1. Title: “The Great Divorce”, written by C.S. Lewis, signifies that the greatest divorce is for man to choose to separate himself from the Lord, by choosing evil over good.
2. Biographical Sketch: C.S. Lewis was a prolific Irish writer, also a scholar, who was best known for his Christian texts. He graduated from Oxford University and had a focus on literature and philosophy. Lewis began to publish his work in the 1920s and later, during World War II, gave very popular broadcasts over the radio that was based on Christianity. In addition to Lewis’s many broadcasts, they won many converts to Christianity as well.
3. Theme: The primary themes of “ The Great Divorce” were moral choices and making sure one’s soul is able to reach into Heaven, rather
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Central Conflict: The central conflict that the narrator encounters in the novel,” The Great Divorce”, is whether or not his immortal soul can reach it into Heaven or if it will forever rest in Hell. “Hell would not be big enough to do it any harm or to have any taste” (Lewis 138) The narrator is being told that Hell is as small as a pebble compared to Heaven, yet when you’re in it, it seems so big because it is filled with all our loneliness and angers, and how one life choice can have no weight that could be registered by Heaven. It explains how bad will never succeed no matter how true it is. “Hell is a state of mind, ye never said a truer word. And every state of mind left to itself, every shutting up of the creature within the dungeon of its own mind, is, in the end, Hell. But Heaven is not a state of mind. Heaven is reality itself.” (Lewis 70) Hell is nothing compared to Heaven and Hell is for the ones with the vale of misery. Hell is for the ones who can not stand for losing something, even if it results in misery, for that is what they prefer to as joy. Throughout the novel, Hell is constantly being compared to Heaven as if it is nothing at all and those who insist on holding on to misery will end up in
According to MacDonald, heaven and hell cannot coexist in a single soul, and while it is possible to leave hell and enter heaven, doing so implies turning away (repentance); or as depicted by Lewis, giving up paltry worldly pleasures and self-indulgences — which have become impossible for the dead anyway — and embracing ultimate and unceasing joy itself.
It is often said that something big that happens in your childhood can make a huge difference in your life. Lewis’ first bible made him want to become a preacher. As he states that he would never forget as his mother read the first words in the book saying, “In the
This dark, decayed, disgusting and risky place makes the character confused and makes him feel inside hell. He feels despair and does not understand the cruelness of his captors (even though he had heard some stories, being there was worse).
C. S. Lewis discusses this topic by saying “The choice of ways is before you”. Everyone has the choice to choose eternal life just like how everyone in Hell in The Great Divorce has the option to ride the bus to Heaven. The only difference between the situations is that the characters in the book must ride the bus to Heaven and choose to stay there. When the inhabitants of Hell reaches the Gates of Heaven, they notice everything is solid and hard, while they are merely ghosts. This shows how God’s heavenly kingdom is stronger, denser, and more solid because it has been built on a strong foundation, God himself. Hell and its residents are weak, airy, and hollow because they are grounded in the earthly world, which provides no eternal substance. Because Heaven and a relationship with God is obviously the preferable option, the previous residents of Hell should stay in Heaven. This is much like how the unsaved people should happily accept God’s gift of salvation. However, the solid world in Heaven is hard to live in for a
He tries to explain his point of view of Hell so we can have an idea of what and how is the afterlife. Every bad decision or action will be paid up in hell. Everyone in hell is divided based on the relationship between the offense committed and the punishments deserved. He wants people to understand and identify themselves with the importance of life and a person’s relationship with God. Based on committing good actions and decisions, we must leave to look for salvation in the afterlife. The action of doing the right thing is what lead you to better outcomes and fewer punishments in the
As a way to discuss his beliefs and thoughts on his faith, government system, society in that time and mankind in general, C.S. Lewis created The Screwtape Letters, a book in the form of letters from senior demon Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood, a sort of demonic trainee. For all purposes, they are lectures, but lectures jazzed up and made more suitable for a students mind. After reading the book, I was really enlightened and reminded of the truths that we humans should believe about God.
C.S. Lewis covers many topics in his fourth book contained in Mere Christianity titled BEYOND PERSONALITY: OR FIRST STEPS IN THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY. He addresses such topics as theology, what it means to be the Son of God, the three personal God, the relationship of God and time, the cost of being a Christian, how God works to turn us into image of Christ, why Christian growth is both hard and easy, and also what he thinks about our old personalities before becoming Christians. These are all relative topics that apply to us and our daily lives. Learning and understanding this book can help a Christian tremendously in forming a deeper relationship with God.
Clive Staples Lewis was born on November 29, 1898, to his parents, Albert and Florentine Lewis. He was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Clive had one older brother, Warren, and became best friends as they grew older. Clive was four years old when he told everyone to call him Jackie. Following suit to his younger brother, Warren also changed his name, and chose Warnie. Jackie and his family moved to a house called Little Lea in the countryside. Jackie’s many activities included riding his bike, exploring Little Lea, and reading and writing stories. Jackie wrote his first book when he was seven years old, and titled it Boxen. His favorite books to read were about Viking legends, medieval knights, and myths. When Lewis was nine years old, Flora,
Everyone in their life experiences a state of hopelessness. Whether it is a big or a small occurrence; it helps us shape up mentally or physically ready for the real world. In March, Lewis talks about the events in his life that we classify as his turning points which caused them to turn their life around. It is true that many events did not increase his will to protest. I think that John Lewis' life was changed by his turning points, there are four turning points what continues to affect him to this day. The four turning points that stand out are his first arrest, Lewis' trip to Buffalo with his Uncle Otis, Dr. King's speech, and when he decided to join the Freedom Riders.
However, something worth noting before delving into the argument of this essay, is the background of C.S Lewis. Although this is not a research essay, his personal religion does hold some relevance to the context of this essay. Despite some struggles with his belief in religion at an early age, by the time he was late into his adult years, C.S Lewis was a definite Christian. Not only was this his personal religion, but also very publicly so. He wrote novels explicitly outlining his Christian views and gave several
In the Inferno, Dante sets up the structure of Hell which is shown as nine circles of anguish. Hell is a place of punishment for those who intentionally chose the sinful way of life, where Heaven is a place of recompense for those who purposefully chose the virtuous way. Before entering the first circle of Hell, where people have committed a specific sin, there must be a place for those who neither chose a side of righteousness or wickedness. Dante created a vestibule of Hell, a circle of Hell that precedes the first circle of Hell, Limbo. The vestibule is home to those who were uncommitted in life, the people who never made a decision for themselves.
Robert Herrick, an English poet, once said, “Hell is no other but a soundlesse pit, where no one beame of comfort peeps in it.” Picture any type of Hell with relief, happiness, or even the smallest crack of a smile. There is no place. In fact, one can only think of the complete opposite, whether it is a Hell filled with neglect, pain, disgust, or a never-ending life of horror. This is the place created by Dante Alighieri; The Inferno is exactly the type of Hell where no person would want to be. Even those who acted upon the lightest of sins suffered greatly. While each realm contained a different sinner, the punishment that each were forced to face was cruel, repulsive, and sometimes rather disgusting. Through grieving tears without an
Hell. Everyone has their own version of it, whether “hell” is where Satan whips his slaves and makes them work in flames, or its where people endure the pain of endless torture devices. In Dante Alighieri’s book “Divine Comedy”, however, Dante tells his own imagery of the awful place which lies in the underground. His inferno consists of nine rings, each with punishments for those who sin, and two others for those who aren’t religious. Dante’s Inferno inspired many artists and writers, including Dan Brown who revolved his novel “Inferno” around it.
Marriage unites two people for better or worse, in sickness and health, until death they do part. In earlier times, some people might say wedding vows were taken more seriously; other say divorce was different back in the day. Looking at Katie Chopin and Nathaniel Hawthorne, who both exemplify martial vows in their short stories, “The Story of an Hour” and “The Birthmark.” It is clear in one instance, it was because divorce was different but then on the other hand the stories demonstrate the seriousness of the wedding vows. However, these stories express a husband-dominated relationship, in which the men possess ideals such as possession, perfection, and being all knowing.
Although it has never been proven, hell has been made out to be be“a place regarded in various religions as a spiritual realm of evil and suffering, often traditionally depicted as a place of perpetual fire beneath the