Analysis Of The Screwtape Letters

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The Screwtape Letters Screwtape is an older demon who is trying to turn his nephew, Wormwood, away from the Enemy and to the father. In The Screwtape Letters, the enemy is God and the Father is Satan. C.S Lewis does this to draw attention to the story. A book coming from a devils point of view is much more interesting than a book coming from an angel’s point of view (Dr.Chisholm). The point of this essay is to compare my beliefs to Screwtape’s and see how they are similar. Some background knowledge about the book is that C.S Lewis came up with this idea back in 1940. Some people believe that Wormwoods “client” was a woman that C.S Lewis lived with. Lewis really did not enjoy writing The Screwtape Letters; he said it was “dry and gritty going.”
He tries to deceive us daily and that is exactly what Screwtape was doing to Wormwood. Screwtape wants Wormwood to corrupt the Patient and bring his soul to hell. Screwtape was deceiving Wormwood to do this for his own benefits, to help him “succeed.” Living in hell, this would be succeeding but is this really the way you want to do it? Do you know who else wants to see us succeed, and do it the right way? God does and in the Bible Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.” The lord has a plan and wants us to live in everlasting peace. The devil has no real plan other than to destroy us, much as Screwtape’s plan for
I am not sure if you have thought of it this way. The things that Screwtape does and the things he says to Wormwood are the exact way that some people act. This does not mean that you are the devil but it is put into that perspective to help the reader get an idea. We, like Screwtape, deceive people daily and say things that we shouldn’t. It is almost like we have become comfortable with sin.
Letter 8 says, “Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.” Screwtape thinks that he and Wormwood are in no more “trouble” than a human who continues to do God’s work but feels abandoned. I think that even if you feel abandoned, you should continue to do God’s (the enemy) work because it will eventually pay off. Doing work of the devil will never pay

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