The+Screwtape+Letters

The Screwtape Letters Review

From the first week of May 1941, The Guardian, weekly Anglican newspaper, started to carry Clive Staples Lewis’s column, which was a form of letters, until the last week of November 1941. And Lewis got 62 pounds for those 31 letters. With enthusiastic reactions of readers, these series of the letters were combined and published into book in 1942. The series of the letters, now renamed //The Screwtape Letters,// is a story of Christian Satire by C.S. Lewis, Irish novelist. He is also famous by the author of //The Chronicles of Narnia, Out of the Silent Planet, The Four Loves,// and //Mere Christianity//. He was born of sincere Christian parents in 29 November 1898. But his faith of Christianity disappeared and became an atheist while he was teenager. At the age of 31, his mind was re-filled with Christianity and became sincere Christian as before. Then he started to have an idea of The Screwtape Letters. What made him to fall away from Christianity? If it was a demon’s handiwork, what was their strategy? How did demon think when they attracted people like me? Therefore he began to write an advice letter to young demon, Wormwood as a high level demon, Screwtape. Each of the letters focused on demon’s way to put the patients (humans) away from the Enemy (God).

The story took place in Great Britain and time in Second World War. Wormwood commenced to working of demoralizing a faith and advancing sin in his Patient. To succeed his work, Wormwood’s uncle, Screwtape, who held a high rank in Hell, supervised Wormwood by sending the mail every week. The 31 letters shows that their greatest concern is how to own tainted human’s soul. This is the words of Srewtape that describe what Wormwood can have in the end of this work.

“If, on the other hand, by steady and cool-headed application here and now you can finally secure his soul, he will then be yours forever-a brim-full living chalice of despair and horror and astonishment which you can raise to your lips as often as you please.” (Lewis 22)

Therefore they always observed human to research in weakness, feeling, sin, habit and life of human. In other words, demons are always standing next to you and look through your mind. The funniest part of //The Screwtape Letters// is the re-named words. The Demons altered some names into their words. Thus they changed “Our Father in Heaven” to “Our Father Below”, “The person” to “The Patient”, and “The God” to “The Enemy”. By changing the names, the book gets more interesting. The symbol of this book is “The Patient”. The Patients always stand between Hell and Heaven. If they fall into temptation, they are in Hell, where demons wait. If they are adamant to temptation, they are in Heaven, where The God greets. //The Screwtape Letters// tells us that it is up to people to decide where their souls want to go. Also Lewis alludes that Screwtape and Wormwood are not stranger to us. They can be your parents, neighborhoods or even yourself. My favorite quote is Screwtape's description of the road to Hell. “Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one-the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts,” And I ask a question to myself. “Am I walking on this road?”

Because I am a Christian, this book gives me a chance to look and judge my faith of Christianity again. I also was born of sincere Christian parents; I went to church for 17 years. Unfortunately, I sometimes felt to fall my faith and piety away. But I do not fear anymore. I finally know it is demon’s artifice by reading this book. I would recommend this book if you are a Christian. It would be a good chance to know about demons, which always stand next to us.

[|Christianity]