgrim's Regress (1933)
Space Trilogy
Out of the Silent Planet (1938)
Perelandra (aka Voyage to Venus) (1943)
That Hideous Strength (1946)
The Screwtape Letters (1942)
The Great Divorce (1945)
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)
Prince Caspian (1951)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)
The Silver Chair (1953)
The Horse and His Boy (1954)
The Magician's Nephew (1955)
The Last Battle (1956)
Till We Have Faces (1956)
Screwtape Proposes a Toast (1961) (an addition to The Screwtape Letters)
Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer (1964)
The Dark Tower (1977)
Boxen: The Imaginary World of the Young C. S. Lewis (ed. Walter Hooper, 1985)


Poetry
Spirits in Bondage (1919; published under pseudonym Clive Hamilton)
Dymer (1926; published under pseudonym Clive Hamilton)
Narrative Poems (ed. Walter Hooper, 1969; includes Dymer)
The Collected Poems of C. S. Lewis (ed. Walter Hooper, 1994; includes Spirits in Bondage)

Nonfiction
The Allegory of Love: A Study in Medieval Tradition (1936)
Rehabilitations and other essays (1939) — with two essays not included in Essay Collection (2000)
The Personal Heresy: A Controversy (with E. M. W. Tillyard, 1939)
The Problem of Pain (1940)
A Preface to Paradise Lost (1942)
The Abolition of Man (1943)
Beyond Personality (1944)
Miracles: A Preliminary Study (1947, revised 1960)
Arthurian Torso (1948; on Charles Williams's poetry)
Mere Christianity (1952; based on radio talks of 1941 – 1944)
English Literature in the Sixteenth Century Excluding Drama (1954); 1975 reprint ISBN 0198812981;
Major British Writers, Vol I (1954), Contribution on Edmund Spenser
Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life (1955; autobiography)
Reflections on the Psalms (1958)
The Four Loves (1960)
Studies in Words (1960)
An Experiment in Criticism (1961)
A Grief Observed (1961; first published under the pseudonym «N. W. Clerk»)
They Asked for a Paper: Papers and Addresses(1962)
Selections from Layamon's Brut (ed. G L Brook, 1963 Oxford University Press) introduction
The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature (1964)
Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature (1966) — not included in Essay Collection (2000)
Spenser's Images of Life (ed. Alastair Fowler, 1967)
Letters to an American Lady (1967)
Christian Reflections (1967; essays and papers)
Selected Literary Essays (1969) — not included in Essay Collection (2000)
God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics (1970), = Undeceptions (1971) — all included in Essay Collection (2000)
Of Other Worlds (1982; essays) — with one essay not included in Essay Collection
Present Concerns (1986; essays)
All My Road Before Me: The Diary of C. S. Lewis 1922 – 27 (1993)
Essay Collection: Literature, Philosophy and Short Stories (2000)
Essay Collection: Faith, Christianity and the Church (2000)
Collected Letters, Vol. I: Family Letters 1905 – 1931 (2000)
Collected Letters, Vol. II: Books, Broadcasts and War 1931 – 1949 (2004)
Collected Letters, Vol. III: Narnia, Cambridge and Joy 1950 – 1963 (2007)
The Business Of Heaven:Daily Readings From C. S. Lewis ed. Walter Hooper, 1984, Harvest Book, Harcourt, Inc.

Askville by Azamon: Amazon. 2008. WEB. 16 April 201.www.http://askville.amazon.com/ FAMOUS-BOOKS-WRITTEN-AUTHOR-LEWIS/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=13597438

The Inspiration of Walnuts

C.S. Lewis' fame as an author came on two fronts. One was his fictional works, the most popular of which are the Chronicles of Narnia, seven books for young people which incorporate Christian themes and doctrines allegorically. Many people are not aware that when Lewis was first introduced to Christianity he decided that Christian myths were inferior to others in the world and that the Christian God, if it existed, must be a sadist. The second front of his fame came from books openly written in defense of traditional Christianity. These include the popular The Screwtape Letters, a collection of letters of advice from a demon to his nephew, and the famous book, Mere Christianity. Lewis was an avid reader and many would agree that his most influentual piece of literature here the Holy Scriptures from the Bible. Lewis affirmed that "it is Christ himself, not the Bible, who is the true word of God. The Bible, read in the right spirit and with the guidance of good teachers, will bring us to Him." It is safe to agree that Lewis recieved his inspiration from Christ himself more than anyone.

Books Which Influence: C.S.Lewis Chronicles: 2005. WEB. 8 April 2010. http://www/scriptoriumnovum.com/I/books.htm

About.com: Agnostic/Atheism: 2010: WEb. 8 April 2010. http://atheism.about.com/od/cslweisnarnia/C.S_Lewis_apologist_Novelist_Christianity_narnia.htm

Nutty Career

"The homemaker has the ultimate career.

All other careers exist for one purpose only-

and that is to support the ultimate career."-C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis was not only a famous scholar, novelist, and Christian advocate of the Twentieth Century, but also a brave war hero and adventurist. Lewis fought courageously in World War I, battling at the front lines in France during the Battle of Arras. Lewis was injured during the Great War and in December of 1918 was released with honorable discharge. Just like any war veteran, he was eager to return home. Lewis focused on continue his studies in Great Britain. Lewis obtained a scholarly position at Magdalen College, Oxford after he completed his studies where he focused on literary analysis. Soon after, he went to teach at Cambridge University where he became the first Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English. Lewis then went into his passion of writing fiction literature. Soon after his second awakening to the Christian religion, Lewis began writing a number of books influenced by his faith and beliefs in Christianity.

New World Encyclopedia: C.S.Lewis. 2010. WEB. 2 April 2010 http://newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/C.S._Lewis#the_war

Good reads: C.S. Lewis:2= 2005. WEB. 2 April 2010. http://www.goodreads.com/qoutes/show/20606

Bio of the Nuts

C. S. Lewis, or Jack Lewis as he prefers to be called, was born in Belfast, Ireland (Northern Ireland). He grew up financially well off in a large manner which contained secret passages and many hiding spots to play with his siblings. This perhaps was where he created many of his ideas for his book series. In 1908 tragedy struck Lewis's life when his mother was taken from cancer and the young Lewis was sent off to boarding school in England. Lewis not only was a war hero from World War I, but also attended college at the prestigious Oxford University. Shortly after his education at Oxford, he was offered a position where he taught over 20 years and worked on his novels. While Jack Lewis was an attending professor at Oxford, he became very close friends to famous author J.R.R. Tolkien. Although Lewis was raised Christian, he strayed from his religion in the mid of his life and accredits Tolkien for bringing him back to the path Christianity. His first piece was wrote in the 1930's but he is most popularly known for his works, The Chronicles of Narnia which are attributed to coincide with the Christian beliefs. In 1956, Lewis married an American writer named Joy Gresham. Unfortunately, like his mother, his wife was taken from cancer only four years into their marriage. Lewis died three years after the passing of his wife, the same day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, not giving Lewis much media coverage.

Factmonster: C.S. Lewis: The Creator of Narnia. 2000. WEB. 29 March 2010. http://www.factmonster.com/spot/narnia-lewis.html.

Wikipedia: C.S. Lewis. 2010. WEB. 4 April 2010.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C.s._lewis>

Summary of the Nuts

I am going to attempt to summarize the extensive works of the great British author C.S. Lewis as well as give an understanding to the author's life. Many of you know Lewis from The Chronicles of Narnia book, but did you know there are several books in the series which include the children in different and just as wild tales and stories? The series allows you an escape into the unreal imaginations of children and allows for an intense understanding of just how powerful the mind can be as well as an adaptation into the Christian religion and beliefs. This series is not the only works by the author, although probably the most popular. C.S. Lewis used Christian beliefs and ideas as the staple of the majority of his works and adopted those ideas and theories incorporated with imagionation.