SCREWTAPE LETTERS

Summary
Preface
In the preface C.S. Lewis claims to have obtained the 31 letters somehow but refuses to disclose by what
means. He goes on to warn readers that "the devil is a liar" and the contents of the letters should be read
with this in mind. He also points out that the European War (World War II) mentioned here and there is of
minor interest to Screwtape, the author of the letters.

A Spiritual Journey and a Devil's Downfall

Although the unfolding story is presented from a single point of view (Screwtape's), it follows two plots. The
first is the spiritual journey of a young man. The second is the downfall of the young devil assigned to tempt
him.

All but the last letter begin with the affectionate salutation "My Dear Wormwood." Wormwood is Screwtape's
nephew and a recent graduate of a training college under the direction of Slubgob. Screwtape is an
experienced tempter who holds a mid-management position as undersecretary of the temptation
department. In his first letter Screwtape counsels his nephew on the best approach to tempt a human—
referred to as "the patient"—to "keep him out of the Enemy's clutches." The "Enemy" is God. The patient is a
young man in his 30s who lives with his aging mother.

Wormwood and Screwtape's Objective

Wormwood's objective is to deliver the patient's soul to "Our Father's house," meaning Hell. However, by the
second letter things are not going well. The patient has become a Christian and is attending church services.
Screwtape counsels his nephew to encourage any tendency the patient may have to judge others in the
congregation. Wormwood should also nurture any domestic strife between the patient and his mother. It is
vital that his religious beliefs never influence his behavior. As for prayer, Wormwood should guide his patient
toward superficial prayers and distract him from any thoughtful, spiritually mature prayers that open him to
the influence of the Enemy. Every tactic is designed to promote negative thoughts and behaviors while
undermining the patient's Christian convictions.

The onset of World War II provides Screwtape more directions in which to mislead the patient. Fear,
uncertainty, and hatred all can be exploited to barricade the human's mind against the Enemy. For a time
the patient's religious fervor seems to be flagging. He makes new friends who are "superficially intelligent,"
non-Christian, pacifist, and in general fashionably skeptical about everything. Although the patient continues
to attend church, he is more vulnerable to Wormwood's influences. He tries to live in both worlds—that of his
new friends and that of his church—and is at home in neither. He feels superior to his less worldly and
sophisticated fellow churchgoers while feeling smugly sure that he is better than his new friends because he
is a Christian.

These temptation strategies seem to be working for a time. Then the patient participates in two simple and
wholesome activities: reading a book he truly enjoys and taking a walk in the country. Such pleasures are a
gift from God and awaken the patient to his spiritual decline. He repents his recent transgressions and is
restored to grace. His renewed faith is stronger than ever, and all the progress Wormwood has made in
detaching the patient from the Enemy has been undone.
New Temptation Strategies for Wormwood
In subsequent letters Screwtape advises Wormwood on new lines of attack on the patient's virtues. He
instructs his nephew to stir up the patient's pride over his renewed faith and state of grace. The junior
tempter should also promote some form of overindulgence or gluttony. Sexual pleasures are another avenue
of temptation. The Enemy intends sex to be an experience that transcends the mere physical act and
expresses love for another. However, when it is cheapened or perverted, it is robbed of these qualities. Even
marriage, if it is a bad match, can be used as a tool to wear down a virtuous soul.

To Screwtape's displeasure Wormwood reports that the patient has fallen in love with a Christian woman.
Her family has welcomed him, and the woman is introducing him to more Christians every day. The senior
tempter despises her for this and in his fury transforms into a large centipede. His letter addressing the issue
must be completed by an underling named Toadpipe.

Screwtape advises Wormwood to use the patient's growing awareness of the social responsibilities that are
implied by his religion. The junior tempter may be able to twist this, so that the patient treats Christianity as a
means to an end—in other words, as secondary to some duty or cause. This will distract him from his faith's
true spiritual goals. Or another line of attack: Wormwood might appeal to the patient's vanity. Now that the
man has been taken in to this circle of Christians, he may be goaded into feeling self-congratulatory and
profoundly proud of being a Christian. If that fails, the junior tempter might try corrupting the patient's love for
the woman or use it to distract him during prayers.

War: An Opportunity for Spiritual Attack

A turn for the worst in the war provides another avenue of attack. The Germans are beginning their bombing
raids over England. It is possible Wormwood can use the patient's natural anxiety to inspire hatred, or better
yet, fear that leads to an act of cowardice. Still there is danger that handled improperly, this could lead the
patient to pray for help and bring him closer to the Enemy.

The patient behaves admirably during the first bombing raid. Screwtape furiously warns Wormwood that,
should he fail to provide the man's soul for Hell to feed on, he will become food himself. He advises his
nephew to prey upon the man's fatigue to break down the virtues—such as patience and courage—that
sustain him and to use the horrifying realities of war to shatter his faith.

Screwtape's Last Letter

Screwtape's last letter begins ominously by addressing Wormwood in the most endearing terms. The patient
has died in a bombing raid, and his soul has slipped through the devil's fingers. Screwtape describes the
patient's final moments of release from his physical body and entrance into the presence of God. He then
closes his letter with the promise that he soon will deal with his doomed nephew and signs off as "your
increasingly and ravenously affectionate uncle, Screwtape."
The Screwtape Letters Plot Diagram
Falling ActionRising ActionResolutionClimax123456789101112Introduction
Introduction
1Screwtape instructs Wormwood on securing the patient's soul.
Rising Action
2The patient unexpectedly becomes a Christian.
3Wormwood uses the man's inexperience to undermine his faith.
4The outbreak of WWII provides a devilish tool for Wormwood.
5The patient acquires new friends and falters in his faith.
6The patient repents his recent transgressions.
7The patient falls in love with a Christian woman.
8All Wormwood's attacks on the patient's virtues fail.
Climax
9The patient is killed suddenly in a bombing raid.
Falling Action
10The patient's soul slips through the devil's fingers.
11Screwtape describes the patient's death experience.
Resolution
12Screwtape informs Wormwood that his punishment is coming.

Timeline of Events

 The first letter

Screwtape counsels Wormwood on how best to win his patient's soul by "fuddling" his mind to truth.
Chapter 1

 By Letter 2
To Screwtape's displeasure the patient becomes a Christian, though his habits still favor Wormwood.
Chapter 2

 At this time
The devils plot to use the man's imperfect understanding of Christianity to undermine his faith.
Chapter 2

 In Letter 3
Screwtape contrives ways to keep the patient's faith from influencing his day-to-day behavior.
Chapter 3

 In Letter 4
Wormwood is advised on how to use the patient's inexperience in prayer to foster doubt in his faith.
Chapter 4

 The next few letters

Screwtape suggests ways to use the suffering of World War II to weaken faith and growth of virtue.
Chapter 5

 In Letter 8
Wormwood learns how to exploit the dual nature of humans that causes their spiritual highs and lows.
Chapter 8

 In Letter 10
The patient has acquired new friends whose values are at odds with his new faith.
 Chapter 10

 In Letter 13
The patient has awakened to and repented his recent transgressions and has been restored to grace.
Chapter 13

 In Letter 14
Screwtape explains how to attack the man's humility and foster his desire for the world's approval.
Chapter 14

 In Letter 15
A lull in World War II inspires a lesson in getting humans to live in the past or future.
Chapter 15

 The next few letters

Screwtape focuses on using vices like gluttony and immoral sexuality to warp the patient's virtues.
Chapter 17

 In Letter 22
The patient has fallen in love with a Christian woman, moving him closer to the Enemy.
Chapter 22

 The next two letters

Screwtape schools Wormwood on how to corrupt the patient's growing Christian spirituality.
Chapter 23

 In Letter 25
Screwtape explains how human horror of "the Same Old Thing" may become cravings for ruinous change.
Chapter 25

 The next few letters

Wormwood learns how to misuse and corrupt the patient's love and charitable feelings for the woman.
Chapter 26

 In Letter 28
Screwtape warns Wormwood to keep his patient alive; if he dies now, he will be lost to them.
Chapter 28

 In Letter 29
Wormwood is advised to use bombing of the patient's town to awaken his fear, cowardice, and hatred.
Chapter 29

 In Letter 30
The man performs his duties well in the raid but may yield to disillusionment because of fatigue.
Chapter 30

 In Letter 31
The patient is killed, and his soul goes to Heaven; Wormwood will soon pay the price for failure.
Chapter 31
Summary

Preface
Author C.S. Lewis prefaces his book with a refusal to disclose how he came to possess Screwtape's
letters that will follow. He goes on to caution readers about two conflicting views on devils. The first
denies their existence. The second accepts and takes an unhealthy interest in them. Both views delight
devils.
Lewis then reminds readers that the devil is a liar and must never be trusted. He next explains that he
has deliberately left the humans in this tale unidentified. Similarly, he has not clearly identified exactly
when the letters were written, although there are references to the European War, or World War II.

Chapter 1
Screwtape offers Wormwood advice on how to keep a human "out of the Enemy's clutches."
Wormwood has suggested that guiding the human—called "the patient"—can be accomplished through
control of his reading and friendships.
Screwtape cautions Wormwood that it is naïve to believe the patient can be drawn away from the
Church by means of logic and reasonable arguments. This might have worked centuries ago, when
humans believed doctrines were either true or false, based on arguments for and against them. But
these days humans have been exposed to too many conflicting philosophies to take any of them
seriously. Humans are conditioned to avoid weighing a doctrine's truth or falseness. Instead, they apply
hollow, lofty terms, or jargon, to describe their beliefs. Therefore, Screwtape advises Wormwood to
encourage his patient to embrace the philosophy of materialism on the basis that it is strong or
courageous; "the philosophy of the future." This gives the philosophy the advantage of not being
grounded in truth or logic.

Screwtape explains that logic is the Enemy's territory. Logic engages a patient's ability to think and
draws attention to the important issues of life. Propaganda is superior and the preferred tool of Our
Father Below. He has used it successfully for centuries to persuade, distract, and keep humans from
thinking. At all costs, the patient must be kept from pondering the important realities of life and
encouraged in his materialistic ways.

As an example, Screwtape tells Wormwood about a patient, a young atheist. One day while reading, he
began to think "the wrong way." Instantly, the Enemy began to quietly encourage him to pursue this
new line of thought. Screwtape's only defense was to distract the patient with thoughts of having
lunch. During lunch he further diverted the patient with the hustle and bustle of "real life" until the
patient had safely decided that his earlier train of thought "just couldn't be true."

Screwtape concludes by encouraging Wormwood to steer his patient away from science as an
argument against Christianity. It is important he perceives the world as nothing extraordinary. Science
would encourage him to wonder; "to think about realities he can't touch and see." Instead, instill in the
patient the idea that he knows everything worth knowing. Keep him unenlightened, or befuddled.

The letter is signed "Your affectionate uncle, Screwtape."

Analysis
In the preface C.S. Lewis sets the tone of his epistolary novel. There is a quick-paced, casual note to
the language that suggests the reader will find the text amusing and an easy read. He believes devils
are real, not just a fanciful literary tool for his use, and they are not to be taken lightly. By warning the
reader to beware of a devil's tendency to lie, Lewis harkens back to the biblical assertion that Satan, or
the Devil, is the father of lies. The scripture is from the Bible, in the Gospel of John 8:44, which says:
"[The Devil] was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him."
This offers an important guideline for understanding and correctly interpreting the text: suspect
everything, Lewis says, even when Screwtape appears most sincere.
The deliberate blurring of time and character identities allows the reader to focus on the ideas and
moral lessons being offered, to consider them without distraction. They are not stuck in the past or
assigned to some specific person but easily transferred to the present for a personal, more intimate
exploration. They may be seen as timeless and universal in application.

Chapter 1 introduces the reader to the main characters of the novel: Screwtape, Wormwood, and the
patient. From the preface the reader knows that Screwtape is a devil. Wormwood is clearly a devil, too,
although inexperienced and seeking guidance. The human "patient"—in particular his soul—is the
target of their intentions. The patient is an everyman; a stand-in for all humankind.
Two entities key to the story are also introduced: The Enemy and Our Father Below. From the upside-
down perspective of a devil, "the Enemy" is God, who is represented on Earth by the Church and the
Christian belief system and doctrines. "Our Father Below" is Satan, an evil being who stands in
opposition to God. Their conflict is the driving force behind events in the novel.

The letter also introduces three basic areas of vulnerability in human patients. These are the points of
entry for corrupting the soul. First are feelings and modern, pseudo-intellectual philosophies as
opposed to thoughtful awareness and reason. Christianity contends that there are fundamental truths
to be discovered and examined. Religious faith does not cancel out reason, and the truths underlying
faith can stand up to scrutiny. Modern philosophies, on the other hand, question or deny absolute
truths. They dismantle, or deconstruct, traditional assumptions about it. As Screwtape notes, this leads
away from clear concepts of "true" and "false" and leads toward jargon. No argument is necessary
when a simple label such as "outworn" or "contemporary" can be applied to a concept or doctrine.
Thus pigeon-holed, there is no need to look deeper, and "the patient" can feel intellectually superior for
having dismissed truth so handily. "The Enemy" encourages people to ask questions about what is
really important and to reflect on the answers. Wormwood must steer his patient clear of this pitfall at
all costs.

The second area of vulnerability stems from one modern philosophy: materialism. Materialism in
philosophy holds the position that nothing exists except matter—that which can be measured or known
through the senses. It denies the existence of spirit and assumes physical explanations for all
phenomena. In other words, if something cannot be verified with the senses, it does not exist. It is
among the modern philosophies likely to lead humans away from the Church. From a materialistic point
of view there is nothing to be learned by asking probing philosophical questions about what is true or
false, real or illusion.

The third area of vulnerability is the concept of moral relativism—the idea that there is no universal or
absolute set of moral principles. The truth or falseness of a moral judgment is relative to a particular
point of view. That point of view can be shaded and slanted by its historical context, cultural
influences, or personal experience. What is considered ethical at one time or within a particular culture
may appear unethical to people outside of that time or culture. There are no nonrelative standards by
which to judge the moral nature of actions or events. This implies that, in general, anything is
acceptable. Beginning in the 19th century, with the decline of religion and growing appreciation of
cultures and beliefs, moral relativism gained ground. In contrast, Christianity maintains the idea of
natural laws and fundamental truths that transcend earthly influences. These dictate universal moral
principles, such as "Thou shalt not kill." It's important that Wormwood encourage his patient to
embrace moral relativism. It will keep him confused and spiritually flexible.

For attacking these areas of vulnerability, Screwtape advises Wormwood to employ distraction from
thought, appeal to the senses, and appeal to ego. He sums this up in the story about the atheist. He
distracts the young man from dangerous thoughts with a reminder about a lunch. He then refocuses
the man's attention on "real life" outside—things he sees, hears, smells, and so on. Finally, the young
man turns away from the new ideas, concluding he has shown superior intelligence in escaping "the
aberrations of mere logic."

Screwtape's final word of caution concerns science. This portion of the letter suggests that Christianity
and science are not at odds with one another. It supports the notion that science does not negate the
existence of God but rather reveals the wonders of the universe, which can lead humans to
contemplate the vastness of creation and what may not yet be known and seen. This is a direct path to
contemplation of a creator, or "the Enemy."

Summary

Chapter 4
Wormwood has informed his uncle that the advice about the patient's prayers for his mother has
backfired. Screwtape sees that it is time for a serious discussion of prayer.
Screwtape advises Wormwood that it is best to keep his patient away from formal, structured prayer,
which he mockingly describes as "parrot-like." Instead, the patient should be guided toward creating
spontaneous, unstructured prayers. As a beginner unschooled in the words and thought forms of
meaningful prayer, he will try to produce an internal sense of prayerfulness in their place. This self-
deception may be useful for quite some time. Screwtape encourages Wormwood to also convince the
patient that his bodily position while praying is irrelevant. He advises his nephew to never forget that,
in humans, body and soul are interrelated. Whatever the body does affects the soul.

A subtler way to undermine the patient's prayer intention is to shift its focus away from the Enemy and
toward the self. Screwtape explains that the novice in praying will unconsciously try to manufacture a
feeling that the prayer is going well and achieving the desired goal. For example, when praying for
forgiveness, the novice will try to feel forgiven. Screwtape advises Wormwood to teach patients this
method for judging the effectiveness of their prayers. He adds this caution: They must never suspect
that their physical and emotional state at the moment—"well or ill, fresh or tired"—can profoundly
influence their perception and judgment.

Even so, the Enemy will be at work. The very act of praying opens humans to the action of God.
Screwtape points out another weapon Wormwood can use to misdirect his patient's attention. Humans
have not seen the Enemy in the fullness of his glory. Their vision is limited to man-made images of the
incarnated Christ or God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Wormwood's patient may even pray to
such an image or a crucifix. This is to be encouraged. The patient must never mindfully seek the
spiritual presence of God by praying, "Not to what I think thou art but to what thou knowest thyself to
be." This would be disastrous. The man would now be entrusting himself "to the completely real,
external, invisible Presence." He would be open to God. Thankfully, from Screwtape's perspective,
humans do not desire this as much as they suppose.

Chapter 5
Screwtape has received a deliriously joyful letter from Wormwood. The European humans have started
another war. The patient has been sleepless with anxiety. Screwtape acknowledges the headiness of
war, with all its potential "anguish and bewilderment of a human soul." He cautions Wormwood not to
lose sight of this chance to secure his patient's soul. Terror for the future and the horror that is coming
are tools for "undermining faith and preventing the formation of virtues." However, the patient's
reaction to the war must be carefully assessed before action is taken. Wormwood can then determine if
is best to move the patient toward becoming "an extreme patriot or an ardent pacifist."

While war, from Screwtape's standpoint, is entertaining, he warns Wormwood not to expect too much
from it. There may be suffering, but it is short and may be endured by humans who are already in the
Enemy's camp. This does not satisfy the devil's hunger for souls. What they must consider is how to
use war to their advantage.

Despite war's hoped-for "cruelty and unchastity," there is the danger that its tribulations will turn
humans to the Enemy by the thousands. Even more may turn their attention to moral values and
virtuous causes. Worse, some may go willingly to death knowing they are "of the Enemy's party." It is
better, Screwtape notes, that humans die of old age, in nursing homes, surrounded by doctors and
nurses who will lie to them about their failing condition. Out of misdirected compassion, they will be
denied access to a priest in order to shield them from that truth. Screwtape concludes that the
constant reminders of death that accompany war render useless the devil's best weapon: contented
worldliness and the denial of mortality.
Analysis
The opening paragraph of Chapter 4 gives the reader a glimpse of Wormwood's world: Hell. In his
world he cannot expect tolerance or forgiveness for mistakes. He will be accountable and pay full price
for his failures. Even in his role as mentor, Screwtape will not intercede on his behalf. This starkly
contrasts with Screwtape's later description of the Enemy's response to sinners who appeal to him in
prayer. In other words Hell is a place where inhabitants—devils or human souls—can expect no mercy.
Inhabitants of the Enemy's realm can expect the opposite.
Prayer is the main focus of this letter. Screwtape, of course, presents an upside-down view of prayer,
advising Wormwood to encourage his patient to reject structured prayer in favor of formless and
spontaneous prayers. In this way Lewis advocates for the more disciplined approach to prayer that
teaches the proper language and arrangement of a formal prayer. Once the formal approach to praying
is understood and mastered, it becomes the foundation for later mature improvisation in prayer. For
the Christian novice to skip the initial steps renders the undisciplined prayer empty and impedes his or
her spiritual development.
Lewis also advocates praying aloud and while kneeling. It reflects humility before God and brings body
and soul into union and harmony, which benefits prayer. In another publication, Mere
Christianity (Book III, Chapter 5), Lewis points out that Christianity is almost the only one of the great
religions which thoroughly approves of the body—which believes that matter is good." However,
problems arise when the body becomes detached from the spirit.
When a person prays, the purpose of the prayer is to mindfully bring him or her into the presence of
God. Screwtape offers Wormwood a strategy for blocking the patient from this outcome: introspection
during prayer. The patient must be encouraged to watch his own mind and test his own feelings to see
how he's doing instead of focusing outward on God. Thus self-absorbed, the patient cannot be open to
anything else. He can attend only to his emotional state during the prayer process, and this may be
influenced by factors such as how well or ill he feels. Considering the devilish source of this advice, it
suggests that self-absorption and emotional intensity are poor standards for judging the effectiveness
of prayer.
A further distraction from effective prayer that Screwtape advises concerns images of the Enemy. If the
patient during prayer can be induced to focus his attention on such images or artifacts like a crucifix,
he will never consciously direct his prayers correctly to God. His prayers will touch on idol worship. His
own fanciful imaginings—"what I think thou art"—will be a barrier to the "real, external, invisible
Presence, there with him in the room."

The last line of Screwtape's letter suggests that "real nakedness of the soul in prayer" may not be what
humans want anyway. Prayer can be uncomfortable when it shatters illusions and reveals people's true
spiritual state as compared to what it should be.

The "European War" was known as World War II after the United States and Japan became embroiled.
At the time of this letter fighting was concentrated in Europe. In his letter Screwtape examines the
pros and cons of war from the standpoint of evil and the capture of souls. He has seen war before and
knows its effect on humans. He knows the suffering that it brings does not necessarily serve evil. He
warns Wormwood that it can bring humans closer to the Enemy rather than drive them away.
As Screwtape sees it, the "real business" of war is to undermine faith and prevent the formation of
Christian virtues, which include faith, hope, charity, courage, justice, and wisdom. How this is done
depends on the strengths and weaknesses of the individual. For the devil there are advantages—
meaning spiritual dangers—in the patient becoming an "extreme patriot" or an "ardent pacifist." The
first may elevate love of country above love of God or worship the two equally. The second may tempt
the human to turn away from social duty and to remain passive in the face of injustice. For the devil
both extremes are a means to the same end.

From Screwtape's perspective war is useless if its suffering does not bring souls to Our Father Below. It
is worse than useless when it awakens humans to their need for God or turns their attention outward
toward a belief or cause higher than themselves. Further danger for the devil lies in the fact that war
makes death real to humans, and in recognizing their own mortality, many of them go to death
spiritually prepared. They are out of Hell's reach.

Through Screwtape's observations about death in nursing home as good for his purposes, author Lewis
reveals contempt for the denial of death within the medical profession. A dying person is surrounded
by doctors and nurses who deny the patient's condition and offer false hopes of life. As a result, he or
she is given no time or encouragement to spiritually prepare for death. This puts the soul in jeopardy
and denies the patient the comfort that God, through a priest, could offer.

Summary

Chapter 6
Wormwood has informed Screwtape that his patient could be called up for military service. This is good
news, especially as there is an element of uncertainty. This will fill the patient with hope and fear as he
imagines what could happen to him. The suspense and anxiety will create major barricades between
the patient and the Enemy.
The patient will believe that God wishes him to patiently accept whatever suffering is dealt out to him.
He has been taught to say, "Thy will be done" and to expect the resources—the daily bread—necessary
to meet his needs will be provided. Screwtape points out that the patient will mistake the array of
things he fears for the real tribulation he must bear, which is his present anxious state. It is impossible
for a human to patiently resign himself "a dozen different and hypothetical fates," and God cannot help
him do so. Therefore, keep him helplessly focused on all these fears.
Screwtape explains that there is a spiritual law at work here. When the patient's fixed attention is
turned outward to the detriment of his soul, the devil must encourage that. As an example, Screwtape
cites a patient's reaction to an insult or sight of a woman's body. If the patient can look inward to
evaluate his feelings—anger or lust—he can deal with them. Therefore, it is best (from the devil's point
of view) to keep his attention fixed helplessly outward on the insult or woman's body. On the other
hand, if the patient's attention is focused outward to the benefit of his soul, the devil must work to
reverse that. For example, if the patient is focusing on the Enemy or his own neighbors instead of
himself, the devil must work to turn the patient's thoughts inward.
Screwtape warns Wormwood not to depend on the hatred stemming from war to help him corrupt his
patient. This hatred is aimed at an imagined enemy drawn from descriptions in newspapers; not real
people. When faced with a living person, the English cannot be depended on to act upon this "fanciful
hatred." Too often, the opposite occurs.

The devil advises his nephew that his patient has both benevolence and malice in his soul. Wormwood
must guide his patient to direct malice toward people around him and benevolence to a remote, largely
imagined circle of people. This will render malice "wholly real" and benevolence a fantasy.

To clarify how this works, Screwtape describes the inner life of the patient as concentric circles. From
the inside out, these circles are the patient's will, his intellect, and his fantasy. Each contains traces of
the Enemy in the form of virtues. These virtues must be eradicated. Once they reach the patient's true
Will—"what the Enemy calls the Heart"—they can be acted on. That is fatal to the devil.

Chapter 7
Wormwood has asked if it is essential to keep his existence hidden from the patient. Screwtape replies
that it is policy to conceal this fact from humans. Otherwise, they cannot be turned into materialists
and skeptics who do not believe in anything they cannot sense. There is always hope that, in time,
their science can be manipulated to support belief in devils while remaining closed to belief in the
Enemy. The ideal is to produce a "Materialist Magician" who believes in life forces in the world but
denies the existence of spirits. In the meantime it is best to keep humans in the dark about devils.
Screwtape advises that, as Wormwood's human begins to suspect his existence, he should raise
ridiculous images in the patient's mind of "something in red tights" that he cannot believe in.

Screwtape then returns to the subject of how best to use the war to manipulate the patient. The goal
is to inflame his passions toward embracing extreme patriotism or extreme pacifism. Generally
speaking, extremes of all sorts are useful to the devil, except extreme devotion to the Enemy.
Extremists will form and belong to small, exclusionary groups, or coteries, centered around a "Cause."
These are factions, secret societies, or cliques that foster pride and hatred of the outer world in the
name of their "Cause." Screwtape notes that even a group formed around a good cause, such as the
Church, may acquire some of the negative qualities of a coterie. However, he admits that devils have
failed to sufficiently corrupt it.

Screwtape suggests that the patient might be induced to become a conscientious objector to the war.
But this will not work if the man had pacifistic convictions before the war, is a man of courage (not a
coward), and believes he is serving the Enemy through his pacifism. If this is the case, then a different
approach is called for. Wormwood should introduce an emotional crisis that thrusts the patient toward
extreme patriotism.

Either way, the patient should be encouraged to treat his new extreme as part of his religion.
Gradually, religion will become merely support for the "Cause," offering strong arguments for or
against the war. The "Cause" will cease to serve a higher purpose. It will become a worldly goal the
patient pursues, and faith will become only the means of achieving it. The worldly cause matters more
than "prayers and sacraments and charity." This is the devil's objective.

Analysis
The central idea of Chapter 6 is that anxiety produces fear that can be used to wall off the human soul
from God. Anxiety does not result in a singular fear grounded in reality but an array of dark, nameless,
faceless terrors. Although God promises to provide the resources necessary to cope with dark moments
in life, trust in him is driven out by this multitude of manufactured fears. At times of crisis the devil's
job is to keep the human focused on the many fearful but imagined things that could prey upon him in
the unknown future.

As Screwtape notes, the Enemy's prescription for dealing with fear is to trust in him and to "accept
with patience" the problem that actually exists at present. The human is encouraged to stay in the
moment, without adding past or future worries to the problem. To clarify this idea, Screwtape
references two concepts from "The Lord's Prayer," as taught by Jesus: "Thy will be done" and "daily
bread."
The first is couched in the phrase " Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." It expresses the belief
that God's will transcends human will and must be deferred to. This involves trust and willingness to
follow the path God has laid out in any given situation. Jesus himself expressed this willingness as the
time of his torture and death approached. Praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, he said, "O my
Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."

The reference to "daily bread" is found in the next lines of the Lord's Prayer: "Give us this day our daily
bread." More than food, "our daily bread" is whatever is necessary to cope with life's challenges this
day—courage, wisdom, peace of mind, a friend, and so on. This underscores the idea of taking
troubles day by day.

Screwtape advises his nephew that, to subvert these two concepts, he must drive his patient's
attention toward all his nameless fears and guide him to "regard them as his crosses." This reference
to crosses points to the Gospel of Luke in which Jesus tells his disciples, "If any man will come after
me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." As a Christian, the patient would
try to follow this directive, enduring his "cross," or sufferings, each day. If Wormwood can convince the
patient that his false fears are all crosses he must pick up, the prospect will be spiritually overwhelming
and destructive.
Finally, Screwtape shares his "wisdom" about the relationship between feelings and actions. He
explains to Wormwood that strong negative feelings like hate are not much good if the human does
not act on them. Conversely, acting upon virtues must be discouraged. It is best if they remain passive
ideas. As Screwtape explains, "It is only in so far as they reach the will and are there embodied in
habits that the virtues are really fatal to us." This mirrors his observations in Chapter 3 concerning the
worthlessness of conversion or faith that fails to positively change bad behavior. In other words simply
knowing what is right or virtuous is not enough. It is acting upon this knowledge that truly expresses
faith and promotes positive life changes.
Screwtape begins Chapter 7 with a discussion of devils and the dangers of being exposed as real to the
patient at this time. Belief in devils is likely to inspire belief in the Enemy. Screwtape expresses the
hope that one day science may be manipulated to promote belief in his side of things while denying the
existence of God. This could be accomplished by infusing it with elements of emotion and myth.
Philosophies that support "the 'Life Force,' the worship of sex, and some aspects of Psychoanalysis"
may prove useful.

"Life Force" is an essential element in Creative Evolution, a philosophical theory proposed by French
philosopher Henri Bergson (1859–1941) in the early 1900s. It theorizes that a creative consciousness,
or life force, is the catalyst for unpredictable change in the orderly process of evolution. Evolution is the
process by which different kinds of living organisms—including humans—are believed to have
developed from earlier forms during the history of the earth. This theory is useful to Screwtape as it
downgrades the existence of God.

Psychoanalysis was Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud's (1856–1939) revolutionary, although

controversial, approach to understanding human personality. He coined the term in 1896.
Psychoanalysis explores the relationship between body and mind in all its complexities as well as the
role of emotions in physical and mental health. Although Freud was raised by a devout Jewish father,
he was an atheist. He rejected religion, believing its doctrines were time-worn and no longer relevant,
and that the human race must be set free of religion's delusions in order to progress. Freud's theories
steadily gained popularity and, as Screwtape notes, are now useful in his work.

Screwtape explains to Wormwood that this devilish attempt to subvert science has a specific goal: to
produce "the Materialistic Magician." Materialism is the theory that physical matter is the only reality.
There is nothing more—nothing spiritual that transcends the physical universe. Everything can be
explained as an expression or result of matter. Even ideas are products drawn from the raw materials
of the world, such as the environment or brain chemistry. Materialism rejects reason (the mind's ability
to think logically) and objective truth (things universally held to be true). Screwtape's "perfect work,"
the Materialistic Magician, will embrace materialism while simultaneously believing in "life forces" and
rejecting the idea of "spirits."

Next, Screwtape expands on the subject of ardent pacifism and ardent patriotism first brought up
Chapter 5. He explains to Wormwood that, from a devil's point of view, "all extremes, except extreme
devotion to the Enemy, are to be encouraged." Lewis uses this point to highlight the dangers of
extremism. A human caught up in extremism will inevitably move away from God and toward a faction,
or group, with a "Cause." Even if the cause may arise from well-intentioned, righteous conviction, there
is danger when the faction loses sight of that founding conviction. Its cause becomes a source of pride,
hatred for the outer world, and defensive self-righteousness.
Although the Church has successfully escaped this fate, Screwtape has seen hopeful signs at times
among subordinate factions within her. He singles out the case of St. Paul the Apostle (c. 4 BCE–c. 62
CE) and the Alexandrian Jewish Christian Apollos. Both lived and preached the Gospel during the first
century. Apollos had a huge following to which Paul objected because the people called themselves
followers of Apollos, not followers of Christ. Such divisions, or factions, weaken the Church as they lose
sight of its core focus and message.

It is worth noting that this chapter begins a series of letters concerned with temptations of the world,
ending at Chapter 16.

Summary

Chapter 8
Wormwood has expressed hope that his patient's faith is fading. Screwtape chides him for not knowing
about "the law of Undulation."
Screwtape explains that "humans are amphibians—half spirit and half animal." They live in two worlds:
the eternal and the temporal. Their spirit is directed toward eternal matters, while their "bodies,
passions, and imaginations" are caught in time and are continually changing. They experience repeated
emotional and bodily highs and lows, peaks and troughs. These undulations are normal and can be
used to the devil's advantage.

The Enemy also makes use of these undulations. The trick for the devil is to determine how the Enemy
will use them and then to do the opposite. Screwtape explains that the Enemy relies on the troughs
more than the peaks. This is because his purpose and that of Our Father Below is quite different.

Screwtape goes on to distinguish between the purposes of God and the purposes of Satan. Free will is
at the heart of them. God desires humans to conform to his will of their own free will. Satan looks to
absorb human free will. God wants humans to willingly serve and grow in spirit to finally become sons.
Satan wants to fatten and feed on the souls of humans. God wants those who unite with him to remain
distinct beings. Satan wants to assimilate them.

Physical and spiritual troughs are where the Enemy's purpose is often realized. During these lows
humans may begin to question their faith. The Enemy could intervene and override human free will,
showing himself to be irresistible and indisputable; however, that would not help the human to come to
him unreservedly. Likewise, the Enemy cannot use temptation to virtue as devils use temptation to
vice. For the human to come to faith in times of trial, they must "stand up on [their] own legs" and
grow spiritually stronger. This is the Enemy's wish.

During this time it may seem to the human that God has withdrawn from him. Nevertheless, he may
show strength and continue to do God's will, although the universe feels empty of his presence. Worse,
he may wonder why he has been forsaken but hold to his faith and obey. At this point the devil's cause
is in grave danger.

Even so, there are ways for a devil to use the trough to his advantage. These Screwtape will discuss in
his next letter.
Chapter 9
Screwtape shares with Wormwood ways in which physical and spiritual troughs may be exploited. He
has found this is the best time to push sensual pleasure, especially sex, as a means of relieving distress
or despair. The human's power of resistance is at its lowest when in the trough. While experiencing a
peak, the human may have more energy and interest in sensual pleasure, but he is as likely to turn it
toward innocent fun. It is when his inner world is "drab and cold and empty" that the human can be
induced to turn pleasure into perversion such as sex without love and responsibility, or drinking to the
point of habitual drunkenness.

Screwtape reminds Wormwood that normal, healthy pleasures are the Enemy's invention, not theirs. It
is their job to encourage humans to use pleasures in ways that He has forbidden; to draw them away
from natural forms of enjoyment toward the most unnatural. Because these are corrupted, they
ultimately become less and less satisfying. According to the law of diminishing returns, more and more
is required to get the same pleasurable jolt. The devil's goal is to enchain the human's soul while giving
him nothing in return. The best place to start this process is in the trough.

An even better way to exploit the trough is to let the patient think the condition is permanent. He must
never suspect the law of undulation. Then the patient can be led in various directions. One direction is
down the path of despair. This requires keeping him away from other more experienced Christians
while he desperately tries to recover his earlier elation by force of will and reading the scriptures. When
he fails, the devil has won.

Another path is wishful thinking that all is well. The patient settles into his trough and begins to doubt
the headiness of his first days as a Christian: those feelings were, perhaps, excessive. Now, he is ready
to consider the idea of "moderation in all things," which sets aside any faith-related discomfort the
patient may be experiencing. It is a comfortable, weak state of mind that the devil can use.
Finally, Screwtape advises Wormwood that a direct attack on faith may also be useful. The junior devil
may try to persuade the patient that his faith was a passing phase, not unlike previous phases. By
using jargon and calling it a phase, the devil can sidestep the lack of logic between the ideas "I am
losing my faith" and "this faith is false." It is best if he keeps the patient's mind filled with intellectual
fads that offer muddled ideas and are filled with "shadowy expressions." They leave no room in the
patient's mind for pondering what is true and what is false.

Analysis
The "law of Undulation" is central to Chapter 8 and key to understanding the entwined spiritual and
physical nature of humans. Screwtape explains the cause of spiritual lows and how the Enemy uses
them to strengthen faith.
In mocking terms Screwtape describes humans as revolting hybrid beings: "amphibians." Just as they
are "half spirit and half animal," their nature is divided. By this nature they are not content with living
in just this temporal world. They also seek life in a spiritual world. The human body is trapped in time
and space while the spirit is drawn to something external and eternal.
Trapped in time and space, the body is subject to the ebb and flow inherent in the life cycle. There is a
natural surge, falling-off, and resurgence of physical energy and passion. As Screwtape acknowledges
in Chapter 4, body and spirit are bound together. The body's life cycle is mirrored in the life cycle of
faith. It, too, surges in strength and enthusiasm, falls off, and then revives. Whether physical or
spiritual, the periods of "dryness and dullness" are "a natural phenomenon."

Therefore, Screwtape cautions Wormwood to not believe he has had a hand in these troughs. Nor
should he hope that a spiritual trough automatically will work in his favor. The Enemy can and does
make effective use of them. However, his goals for the human are quite different from those of Our
Father Below. The Enemy, to Screwtape's disgust, actually loves humans and desires their service in
perfect freedom. In times of physical and spiritual lows, the human is forced to rely on his faith while
struggling to keep and understand it. He is free to walk away from it or to embrace it more fully.
Should he choose the latter, he does so of his own free will. This is what the Enemy wants.
In contrast, Our Father Below views humans as spiritual food to be absorbed and grow fat upon. He is
not interested in their distinctiveness or free will. He only needs them to fill his emptiness.

Through Screwtape's observations Lewis reasons that undulations are essential and permitted—

perhaps encouraged—by God in order to strengthen faith. They are a kind of crucible or trial by fire.
The human emerges more strongly and freely grounded in faith and better able to withstand
temptation and other devilish assaults against it.
Screwtape points out that the Enemy is prohibited from showing himself to be irresistible and
indisputable during these troughs. In other words God cannot coerce humans into believing in him by
revealing himself to be all-powerful and undeniable. He will not alter their character or beliefs by force.
This would negate the need for faith and override human free will. Humans would become servile,
dependent minions doing what is right only because they are unable to do otherwise. This is the
opposite of what God wishes.

Finally, Screwtape writes about the darkest moments for believers when they are apparently forsaken
by God. Here, Lewis makes the case that humans are closest to God when they steadfastly hold to
faith and remain obedient to his laws although he seems to have vanished. Here free will is expressed
in its most worthy and meaningful state. In his letter Screwtape notes the human may even ask "why
he has been forsaken."

As promised at the end of Chapter 8, in Chapter 9 Screwtape shares ways for a devil to use the trough
times to his advantage. He points out that sensual temptation is the devil's most useful tool at this
time. When the human's whole inner world is in darkness, he is craving the spiritual lightness and well-
being previously experienced. This makes him vulnerable to the illusions of comfort, love, and passion
that sex, alcohol, or other sensual temptations offer. But these false feelings are fleeting, unhealthy,
and in the end disappointing.

Genuine pleasures, as Screwtape points out, are not bad in themselves. For example, sexuality linked
to love and commitment is a gift from God as is a sip of wine. However, when sex, alcohol, or other
genuine pleasures become a substitute for more meaningful spiritual experiences and are taken to
excess, they become perversions. These corrupted versions of those genuine pleasures are governed
by the law of diminishing returns. This means the human must indulge in his pleasure of choice more
and more to achieve the desired effect, which continues to diminish. Eventually, all pleasure is drained
from the activity. All that is left is a craving that clamors to be relieved. Of course, this state of affairs
is most gratifying for a devil.

Screwtape advises Wormwood that an even better way to exploit the trough is to convince his patient
that it is permanent, either by tempting them to despair or settling them into listless faith with low
expectations. Here Lewis underscores the danger of both conditions. In despair the human may
abandon faith, believing the struggle for it is useless; that all efforts have failed. In settling for what
Lewis calls a "moderated religion," the human becomes content with a low-key version of faith that
recedes into the background of life instead of playing a prominent role. Instead of live music for the
soul, faith becomes a radio playing softly in the next room.

Screwtape ends his letter by promoting a direct attack on the patient's faith. Wormwood should
persuade his despondent patient that his faith has been a religious phase that will soon die out.
However, the junior devil must not rely on reason for this, but on jargon—those hollow, lofty terms
Screwtape described in Chapter 1.

Summary

Chapter 10
Wormwood has informed his uncle that the patient has some new friends who will be of assistance in
corrupting the human. They are "rich, smart, superficially intellectual, and brightly skeptical about
everything in the world." They are also "vaguely pacifist." They appeal to the patient's "social, sexual,
and intellectual vanity."
Screwtape describes ways in which this may be used to further the patient's withdrawal from faith. If
the patient by "looks and tones and laughs" already shows that he aligns himself with the views of his
new friends, Wormwood's job will be easy. For as long as possible he should keep the patient from
openly acknowledging that his friends' views directly conflict with his faith. He will act as if he agrees
with them. Because humans tend to "turn into the thing they are pretending to be," this playacting will
gradually corrupt the patient's behavior and then his thinking.
The Enemy will be preparing a counterattack. For this Wormwood must delay the moment when the
patient realizes he is being tempted by the corrupt values his new friends embody. For 2,000 years
humans have been warned by the Enemy's servants about temptations in the world. They have been
cautioned about "Mammon ... Worldly Vanities, the Choice of Friends, and the Value of Time." Still, in
recent years the devil's forces have persuaded the world that these cautions can be dismissed as
"Puritanism." That is an advantage.

Later, when the patient inevitably realizes the real nature of his new friends, Wormwood has some
options on how to exploit it. The patient may be induced to ignore the character of his friends when he
is with them although he fully understands and is critical of their nature. He then must adapt his
behavior to the group he is with: his "bawdy and blasphemy" friends or his pious and faithful fellow
churchgoers. In his vanity the patient will feel superior to both groups with his awareness of both
worlds, and he will feel he is doing his bawdy friends a favor by associating with them.
Screwtape ends his letter by reminding Wormwood to be sure the patient spends more money than he
can afford with his friends and at the same time neglects his work and his mother.

Chapter 11
The patient's new friends have introduced him to their circle of companions. Wormwood has observed
that among them there is a good deal of laughter. Screwtape cautions him that laughter is not always
to their advantage. It can be categorized by its causes: "Joy, Fun, the Joke Proper, and Flippancy."

Joy springs from a natural and healthy form of happiness, such as the meeting of lovers and friends.
Humorous exchanges, or jokes, may follow and produce laughter that expresses something good. This
is of no use to devils and a disgusting affront to Hell.

Fun is "a sort of emotional froth" arising out of playfulness in humans. Again, it is healthy and natural,
and as such, useless to devils. Worse, it is likely to induce good feelings like charity, courage, and
contentment.

The Joke Proper is more to the liking of devils. This type of humor points out absurdities in life and
human behavior for a laugh. The least likely to succeed in corrupting humans is the bawdy or indecent
joke pointing out incongruities in sex. There is a better chance for devilish influence when the joke is
merely the pretext for talking about sex. In this case, the real use of jokes, or humor, becomes clear:
to destroy shame.

As Screwtape explains, jokes can become a pretext for all kinds of bad behavior. Dressed up as a joke,
humans can act cruelly or cowardly, for example. Screwtape points out that for the English, having a
sense of humor is a serious matter. They will do their best to avoid being accused of lack of humor.
Devils use this to push humans toward laughing without shame at shameful things.

Flippancy is the best source of laughter for use by devils. It takes nothing seriously and pokes fun at
virtue. Every serious matter is discussed by flippant people as if "they have already found a ridiculous
side to it." Dismissive humor used consistently is an excellent defense against the Enemy and "free
from the dangers inherent in other sorts of laughter." It does not spring from joy, deadens the
intellect, and produces no shared affection among its participants.

Analysis
In Chapter 10 Screwtape is pleased with his nephew's progress in corrupting his patient. The human's
emerging faith is in danger. The beliefs and values of his new friends are clearly at odds with those he
is trying to nurture. Lewis uses the patient's spiritual peril to highlight the impact friends and
acquaintances can have on faith.
Screwtape advises his nephew that his patient's "social, sexual, and intellectual vanity" is a good
means for persuading him to disregard the fact that the values held by his new friends are at odds with
his faith. The human desire to fit in and be accepted is powerful. There's a good chance the line
between disregard and acceptance of these values will become blurred. It will be short step from
acceptance to adopting behaviors contrary to his faith. The patient is then ready to change his thinking
and acquire "all sorts of cynical and skeptical attitudes which are not really his."
Here Lewis maps out the subtle means by which human values and beliefs can be altered, not always
for the better. It can be a step-by-step process cloaked in something pleasant. It depends on a strong
desire for acceptance and to appear agreeable in both thinking and behavior. From Lewis's standpoint
as a Christian, it is therefore important that believers, especially those new to faith, surround
themselves with like-minded friends to support their endeavors.

Screwtape notes the Enemy, in a counterattack, will try to open the patient's eyes to the fact that this
new pleasure is a temptation. He cautions Wormwood to delay this revelation as long as possible and
assures him this will be easier these days. In the past the Enemy's servants—meaning religious leaders
such as priests—spoke out about "Worldly Vanities, the Choice of Friends, and the Value of Time." In
the modern world these topics have been neglected by the Church and classified by society as
"Puritanism."
Puritanism is a pejorative expression describing any attempt to restrict or restrain behaviors on moral
grounds. Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. They rebelled against
certain practices by the Church of England that seemed too "Catholic" in nature. Their goal was to
"purify" the Christian practice and teaching. Puritans were noted for the moral and religious intensity
that guided their day-to-day lives.
Screwtape is proud that his side has managed to label as "Puritanism" many worthwhile virtues, such
as "temperance, chastity, and sobriety in life" (meaning seriousness or thoughtfulness). However, a
label is not an argument. This labeling strategy does not seek to honestly test the merits of these
virtues. Rather it seeks to dismiss them as old and stuffy; nothing a modern thinker would judge to
have value.

Screwtape's follow-up advice appears to admit the weakness of labels. He tells his nephew that sooner
or later the patient will realize the true nature of his new friends. Yet, all is not lost. The devil can then
lead the patient to exist in a divided state, communing with his fellow churchgoers on the one hand
and carousing with his new friends on the other. He will belong to neither world and be uncomfortable
in both. All the while he will try to juggle their conflicting values. This undermines the unity of purpose
religious life offers and focused passion it requires. It is the perfect vehicle for disrupting the patient's
pursuit of faith and reason.

In Chapter 11 once again Screwtape applauds Wormwood's progress, especially the introduction of
"great laughers." Screwtape schools his nephew on the main sources of humor, classifying them as
innocent or useful to the devil's goals. The four sources are Joy, Fun, the Joke Proper, and Flippancy.

Joy is a normal form of happiness that flows from good feelings shared among friends. It may involve
witticisms that elicit laughter, but the joy comes from something deeper that finds expression in other
forms such as music. It is of no use to the devil in undermining faith. In fact, it is an affront to Hell.
Similarly, fun is of little value. It may be used to distract humans from more serious-minded activities
and obligations, but fun is too prone to lead to good feelings and expressions of virtue like charity,
courage, and contentment. In Chapter 9 Screwtape acknowledges that pleasure is God's "invention."
Genuine pleasure is his gift to humans. It is only when pleasure is perverted that it becomes useful to a
devil. Joy and fun would seem to fall under the category of genuine pleasure. However, the joke and
flippancy are another matter.

The joke proper can be used to point out silly, incongruous aspects of human nature and experience.
The topic may be innocent or lean toward the indecent, but the point of the joke remains the
absurdities of being human. However, this kind of joke or humor can be corrupted. It can become an
excuse for talking in the lowest terms about topics like sex. Better yet, it can be used to demean
people and ideas and to be cruel. Even if uncomfortable with a degrading, mean-spirited joke, many
humans will laugh just to show others they have a sense of humor and are not "Puritanical." From
Screwtape's point of view this is good. It calls to mind his observation in Chapter 10 that "mortals tend
to turn into the things they are pretending to be." Once the human can be pressured into pretending
he finds low, inappropriate humor funny, he is on his way to actually accepting the corrupt thinking
that produced it.

As Screwtape sees it, flippancy is best of all for keeping humans from thinking deeply about life. The
search for meaning can be dismissed and virtues can be mocked because flippancy treats nothing with
respect or seriousness. It is grounded in the notion that nothing ultimately matters and so is fodder for
the joke. The flippant joke will not be truly witty or intelligent, nor will it with humor shine a light on
truth. There is no joy in it, and it ridicules things others hold dear. In short it is free of any beneficial
qualities. From Screwtape's perspective it is perfect for dulling the intellect and convincing humans that
nothing is worth committing to or fighting for.

Summary

Chapter 12
Wormwood has reported that he is making good progress with the patient. His uncle cautions him not
to move things along too quickly, or the patient may begin to realize his precarious position, which is
moving away from the Enemy.
The fact that the patient is still a churchgoer and receiving Holy Communion is a good sign. The
patient can deceive himself into thinking that his spiritual state is unaffected by his new friends and
activities. Therefore, he will not be feeling repentant of specific sins, only uneasy that "he hasn't been
doing very well lately."
These vague feelings of guilt can be used to further distance the patient from his faith. They will cause
him to avoid thinking about the Enemy, as this would involve "facing and intensifying" his guilt.
Furthermore, the patient will increasingly dislike his religious duties, although he will continue to
perform them. He will be willingly distracted—without temptation—from his prayers to avoid drawing
the Enemy's attention to himself.

There is an added benefit here for Wormwood. As the patient moves away from the Enemy, he will
need less and less temptation. He will seek out distractions and empty pleasures for himself to occupy
his attention. He will read anything, talk to anyone, or do nothing at all without Wormwood's
prompting. All the healthy, outgoing pastimes can be displaced and nothing worthwhile provided to fill
the emptiness. He will be like one of Screwtape's former patients who, upon arrival down below, said,
"I now see that I spent most of my life in doing neither what I ought nor what I liked." The dreary
"Nothing" that is strong without the Enemy will steal the patient's life.
Screwtape assures Wormwood that the accumulation of small sins rather than "spectacular
wickedness" will separate the patient from the Enemy. It will edge him "away from the Light and out
into the Nothing." In fact, it is the barely perceptible path leading gradually away from faith that is the
surest road to Hell.

Chapter 13
Wormwood has reported that his patient has repented his recent transgressions and been restored to
grace. This "second conversion" is probably more deeply experienced than the first, and Screwtape is
quite unhappy about it. He chides Wormwood for not recognizing the "asphyxiating cloud" that
protected the patient from Wormwood's attack as he walked home afterward. It was a sign of the
Enemy's immediate presence and is his "most barbarous weapon."

Screwtape points out Wormwood's blunders. The first was to allow the patient to read a book he
enjoyed for its own sake and not as the subject of clever remarks for his new friends. The second was
allowing the patient to take a long, solitary country stroll that he enjoyed. These two positive pleasures
are real and contrast sharply with the false, shallow pleasures the devil has been teaching the man to
value. Enjoyment of the book and the walk has awakened in the patient a feeling of "coming home,
recovering himself."

Screwtape admits that the Enemy also wants "to detach men from themselves" but in a different way
and for a different reason. The Enemy values each human's distinctness. He only wishes them to
abandon their willfulness to go their own way, as this leads them away from their own true nature.
That true nature aligns with his. By abandoning self-will, humans are "more themselves than ever."

The work of devils like Wormwood is to encourage humans to drift away from that true nature. Even in
simple matters like which book to read or activity to engage in, it is vital for the devil to lead the
human away from what he truly likes toward what the world determines is best or right or important.
His values must be shaped to match the world's.

To counter the patient's renewed faith, Screwtape advises Wormwood to keep him from acting on it.
He may be as pious in his imagination as he pleases. But his new repentance means nothing if he does
not convert it into action. Each time he acts on his faith, it will be strengthened. Each time he fails to
act, his faith will weaken. In time he will not even feel the urge to act.
Analysis
Belonging to the Church involves certain rituals and rites, such as attending church regularly on
Sundays and receiving Holy Communion. Holy Communion is the part of the church service in which
the body and blood of Christ, under the appearance of bread and wine, are received by the faithful.
During the Last Supper, before Jesus was tried and crucified, he established this ritual and said, "This
do in remembrance of me." It is a solemn moment for participating in his sacrifice.

With the patient as an example, Lewis suggests in Chapter 12 that Christians are in danger of

misunderstanding the purpose and power of these rituals and rites. As a Christian the patient may
consider that going through the motions of his faith, like attending church and receiving Holy
Communion, is a sign that he is doing okay spiritually. He naively believes that these actions are
somehow safeguards against the negative influences of the world. All the while, he is moving away
from God. This may trouble him, and his "dim uneasiness"—with devilish encouragement—may further
that distance. Continued self-deception is key. Unless the patient awakens to his peril and repents, he
will begin avoiding God.
Here, Screwtape advises Wormwood on how to effectively manipulate the patient's uneasiness. Lewis
uses Screwtape's advice to point out that humans do not always want to know with certainty if they
are on the right path or not. They don't truly want to be fully seen by God. They live with a "vague
cloud of half-conscious guilt" and avoid the hard truth that their spiritual state is not in good shape and
requires some attention.
In Screwtape's anecdote about a former patient Lewis calls attention to the dreadfulness of a wasted
life. The patient regrets not doing "what I ought," meaning God's will. He also regrets not doing "what
I liked," meaning things that were fulfilling. The author warns against leading a spiritually hollow life
focused on trivia and devoid of meaning. The concepts intrinsic to faith transcend the trivialities of the
world while adding depth and an eternal perspective to the human experience.
Through Screwtape's final thoughts regarding big sins versus little sins, Lewis emphasizes that the
"spectacular" sins are not the danger for humans. These great transgressions are likely to prick the
conscience afterward and awaken feelings of guilt or shame and the need to repent. In contrast, the
small transgressions can be easily dismissed as nothing of consequence. Any pangs of conscience are
more easily ignored. Yet, small step by small step, these little sins lead away from what is good and
right, away from God and faith.

In Chapter 13 Screwtape references an "asphyxiating cloud" that surroundeds the patient as he walked
home. This is a symbol Lewis's readers would readily recognize. Clouds are frequently referenced in the
Bible and symbolize the presence of God in action or spirit. For example, the first mention of clouds is
in Genesis, the first book of the Bible, when God places a rainbow in the clouds following the great
flood. It represents God's covenant that he would never again flood the entire world. Later, in the book
of Exodus a pillar of cloud guides the children of Israel in their flight from Egypt through the
wilderness. In the New Testament God speaks out of a cloud to the disciples of Jesus. In this letter
Screwtape's description of the cloud as it envelops the patient suggests that to demons such a cloud
would be poisonous and impenetrable.
Through Screwtape's assessment of Wormwood's blunders Lewis reminds readers that natural
pleasures are gifts from God (see Chapter 9). These are the innocent pleasures that take delight in life
and translate into feelings of joy. They are "unmistakably real" and as such serve as reminders of God's
presence. Lewis also points out that pain of a genuine sort also has a way of calling a human's
attention to God. Therefore, allowing the patient either real pleasure or pain cannot be depended upon
to undermine faith.

On the other hand, false pain, like false pleasure, may accomplish the task. As examples of false pain,
Lewis spotlights two characters from literature: Childe Harold and Werther. Childe Harold is the
handsome, romantic hero in English poet Lord Byron's (1788–1824) poem "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage."
Melancholy and weary of self-indulgence in worldly pleasures, the young nobleman goes on a
pilgrimage to faraway places in search of distraction. Werther is the central figure in German writer
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's (1749–1832) novel The Sorrows of Young Werther. Restless and
discontented with the everyday world, young Werther seeks fulfillment of his poetic fantasies in the
country. There, misfortune in love drags him deeper into feelings of hopelessness.
Both literary works revolve around protagonists whose suffering is self-inflicted and romanticized
"nonsense" when compared to real suffering. Therefore, as Screwtape points out, if Wormwood had
been using false pain to damn his patient, experiencing the real thing would have been a danger. As
Wormwood has been using false pleasure, he slipped up by allowing the patient to experience "two
real positive Pleasures." The clear contrast awakened the patient to his peril.

Screwtape stresses that a human's "deepest likings and impulses" are the "raw material, the starting
point" bestowed by God and the core of the human's nature. The values of the world should be used to
disengage the human from these core values. The further patients drift from their own "real likings and
dislikings" toward what is conformist or fashionable, the better, from a devil's standpoint.

Summary

Chapter 14
Wormwood has reported a change in the patient that is alarming. He is no longer making showy
promises "of perpetual virtue" or expecting that he has earned God's grace for life. He is only hoping
for daily strength to meet daily temptation.
Screwtape concludes that the human has become humble. He advises the best way to counteract this
is to make the patient acutely aware of it. He then will take pride in his humility, and the problem will
be solved. If he tries to smother this new pride, Wormwood can make him proud of that. Only if the
patient's sense of humor awakens will the project be danger, as then "he will merely laugh" at the devil
"and go to bed."
The patient must be kept ignorant of the true expression of humility. This is not a low opinion of
oneself, but self-forgetfulness. For the devil's purposes the patient must be encouraged to be dishonest
and devalue his talents in the name of humility. To maintain his belief in what is clearly nonsense, the
patient's false humility will require a great deal of his attention.
On the other hand, the Enemy will want the human, in true humility, to be "free from any bias in his
own favor." He will be able to rejoice in his talents "as frankly and gratefully as in his neighbor's
talents." His instinctive self-love will be replaced with "charity and gratitude for all selves." He will truly
learn to love his neighbor as himself.

Screwtape reminds his nephew that the Enemy's goal is for the patient to forget about constantly
measuring his own value. He wishes the human to evaluate his accomplishments honestly and then
move on. So, there is no purpose served in encouraging in him false pride or false humility. The Enemy
will counter this with the reminder that there is always room for improvement. The Enemy will also
seek to remind the patient that humans did not create themselves; their talents are his gifts to them.
Ultimately, the Enemy prefers that the patient does not dwell on these matters at all and turns his
attention outward instead.

Chapter 15
Screwtape notes the current lull in the European War and a corresponding lull in the patient's anxiety
about the future. The question is whether to encourage this or not. "Tortured fear and stupid
confidence" can both be used to the devil's advantage.
He explains that, although humans are destined for eternity, they live in time. Therefore, the Enemy
wants them to focus only on eternity and on the present moment. When they focus on eternity, they
concentrate on him. When they focus on the present moment, they experience the truest state of
freedom and actuality—nothing before and nothing after, just the unencumbered now. This, Screwtape
declares, is how the Enemy experiences reality as a whole. In this present humans are free to live out
their faith.

The devil's job, Screwtape goes on, is to distract humans from the eternal and from the present by
tempting them to live in the past or the future. Of the two the future is the most promising. It is a
natural direction for humans to look and doing so "inflames hope and fear." The future is also the least
like eternity because it embodies something imagined in an earth-bound time and place. Thoughts of it
can be steered by attractive intellectual trends such as creative evolution, scientific humanism, or
communism. These "schemes of thought" incite fear, avarice, lust, and ambition—all vices which look
ahead for fulfillment.

Screwtape notes that the Enemy wants humans to think of the future, too. He charges them with the
duty today to plan tomorrow's work. However, they must not give their hearts to the future. In
contrast, a devil's desire is to see humans "haunted by visions of an imminent heaven or hell upon
earth." They will be willing to violate the Enemy's laws to attain heaven or avert hell. Ideally, the
human is never honest, kind, or happy in the "now" but always chasing rainbows and heaping gifts of
the present on the altar of the future.

Screwtape concludes that it is best for the patient to be filled with either anxiety or hope for the future.
If it is hope, it must be false hope. When false hopes are dashed, the human's disappointment piles up.
If it is anxiety, then he should be discouraged from praying for the virtue to meet whatever horrors
may be in store. If, however, the patient is living in the present because he is healthy and happy,
Screwtape advises Wormwood to "break it up," adding "why should the creature be happy?"
Analysis
In Chapter 14 Screwtape schools Wormwood on the subject of true humility. From his viewpoint this
type of humility is a problem. In its true sense humility is the opposite of pride, which is a weakness
the devil can use. Instead of pride's self-promotion, humility cultivates self-forgetfulness. The human is
not obsessed with detailing his gifts and accomplishments. Yet, he does not devalue or otherwise
belittle them in an effort to feel or appear humble. That is false humility and is dishonest, which
contradicts God's wish. After all, like pleasures (as discussed in Chapter 9), talents are his gift to
humans.
True humility involves detachment from the opinions of the world. A humble person knows his own
worth and does not look to others to confirm it. His mind is "off the subject of his own value
altogether." He is secure in the knowledge that all gifts are from God, is grateful for them, and need
not be concerned with how the world evaluates them. Its praise and criticism no longer matter.

This frees the individual from fear or jealousy. As Screwtape notes, the individual "is so free from any
bias in his own favor that he can rejoice in ... his neighbor's talents" as readily as in his own. In other
words he can "be the best, and rejoice in the fact" while celebrating and encouraging the
accomplishments of others. This attitude is, naturally, of no use to the devil as it does not provoke
resentment and discord. Instead, it provokes among humans "a new kind of self-love—a charity and
gratitude for all selves, including their own."

Screwtape warns Wormwood of one last safeguard God may employ to keep humans humble no
matter the heights to which they reach. This is the reminder that there is always room for
improvement. It combats both vainglory and false modesty. Should the person be prone to pride, this
reminder provides a sobering dose of reality. Should the person be prone to false modesty, this
reminder will prick his secret pride. It suggests that, if his gifts or accomplishments are so poor, he
should work harder to improve them. This bruises his artfully hidden, high opinion of himself.

In Chapter 15 Screwtape is once again weighing how best to send the patient's thinking off in the
wrong direction. The lull in the war has provided two possibilities: to raise the patient's quieted anxiety
to the level of "tortured fear," or to allow it to settle into "stupid confidence." Both are opportunities to
draw off the patient's attention from present reality toward an imagined future.

Lewis uses Screwtape's discussion of time and eternity to point out that life can be bled away by living
it in the past or the future. These are only shadows; remembered or imagined moments and beyond
human control. The past is gone and cannot be changed. The future does not yet exist and cannot be
predicted. There is only the present. Here in the moment, humans encounter the fullness of reality with
all its challenges, sorrows, triumphs, and joys. For this, the Christian prays, "Give us this day our daily
bread," in the Lord's Prayer. As discussed in Chapter 6, "daily bread" is more than food; it is whatever
is needed to cope with this day.
As Lewis views eternity, all past moments already have flowed into its vastness and the future does not
yet exist. The only reality to touch eternity is the present moment. The Christian is encouraged to keep
focused on both: well-grounded in reality but with certainty that there is a transcendent "more."
Screwtape cites some of the philosophies, ideologies, and fashionable ideas that he favors. Creative
evolution is a philosophical theory proposed by Henri Bergson in the early 1900s. It involves the
concept of a "life force" that animates the universe and brings about the continual process of change.
As a force for evolution, it is directed toward some future end.

Scientific humanism is a philosophy promoting the idea that the full potential of the human race will be
realized by human effort alone. Religious values and faith are of no consequence in this process.
Morality and self-fulfillment may be achieved without them.

Communism is a political ideology based on the writings of German philosopher Karl Marx (1818–83).
It advocates class war with the goal of establishing an ideal political and economic system. In this
system private ownership of property is eliminated, and each person works and is paid according to
abilities and needs. Everything is determined by the state. Marxism, the basis of communism, is a
materialistic philosophy, which denies the existence of anything immaterial, such as mind or spirit.

Each of these ideas tends to upgrade humans and downgrade God. They also, as Screwtape notes, "fix
men's affections on the Future." From Lewis's perspective they are always works-in-progress that
depend on dissatisfaction with the present and wishful thinking about the future. They depend on
"fear, avarice, lust, and ambition" to spur people toward some promised state of being or perfection.
They are entirely materialistic and temporal, with no sense of anything of significance beyond earthly
time and space. When in time, these ideas fall short of their mark, the product is despair.

Screwtape acknowledges that God approves of sensibly planning for the future. Still, "He does not want
men to give the Future their hearts." In other words they should understand that the day's work,
whatever that may be, should include appropriate preparation. However, at day's end they should hand
over the end product of their labor to God and remain focused on the present. Tomorrow is time
enough to take up the tasks of another day.

In contrast Screwtape likes to keep humans "hag-ridden by the Future." A hag in this sense is an evil
or frightening spirit. It is an apt description for the nameless, shapeless, haunted visions "of an
imminent heaven or hell upon earth" that Screwtape prefers.

Summary

Chapter 16
Wormwood has informed his uncle that the patient has, thus far, attended only one church and is
dissatisfied with it. Screwtape demands to know if this "fidelity" is the result of indifference. If so, this
is good. If a believer cannot be discouraged from attending church, the next best thing is to encourage
him to shop around for one that suits his taste. This is a sure way to attack the traditional church
organized by territory, or parish. As such, it serves as a place of worship for everyone within that
geographical area and provides a "unity of place not of likings." This draws together people of all walks
of life, which is what the Enemy desires.
It is preferable from the devil's viewpoint that shopping around—"the congregational principle"—turns
the church into a kind of club or faction. It also turns the patient into a critic instead of a student open
to learning more about his faith. The Enemy does not mind if a churchgoer rejects some false or
unhelpful teaching within his local church as long as he remains receptive to the truth that is offered.

Screwtape advises Wormwood to get his patient out shopping for a new church as soon as possible. He
favors two nearby churches. The first is run by a vicar who waters down his sermons to make their
message easier to accept by his skeptical congregation. He has gone so far as to eliminate the
lectionary, or scripture readings specified by the church calendar. He sticks to a few select psalms and
lessons guaranteed not to disturb his flock with any new truths.

The second church Screwtape likes is run by a priest who inserts his personal causes into his sermons.
He tends to be swayed by popular trends in politics and philosophy, embracing communism one week;
theocratic fascism the next. He swings between causes. His sermons promote his ideas and prejudices
instead of the gospel, yet he masks this with the introductory words, "The teaching of the Church
is ... ."

As an added advantage—from Screwtape's perspective—both churches are "party churches," meaning

that exclusive, tight-knit groups have formed within them. These groups separate themselves and work
up anger over inconsequential issues, such as "candles and clothes and what not." However, neither
faction could state the difference between essential Church-related philosophies and theologies. While
caught up in trivialities, these groups forget the fundamentals of their faith. The "low" churchman does
not mingle with his "high" brother, and they do not learn from one another, as intended. Therefore,
they learn little about charity and humility.

Chapter 17
Screwtape chides Wormwood about his ignorance on the topic of gluttony. It is a forgotten topic in the
Church, which is a victory for devils. This has been accomplished by focusing their efforts on a less
obvious form of gluttony—not "gluttony of Excess" but "gluttony of Delicacy."

Screwtape uses the patient's mother to explain that gluttony of delicacy traps humans with an
inconspicuous kind of sensuality that involves small quantities. The patient's mother screams and
complains when any food put before her is not exactly as she wants it, which is always in small
amounts. She is determined to get what she wants, "however troublesome it may be to others."
Although the amounts are small, she still is indulging her tremendous appetite to have things her own
way. As Screwtape explains, "her belly now dominates her whole life."
The woman's "insatiable demand for the exact, and almost impossible, palatal pleasures" results in
"daily disappointment [that] produces daily ill temper." She loses cooks and injures friendships.
Screwtape reminds his nephew not to neglect his patient on this front. Being male, the human's
gluttony of delicacy will center on a different appetite, and his vanity is the best hook. Wormwood
should lead the patient to think of himself as an expert on food and at fine restaurants let him indulge
his appetites until this becomes a habit. Thereafter, any denial of indulgence will be met with
resentment. At that point, all the virtues the patient has been cultivating will be at Wormwood's mercy.

Finally, Screwtape points out that gluttony of excess is less valuable than its counterpart. Its best use is
as an "artillery preparation"—a means of disrupting the patient's defenses—for an attack on his self-
restraint, self-denial, and morality ("chastity"). Of course, the patient must never suspect that what he
ate or drank before the transgression had any effect. He might then exercise abstinence in the future
and ruin the whole thing.

Analysis
In Chapter 16 Screwtape focuses on the patient's church attendance and the spirit in which he
worships. His advice to Wormwood provides a glimpse of an important function of the local church in
Christian life. A traditional idea in the church encouraged all community members who shared the
Christian faith to attend the church of their parish, or geographical district. As a result, the
congregation comprised neighbors as well as a social, racial, economic, and theological cross section of
humanity. Within this spiritual family all were equal, while cliques or factions based on secular values,
such as economic status, were discouraged. All were brothers and sisters joined in Christ. The parish
churches fall under the guidance of a higher authority that collectively runs or manages the parishes.
The "congregational principle" that Screwtape promotes reflects the concerns of Lewis, who saw
danger in the breakdown in this unifying feature of the church. The congregational principle advocates
that each church is answerable only to itself and forms around a congregation of like-minded
individuals who have chosen their spiritual family. In other words congregants have shopped around
(as Screwtape applauds in his letter) until they found a group that suits them socially, economically,
racially, and so on. This notion of free association is a product of the 16th century's Protestant
Reformation.
In Lewis's view, as this notion rises in popularity, the leveling influence of the church declines.
Furthermore, the focus of church attendance shifts away from the spiritual gifts being offered and
leans toward its social aspects. The worshiper is less humbly receptive to "any nourishment that is
going on."

In his letter Screwtape turns his attention to other trends within the church that have been useful in
the campaign to capture human souls. These trends either water down the core message of faith or
substitute a cause or personal preoccupation for that core message. In both cases that which is
essential to faith is weakened or downgraded in importance. The clear message of the gospel is
diluted, narrowed down, or muddied, and that which is nonessential to salvation is uplifted in
importance. As Screwtape hopes and Lewis fears, these trends do not strengthen faith or benefit the
believer in sincere pursuit of salvation.

Chapter 17 begins a new series of letters (17–20) concerned with temptations of the flesh. Through
Screwtape's counsel Lewis explores the subject of gluttony from an unusual angle. Gluttony is one of
the seven capital sins: pride, envy, greed, lust, wrath, gluttony, and sloth. These are the vices that lead
to all other sins. With the exception of envy, these sins provide momentary pleasure but, in the long
run, are destructive morally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. They are considered the
dispositions at the root of all other sins.

Gluttony is generally thought of as self-indulgent excess of food or drink. However, the term can cover
anything indulged in to excess. Through Screwtape Lewis demonstrates that gluttony can also be
excessive self-denial, as in the case of the patient's mother. It is not the amount consumed that
defines gluttony; it is the insatiable appetite for something which demands, at all cost, to be satisfied.
As the patient's mother demonstrates, satisfying the gluttonous craving is what matters. This
dominates her life.

Excessive self-indulgence can be a gateway to other undesirable behaviors. As such, Screwtape

compares it to "artillery preparation," which is artillery fire delivered before an attack to soften up the
enemy's defenses. In other words, under the devil's influence some kinds of gluttony can be used to
prepare the patient for a more destructive spiritual attack, especially attacks on chastity (sexual self-
restraint). For example, unchecked drinking resulting in drunkenness can "soften up" an individual to
indulge in sexual misconduct. As with gluttony, the assumption is that it is all right because it is desired
at the time. The spiritual cost or the negative impact on another is not considered.

Summary

Chapter 18
Screwtape informs Wormwood that he has much to learn about sexual temptation. The Enemy has
presented humans with two choices in the matter of sex: "complete abstinence or unmitigated
monogamy." Since the Fall of Humanity in the Garden of Eden—a great victory for Satan—abstinence
has been very difficult for humans. Over the last few centuries monogamy also has become more
difficult thanks to the romanticism in poetry and novels. It has successfully linked marriage with the
high excitement of "being in love." When this fades—as it naturally will—the marriage is no longer
considered binding. The marriage falls apart along with any attempt at monogamy.
The destructive force behind this is the "philosophy of Hell" based on the principle of separation. As
Screwtape explains, there can exist no love with its deep sense of unity and selfless giving. "One self is
not another self," he asserts. The good of one is not the good of the other. "What one gains another
loses." Existence is a competitive, predatory affair in which the larger and stronger shove aside or
absorb the smaller and weaker.

In contrast, the Enemy's philosophy seeks unity while honoring individuality. He calls it "love," in which
"the good of one self is to be the good of another." Screwtape points out that even the Enemy himself
reflects this principle in his claim to be three as well as one in the Holy Trinity. The love that is part of
his nature infuses human nature, perverting it (as the devil views it). It is no longer purely predatory
and competitive; it is cooperative.

The Enemy has associated affection with sexual desire as a means of spiritually unifying the sexual
partners. He also has deliberately made sex the method of reproduction among humans. Furthermore,
he has made both the offspring of that union dependent on the parents and the parents inclined to
care for their child. The Enemy's purpose is to produce "the Family." While maintaining their
distinctiveness, the members form a strong unit.

Screwtape explains that "being in love" does not spiritually unify sexual partners. It is the act of having
sex that creates a transcendental relationship "which must be eternally enjoyed or eternally endured."
The Enemy promises that when this relationship is entered into with knowledge and acceptance—in
other words, with marriage—it will often produce affection and the family.

However, humans can be led to believe that the feelings of "being in love" are crucial to a happy or
holy marriage. Marriage for any other reason may be classified as "low and cynical." The idea of
entering a partnership "for mutual help, for the preservation of chastity, and for the transmission of
life" is portrayed as inferior to a marriage begun in a "storm of emotion."

Screwtape closes his letter with the promise of writing on the dangers and uses of sexual infatuation.

Chapter 19
Wormwood is confused. Screwtape has asserted that the Enemy's definition of love contradicts Hell's
philosophy that "all selves are by their nature in competition." Therefore, the Enemy's definition cannot
be true and there is no such thing as love. Yet, his uncle also has said that the Enemy "really loves the
human vermin." How can both be so?

Screwtape quickly backtracks, affirming that the Enemy cannot truly love humans, who are distinct
from him; "their good cannot be His." The devil blames his slip-up on his own confusion about why the
Enemy created humans. His real motive eludes Screwtape, who confides to Wormwood that this
problem "was a chief cause of Our Father's quarrel with the Enemy." Our Father Below could not
understand, and the Enemy would not explain, why humanity once created was allowed to live on,
even though he seemed to know this would lead to the crucifixion of his Son. Therefore, convinced that
the Enemy cannot truly love, Our Father and his minions work endlessly to discover his secret motives.

Wormwood is also confused on the issue of whether "being in love" is "a desirable state for a human or
not." Screwtape impatiently explains that his nephew has missed the point. The question is not
whether something is good or bad but whether it moves the patient nearer the Enemy or closer to Our
Father Below. Therefore, the benefit of guiding the patient to label "love" good or bad depends on the
patient's weaknesses.

If the patient believes himself to pure and has contempt for the body, "overweening asceticism"—
meaning arrogant self-denial—is the direction he must be pushed. This will separate him from the
humanizing qualities of love, leaving a vacuum that can be filled with something more brutal and
sneering.

If the patient is an "emotional, gullible man," then he should be pushed toward a romantic view of love
as a force that cannot be denied. Self-indulgence in it becomes its own reward. The hoped-for outcome
is "prolonged, 'noble,' romantic, tragic adulteries" that end in violence.
Screwtape concludes that, if all else fails, the patient may be pushed in the name of "love" into
marriage with a woman who will make his pursuit of a Christian life intensely difficult. After all, like so
many things that excite humans, love is "mainly raw material" for influencing spiritual life.

Analysis
In Chapter 18 Lewis uses Screwtape's disparaging views on traditional marriage to highlight his
concerns over the uninformed, unrealistic, and shaky view of sexual morality and marriage adopted by
modern society. In his view the purpose and deeper meaning of sex and marriage has been supplanted
by a romanticized notion of love. The transcendent, unifying power of sex has been minimized, and
marriage as the foundational strength upon which the family is built has been marginalized.
In Screwtape's view all relationships are predatory. In his hellish philosophy "what one gains, another
loses." Everyone in Hell is looking out for himself, and the only way to thrive is at the expense of
others. This state of mind renders the idea of marriage and family ludicrous. These require unity, love,
and teamwork—qualities and virtues inconceivable to the devil. Even so, Screwtape recognizes that,
impossible as it seems, the family as a cooperative organism does exist. All he can do is dismiss it as a
device employed by the Enemy "for dragging in Love."

While Screwtape denies the existence of love, he is well-aware of the "curious, and usually short-lived,
experience" of "being in love." And he knows how to use it to his advantage. Having been rendered by
novelists and poets as "the only respectable ground for marriage," the notion guarantees a marriage
will falter when the excitement inevitably fades.

Lewis is not opposed to the notion of "being in love." He has stated in another work, Mere Christianity,
that "being in love is a good thing, but it is not the best thing." He goes on to explain that while "it is a
noble feeling, it is still a feeling." He then draws a distinction between love and being in love,
describing love "as a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit." As
importantly, it is reinforced by the grace of God. It endures when the feeling of "being in love" is gone.
Through Screwtape's flipped view of sexual intercourse Lewis delves into its true purpose and meaning,
as a Christian sees it. He explains that sexual intimacy between a man and woman sets up an eternal
relationship between them that transcends the act itself. This is not an option; it is God's law. The
couple becomes "one flesh." So rather than being an expression of that premarital condition called
"being in love," this intimacy is intended to instill and sustain a mature love that embraces "fidelity,
fertility, and good will." In fact, these three qualities are the foundation of a solid, happy marriage, as
designed by God. The promised by-product is the blessing of "being in love." This is a complete
reversal of Screwtape's unhappy plan for marriage.

In Chapter 19 Screwtape revisits the topic of love—in particular, the Enemy's love for humanity and the
issue of being in love. He also gives Wormwood useful tips on how to use the patient's views on love to
send him off spiritually in Hell's direction.
At the outset of the letter Screwtape is clearly nervous that Wormwood may have betrayed him to his
superiors. In Hell's demonic society back-stabbing to get ahead is expected, and Wormwood has
written proof of Screwtape's heresy concerning the Enemy's love of humans. Although Screwtape
argues convincingly against such a heretical belief, he has stated more than once (for example, in
Chapters 8, 13, and 14) that the Enemy "really likes the little vermin." Lewis states in his preface, "the
devil is a liar." Knowing this raises the possibility that, despite his denials, deep down Screwtape knows
the truth but must repress it. He cannot admit what he cannot explain or understand. He escapes truth
with self-deception and intellectual dishonesty.

Screwtape claims God's love for humans is a blind; an obstruction to discerning his real motives for
keeping the creatures around. He cites this as "a chief cause of Our Father's quarrel" with God. This is
a reference to the story of Satan's expulsion from Heaven based on the Old Testament book of Isaiah
14, verses 12–19. According to Christian mythology, Satan (also called Lucifer) led a rebellion against
God for dominance in Heaven. Satan was defeated, and he and his minions were cast down into Hell.
Screwtape, of course, provides an alternative version favorable to Satan in which the devil removes
himself in disgust "an infinite distance from the Presence." Like all Hell's inhabitants Screwtape is sure
God's stubborn insistence that he loves the creatures can only be a lie. Nobody, not even God, can
really love. Therefore, he must be protecting a secret upon which his throne depends.

Through Screwtape's assessment of good and evil, Lewis underscores the idea that most things that
"humans are excited about" are not inherently one or the other. They are only useful material. It is
when the human is persuaded to judge something as "good" or "bad" that it can be effectively used
against them. As an example, distorted perceptions of love can produce excessive, prideful abstinence
or romanticized indulgence in unchastity. It all depends on how the human views love in the first place.
A healthy, balanced perspective grounded in spiritual morality is of no use to the devil.

Summary

Chapter 20
Wormwood has tried and failed to goad the patient into sexual sin. Furthermore, the patient now
realizes that these attacks are transitory; he need not give in to them. Screwtape chides his nephew
for having rendered this weapon useless. A human's ignorance of the fact that temptation can be out-
waited is an invaluable tool for devils.
Screwtape advises his nephew that marriage is the path of destruction he must send his patient down.
The devil then gives Wormwood some pointers on the type of woman to seek out for this task. The key
is to guide the patient away from any woman with whom a "spiritually helpful, happy, and fertile"
marriage is most likely.

Screwtape notes that fashionable trends in superficial characteristics, such as body type, are helpful in
attracting a man to the wrong woman. Currently, the "age of jazz" is promoting interest in women
"whose bodies are scarcely distinguishable from those of boys." As this is a transitory kind of beauty, it
has the added benefit of escalating a woman's chronic fear of growing old. Furthermore, it makes her
less inclined and less able to have children. The fact that this boyish figure is achieved through artfully
pinching in and propping up the woman's figure is another bonus. Men are led to desire something that
is unnatural and does not exist.
Armed with this general strategy, Wormwood is ready "to encourage [his] patient's desires in one of
two directions": toward a natural and healthy "terrestrial Venus" or an irritating or hellish "infernal
Venus." Both are imaginary women and objects of love, but the kind of love they inspire differs. Love
of the first is more wholesome and likely to please the Enemy. Love of the second is laced with the
"tang" of evil, and it is this animal-like sensuality, sulkiness, slyness, or cruelty that he craves.

Screwtape ends his letter some advice: If the patient is a Christian, he may be induced to marry the
infernal Venus on the basis of all-forgiving "Love."

Chapter 21
Screwtape approves Wormwood's plan to enhance the sexual temptation of his patient with a
secondary attack. This will target his personal time.

First, the patient must be groomed for the attack. Humans are angered by misfortune that bars them
from what they believe is rightfully theirs. They feel injured and become ill-tempered. They are
especially sensitive about personal time, which they reckon belongs to them. The patient must be
encouraged in the line of thinking that asserts, "My time is my own." He must start each day feeling
that he lawfully possesses this 24 hours. He will then feel that time allotted to his work and religious
duties has been unjustly taken from him.
Screwtape warns that the patient must never awaken to the fact that "man can neither make, nor
retain, one moment of time." It is pure gift from the Enemy. As such, if the Enemy demanded the
patient's total service for a day, he would be obliged to obey. The devil notes that in actuality, the
human is in that situation every day. The Enemy expects him to use his gift well. But the patient must
never think about time from this angle. His "sense of ownership-in-Time" must remain unquestioned
and active.

Screwtape reminds Wormwood that this sense of ownership extends to other areas of human life and
should be encouraged. In particular, humans believe that they "own" their bodies, never realizing the
energy that animates them is a gift from the Enemy. This is "the energy that made the worlds."

This sense of ownership is the product of devilish confusion. The difference between "my boots" and
"my God" is vast. A person owns his boots, and they serve him. He does not own God. Yet, the human
can be taught to overlook this nuance in meaning. Then, use of the possessive pronoun "my" reduces
everything—including God—to the sense of "my boots."

Screwtape concludes that humans, in reality, own nothing. In the end either the Enemy or Our Father
Below "will say 'Mine' of each thing that exists, and especially of each man." For now, the Enemy can
legally claim to own it all because he made it. Our Father Below hopes to claim it all through conquest.
Analysis
In Chapter 20 Lewis once again takes up the topic of sexuality and its purpose, but from a different
angle. Taking direct aim at men, Lewis draws attention to physical ideals created by society that blind a
man to the truer, deeper beauty of a woman. These social constructs are the product of fashion
promoted by "popular artists, dressmakers, actresses, and advertisers." They are fantasies that idolize
superficial beauty tinged with a heavenly aura or with sin. From Screwtape's viewpoint their aim is to
produce sexual "taste" that men will pursue, overlooking relationships that can lead to "spiritually
helpful, happy, and fertile" marriage.
On the flip side, these fashions encourage women to try to fit the fashionable mold in all its
superficiality. The overall result is a false set of standards by which men judge women and women
judge themselves. Both sexes are haunted by illusions and constantly dissatisfied.

Screwtape describes the current trends born of the Jazz Age. Chronicled by American author F. Scott
Fitzgerald (1896–1900), the Jazz Age was a period in the 1920s. It ended with the stock-market crash
of 1929, which began the Great Depression, the period of economic downturn in the 1930s. Also
known as the Roaring Twenties, it was a period of affluence, mass consumerism, Prohibition and
speakeasies, a new style of music called jazz, and a new breed of free-spirited women called
"flappers." From Screwtape's viewpoint the breakdown of morality and indulgence in vices of every
kind marking the age is most welcome. He applauds the success of Hell's minions in teaching humans
to find beauty in the female body of young flappers that is "scarcely distinguishable from those of
boys."

The idealized female form that Screwtape describes reflects the time period in which his letter was
written. As he notes, tastes change with the times and fashions. Yet, the underlying principle that
these tastes are socially concocted remains in play.

In Chapter 21 Screwtape moves on from temptations of the flesh to take up the idea of time. It is most
useful to him that humans regard time as their own personal possession. Humans jealously guard what
is theirs and are keenly conscious of unwanted infringement on their personal time. As the devil points
out, humans wake up daily believing the new 24-hour cycle belongs to them. It is easy to instill
resentment in them when that time goes to even worthwhile endeavors, like a job. Better yet, it
obscures the true nature and source of time as a gift from God.

Lewis uses Screwtape's observations to highlight the misconception that humans own their own time.
Time, like life itself, is a gift from God. It has been entrusted to humans, who then have a duty to use
it wisely, to the glory of God. Time no more belongs to humans than do other gifts such as the sun or
the moon. Just as humans have been charged to be good stewards of the earth (another gift), they are
charged to be good stewards of time. Even so, God does not demand every minute to be devoted to
this duty: he is also the author of pleasures, which he invites humans to enjoy.

In this letter Screwtape moves on a human's sense of ownership in general, advising Wormwood that

this is to be encouraged. Lewis uses this to point out that that concept has been applied to widespread
claims of ownership that "sound equally funny in Heaven and in Hell." He singles out the human belief
that they "own" their bodies and can do with them as they please. They have forgotten or deliberately
overlooked the fact that the source of life flowing through them is the same "energy that made
worlds." In other words, the life of the body flows from God. In this notion is the implication that
humans are bound by duty to use their bodies well and wisely, with virtue in mind.
The final topic of discussion is how this sense of ownership is produced and how it may be applied for
the best devilish effect. In previous letters (for example, Chapters 1 and 10), Screwtape has pointed
out the value of jargon and fashionable labels for confusing human assessment of ideas, old and new.
Now he turns to the subtle broadening of the possessive pronoun "my" to classify and place things
under human possession and control. The term "My God" is intended to embody the special
relationship between God and humans, with humans as the recipients of God's affection. This new
labeling reduces God to a mere possession like "my boot," which is subject to whatever treatment the
human cares to bestow. Lewis uses these observations to underscore the importance of language and
language choices, and the necessity of staying alert to how language is being used and manipulated.

Summary

Chapter 22
Screwtape begins by telling Wormwood he is very displeased that the patient has fallen in love with—
from his perspective—the worst possible kind of woman. She is a good Christian who, if condemned to
die in the arena for her faith, would do so with a smile on her lips.
Screwtape rails against the pleasures the couple enjoys with the Enemy's approval. He accuses the
patient of secretly being a hedonist for partaking of these pleasures, although his faith also includes
"fasts and vigils and stakes and crosses." Screwtape complains that the Enemy is the provider of these
pleasures; that "out in His sea," there are "pleasures for evermore." This blissfully happy vision for
humankind flies in the face of the devil's loftier and more austere "Miserific Vision." Pleasures great and
small infuse everyday life for humans, and the devil must work hard to twist them if they are to be of
any use. Nothing is naturally—by the Enemy's design—on the devil's side.

Screwtape goes on to complain that the woman's family is just as bad as she. The very house they live
in is tainted with the odor of Christianity and filled with the love of God. Screwtape and others are
certain it's all a sham—that the family members are secretly using one another and profiting by it. He
then compares the whole house to Heaven, "where there is only life and therefore all that is not music
is silence."

Expanding on the subject music and silence, Screwtape declares how he hates them and rejoices that
there is no square inch and no moment in Hell where they are allowed. Perpetual noise is everywhere,
driving out what the devil describes as "silly qualms, despairing scruples and impossible desires." In his
upside-down view these are the worthy products of music and silence, such as meaningful questions,
pricks of conscience, and yearning to know God.

In this long-winded outpouring of passion Screwtape finds himself inadvertently turning into "the form
of a large centipede." He notes rumors of this phenomenon, found in works of the poet John Milton
(1698–74), author of Paradise Lost, suggest this shape is a punishment. A more complimentary
interpretation may be found in the works of "Pshaw"—Irish dramatist and critic George Bernard Shaw
(1856-1950)—that suggest outward transformation is a glorious reflection of the Life Force of the
individual. Nevertheless, his current shape makes it necessary for an underling named Toadpipe to
finish the letter.

Chapter 23
Wormwood's patient is being introduced to more Christians than ever through his new love interest.
Worse—from Screwtape's viewpoint—they are very intelligent Christians, making it nearly impossible to
remove spirituality from the patient's life. So far, "the World and the Flesh" have been unable to
corrupt him. Now it's time for Wormwood to try corrupting his religion itself. Screwtape suggests the
weak spot will be found where theology and politics meet. The social good that religion may promote
can be corrupted by politics.

The entry point for this involves pushing the idea of a "historical Jesus." Search for the "historical
Jesus" begins with the belief that the Scriptures (biblical writings and teachings) have hidden who the
"real" Jesus was. "Historical Jesus" may be found by clearing all this away. Screwtape explains that a
liberal and humanitarian view of Jesus has been encouraged for some time. Most recently, the vision
has taken on "Marxian, catastrophic, and revolutionary" characteristics.

There are benefits to this ever-changing view of Jesus. First, they create a "historical Jesus" that does
not exist. Since the Scriptures cannot be altered or added to, they must be distorted to support each
new vision of Jesus.

Second, the importance of a historical Jesus becomes entangled with some modern theory or cause.
Humans lose sight of "who He is, and what He did." He is reduced to the role of teacher. Then the
relationship between his moral teachings "and those of all other great moral teachers" is obscured.
Screwtape notes that humans must not realize great moralists are sent, not to teach, but to remind
them of the Enemy's moral truths.

Third, by separating Jesus from his true nature and purpose, the devotional life of humans may be
destroyed. The object of their prayers is reduced from a Creator adored by His creatures to "a merely
probable, remote, shadowy, and uncouth figure" who cannot be worshiped.

Fourth, by reducing the essence of faith to a "historical study of the biography of Jesus," humans will
not be lured into the Enemy's camp. At the core of a Christian's religious faith is what Jesus represents.
Very little biographical material has been provided by the Enemy. Conversion depends on "a single
historical fact (the Resurrection) and a single theological doctrine (the Redemption)." The catalyst is
the human's sense of sin based on "universal moral law." The Gospels then may educate Christians.
They do not to convert them.

Screwtape concludes that the "historical Jesus" is quite useful to the devil's purposes. It prepares
humans for the intermingling of Christianity and politics in which, ideally, they will treat Christianity as
a means to an end, such as social justice. If a human can be persuaded to believe the Enemy demands
social justice, then he can be persuaded to value Christianity as only a means to achieve it. However,
because the Enemy "will not be used as a convenience," this means of making a good society is bound
to fail. The spiritual path to Heaven cannot be used as a short cut to earthly goals. Fortunately, from
Screwtape's viewpoint, humans are easily coaxed into making this mistake.

Analysis
In Chapter 22 Screwtape vents his frustration over the patient's new-found love. It represents all that
he and Hell detest. He expresses further outrage at the supreme source of the patient's joy and
delight, which is God. Lewis uses Screwtape's tirade to reemphasize the Christian belief that pleasure is
God's invention.
Screwtape goes on to label God a hedonist for inventing pleasures. A hedonist believes pursuit of
pleasure and self-gratification is the ultimate source of fulfillment in life. Screwtape is disgusted by all
the God-approved pleasures—innocent, often commonplace, activities—that humans enjoy. In
Screwtape's world innocent pleasures are useless; all must be twisted to be useful. He cannot grasp
how God can encourage traditions and symbols of the Church, such as fasting (ritual self-denial) and
the cross (the symbol of Christ's sacrifice), while promoting daily pleasures.

He also finds God boringly conventional ("bourgeois") and very likely oblivious to "the Miserific Vision"
to which devils aspire. The word "miserific" was coined by Lewis. In essence it means "causing misery,"
which is Satan and his minions' goal in the world. The term "miserific vision" is the opposite of the
"beatific vision," which is the experience of seeing God face to face. Naturally, the beatific vision would
be an affront to the hellish "high and austere mystery" that devils revere. The goal of Satan is to bring
misery to humankind.

Screwtape goes on to complain about the music and silence that infuses the family home of the
patient's new love. In his opinion it is an obscene reminder of one human writer's description of
Heaven. He is referring to Victorian novelist, poet, and Christian fantasy writer George MacDonald
(1824–1905). His description of Heaven as "the regions where there is only life, and therefore all that
is not music is silence" concludes "for all noise comes from the conflict of Life and Death." Screwtape
gleefully admits that the discord and unhappiness of noise emanates from Hell. Its purpose is to
distract from and destroy harmony. It acts as a physical and spiritual barrier to the peace and joy of
music and silence emanating from Heaven.

As Screwtape concludes his letter, he refers once again to Paradise Lost, the epic poem by English poet
John Milton (1608–74), as the source of the rumor that "changes of shape are a 'punishment' imposed
on us by the Enemy." The devil prefers the explanation suggested by the works of George Bernard
Shaw, who was a believer in the power of the Life Force to transform. This reference harkens back to
Screwtape's earlier praise of the "Life Force" philosophy in Chapter 7.
Chapter 23 begins a new series of letters (23–25) concerned with temptations of the Devil.
Temptations of the World and Flesh have failed. Screwtape indicates that this third kind of temptation,
with the goal of corrupting the patient's religion, is "the most glorious of all" when it succeeds. This, of
course, means it is the most dangerous for the patient.

The point of entry for this corruption is the characterization of Jesus. Through Screwtape's discussion
of a "historical Jesus," Lewis offers his thoughts on the matter. Search for the historical Jesus is a 20th
century movement that seeks to analyze the Biblical record, detach historical facts from phenomena
(such as walking on water), and reconstruct his life and teachings without the influence of tradition. At
the heart of the movement is a philosophy of naturalism which holds that the natural, material world is
all there is; the supernatural does not exist. So, investigation of the historical Jesus begins with the
premise that the Gospel accounts must be historically inaccurate because they include stories
presumed impossible, such as miracles.

Lewis argues that this approach encourages biblical scholars and researchers to filter the Scriptures
through their current philosophy, editing out the parts that do not fit while interpreting what remains
based on their beliefs. As Screwtape points out, philosophies change. At one time he encouraged
"liberal and humanitarian lines" of inquiry. At the moment he favors "Marxian, catastrophic, and
revolutionary lines." Therefore, the "historical Jesus" can change, based on the ideology of the scholars
and researchers.

The results produce a Jesus who does not historically exist or a modified version who is a good man
and teacher, but not divine in nature. Lewis tackles this latter idea in several of his writings,
including Mere Christianity, Book 2, Chapter 3: "You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him
and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with
any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He
did not intend to."
The great moral teachings of this modified version of Jesus also suffer. His instruction is robbed of its
sense and weight of the divine. The crucial connection between Jesus and all other great moralists is
also overlooked. While these philosophers promote great moral ideas, they are not providing new
guidance but reminding humans of the divine guidance already imparted by Jesus.

At the close of his letter Screwtape turns to the connection between Christianity and politics. He
reminds Wormwood that humans can be taught to think of Christianity as a means to an end. Lewis is
returning to points made in Chapters 7 and 16, which cite the dangers of a "cause" becoming more
important than the Christian beliefs behind it—of becoming the core belief. Christianity is thus reduced
to a mere vehicle for achieving a goal. Lewis emphasizes that God "will not be used as a convenience,"
even if the goal is to make a good society. Faith imposed on a society (as in a theocracy) results in
tyranny. Faith willingly adopted by individuals within a society results in order and peace stemming
from self-discipline, self-control, and sincere desire to live according to that faith.
Summary

Chapter 24
Slumtrimpet, the devil assigned to the patient's young woman, has reported that she has a vice that
may be useful to Wormwood. Her religious experience has been confined to "an intelligent circle united
by a clearly defined belief." She naively believes that those outside her circle simply cannot or will not
understand what she considers real or true faith. Her narrow perspective stems from lack of
experience, and Screwtape describes it as spiritual ignorance. While it cannot be used to corrupt the
young woman, it may be used to influence Wormwood's patient.
Screwtape notes that the patient is a novice, and all novices are prone to exaggeration. The patient's
introduction to the spiritual nature of Christian life is enhanced by his love for the woman. He will have
a tendency to imitate what he sees. If he can be encouraged to imitate the woman's "defect," it may
become exaggerated to the point of becoming the vice of spiritual pride.
Screwtape explains that the patient will already take pride in belonging to an intelligent, educated, and
agreeable Christian group. He may feel unworthy of the woman but on an equal footing with the group
—"one of the family." He does not realize the gulf in spiritual understanding and maturity that still lies
between them and him. Here is where Wormwood has his chance to corrupt the patient.

When the patient steps away from his Christian circle into other social circles, they will seem lack-luster
and less entertaining. They also will be missing "the enchantment of the young woman." Wormwood
must teach the patient to view this contrast as a sign of the superiority of Christians over nonbelievers.
As he associates with this superior set of people, he will feel proud of being a Christian.

Screwtape warns Wormwood not to let the patient become too "explicitly and professedly proud." He
will have learned that the Enemy disapproves of that. On the other hand, if his pride is too weak, it will
produce only the puny sin of social vanity. Ideally, his pride should be self-congratulatory—that he is
clever enough to belong "to an inner ring." He must feel Christianity is "a mystery religion," and he is
"one of the initiates," or select recruits.

Screwtape notes in conclusion that he wants no news and no statistics about the European War. He
has no interest in its progress. Wormwood should concentrate on his work.

Chapter 25
Screwtape advises Wormwood that the patient is living among people who are "merely Christian." In
other words they are Christians in the simplest, purest sense and do not attach their Christianity to a
modern cause or belief such as "Christianity and Vegetarianism" or "Christianity and the New
Psychology." These things are "Fashion with a Christian coloring."

To sway his patient toward a fashionable form of Christianity, Screwtape advises his nephew to work
on the patient's "horror of the Same Old Thing." This is a fear common to humans. The process of
experiencing life involves experiencing change. The Enemy has made change pleasurable for humans.
Yet, he does not wish constant change for change's sake. He wishes a balance between change and
permanence. Therefore, he has devised a recurring blend of change and permanence Screwtape calls
"Rhythm." As an example, the devil cites the seasons, which vary during each year yet repeat year
after year. Within the Church there is a spiritual year with a flow of variation that repeats every year.

The trick for the devil is to twist the natural enjoyment of change "into a demand for absolute novelty."
This destroys all pleasure derived from the mix of familiarity and novelty in everyday life. Humans must
be conditioned to demand "infinite, or unrhythmical, change." This has several advantages from the
devil's point of view. In time the pleasure of nonstop novelty diminishes. Because it is a costly pursuit,
the desire for more and more leads to avarice and unhappiness. The innocent sources of pleasure
become exhausted and those less innocent take their place. And the desire for novelty is the catalyst
for "Fashions and Vogues."

Screwtape explains that fashions in thought are very useful. They are used to distract human attention
from "real dangers" in life. They target an insignificant danger as the current "prime bogeyman" while
the real danger grows in the background, unchecked. For example, Puritanism may be targeted as the
primary cause of social ills while lechery—sexual practice with harmful or deviant undertones—in
actuality, rises in the shadows.

In Screwtape's view elevating human "horror of the Same Old Thing" into a philosophy is the highest
goal. It keeps humans from asking tried-and-true questions. Instead, they ask if something aligns with
current movements, thinking, and trends. They hope to predict the future based on the answers, while
the future is being shaped by their pointless questions.

Screwtape concludes that descriptive language is used to reinforce this horror of sameness. In the past
humans judged and labeled change as good, as bad, or as indifferent. This perceptiveness has been
removed. At the same time the emotionally charged adjective "stagnant" has been substituted for the
impassive adjective "unchanged."

Analysis
Screwtape's attacks on the patient's religion continue in Chapter 24 with an attack on his relationship
to God and to people within and outside his circle of Christian friends. Through Screwtape's
counsel Lewis provides insight on the differences between spiritual pride and spiritual ignorance.
The patient's young woman is spiritually ignorant. She has led a sheltered life, surrounded by others
who share her faith, and judges the world through the prism of this narrow experience. She assumes
her clearly defined belief is the true "Christian way," not through pride, but through naïveté. Even
Screwtape admits that this form of spiritual short-sightedness is relatively harmless.
Despite her spiritual ignorance the woman has a well-defined understanding of her relationship to God.
Screwtape plots how to use the woman's circle of friends—unified by faith—to spark spiritual pride in
the patient.

Of all vices pride is the most destructive. It is the sin from which all sins spring. From Screwtape's point
of view, spiritual pride is "the strongest and most beautiful of the vices." If the patient can be induced
to adopt his woman's myopic perspective, he can be encouraged to exaggerate it. With Wormwood's
help it will blossom into pride in belonging to such a special social circle. He will see himself as an
"insider." Unlike the woman he will not be shielded from pride by innocence and will begin to view
those outside the group with arrogance and contempt. Best of all, in Screwtape's view, the patient will
lose sight of his relationship to God. In his pride he will forget that God's mercy, forgiveness, and grace
are unmerited gifts, not the result of his exclusive or superior religious practices.
Humility is the antidote to spiritual pride. For this reason Screwtape warns Wormwood to keep the
patient in ignorance of his spiritual state. If he makes the patient "explicitly and professedly proud of
being a Christian," warning signals may go off. It would be disastrous should the patient awaken to his
sinful pride, reevaluate his relationship with God, and humble himself.

In Chapter 25 Screwtape and Lewis return to the topic of using Christianity to serve another ideology
that takes precedence over faith (as in Chapters 7, 16, and 23). Through Screwtape's advice to
Wormwood Lewis looks at the problem from a standpoint of embracing a trendy ideology in the name
of Christianity to add spice to the religion. He begins by highlighting the difference between basic or
core Christianity (what is "merely Christian") and this add-on version (what is "Christianity And").
Followers of faith who are "merely Christian" embrace the essential beliefs Christians have commonly
held throughout the ages. These are beliefs Christians from different church denominations (for
example, Anglicans and Methodists) will all agree upon. In his book Mere Christianity Lewis discusses
this topic in depth. In contrast, followers of faith who lean toward "Christianity And" are seeking to be
"Christians with a difference." In other words they find mere Christianity too traditional and dull. It
needs to be "now" and "relevant." It needs to be attached to something fashionable.
Lewis explains that this is due, in part, to human "horror of the Same Old Thing." Humans are geared
toward embracing both permanence and change. The enjoyment of change is another gift from God.
Change can stimulate the mind and creativity, lift the spirit, refresh the soul, and so on. However, in
the hands of devils like Screwtape, it is tool that can be misused. The result of an unhealthy,
unchecked quest for change is a downward spiral into addiction to novelty. In time even this fails to
satisfy the craving, leading to grave unhappiness.

Often what is meaningful and important and firmly grounded in reality is traditional in nature. One
example is timeless truths, or what Screwtape derisively labels "platitudes." These bits of wisdom have
withstood the test of time and are as true today as they were in the past. For individuals put off by
"the same old thing," the answer is to replace it with "fashion or vogue." By their nature, these change,
often quite rapidly.

Screwtape describes how a quick turnover in ideas may be used to send humans off chasing
manufactured dangers in the realm of vice. While they are focused on purging the latest sham evil, the
real menace is left alone, free to grow and spread. For example, fashion may denounce Puritanism as
oppressive and evil. While its opponents work feverishly to stamp it out, the larger problem of
unrestrained indulgence in sexual activity (lechery) flourishes unchecked. The trick is to keep the
march of little evils coming at a steady pace, forcing humans to respond without thought.

Finally, Lewis uses Screwtape's counsel to underscore the important questions humans should ask
when weighing an idea or course of action: not is it new or old, or where did it come from, or who
thought it up, or whether it is in vogue. Lewis advises that the questions should be whether the idea is
true and if the action is in harmony with moral law, if it is wise, and if it is possible. These do not
negate the value or need of new ideas and new courses of action. They simply provide perspective—a
means of measuring their necessity and worth. The hoped-for outcome is a healthy balance between
stability and change.

Summary

Chapter 26
Screwtape begins by affirming that these early days of love in the patient's life are the perfect time for
"sowing seeds" that will grow into domestic discord later on. Under the enchantment of this time the
couple will brush aside problems and believe they are being charitable.
The devil advises Wormwood to start by changing the term "charity" and its definition in the patient's
mind. Instead of "charity," he must think about "unselfishness." Instead of "surrendering benefits ...
that others may be happy," he must think of being unselfish in forgoing those benefits.
Another useful tool Screwtape recommends is the different viewpoints about unselfishness held by
women and men. Women view unselfishness as "taking trouble for others." Men view it as "not giving
trouble to others." As a result, they are bound to misunderstand each other's acts of unselfishness,
with the result that "each sex ... can and does regard the other as radically selfish."

These confusions lay the foundation for even more to be introduced by a devil. While under early love's
spell the couple can be encouraged to establish idealistically high standards of mutual self-sacrifice with
the idea of maintaining them throughout the marriage. Because they are "mistaking sexual excitement
for charity," when that excitement quiets down, they will face the impossible task of upholding these
standards.

In time the couple's spiritual resources may grow strong enough to meet these challenges. In the
meanwhile they will try to live up to their agreed-upon unselfishness, each arguing for the other's
wishes and against his or her own. Each will feel self-righteous and at the same time resentful of "the
ease with which the sacrifice has been accepted" by the other.

A variation of this "game" Screwtape calls "the Generous Conflict Illusion." It is "best played with more
than two players" and when one player wants something the others do not. Each side stubbornly tries
to outdo the other in self-righteous unselfishness to the point of resentment and a full-out quarrel. A
flood of bitterness pent up over the years then flows. Both sides feel blameless as well as ill-used and
manipulated by the other's unselfishness.

Screwtape suggests Wormwood introduce this "elaborate and self-conscious" unselfishness as soon as
possible into the patient's relationship. Ideally, there will be a degree of mutual false unselfishness
between them, or some resentment when the girl fails to notice how unselfish the patient is being.
Chapter 27
Wormwood has been trying to use love to distract the patient's mind from the Enemy. He reports that,
instead, one focal point of his patient's prayers is his wandering mind. Screwtape asserts that this is a
sign his nephew's efforts have failed. He should have persuaded his patient to ignore any distraction as
if it had not happened. As soon as the patient focuses on the problem and lays it before the Enemy in
prayer, he has moved closer to the Enemy and away from the devil's desires.

Screwtape finds it hopeful that love has made the patient anxious about the future and his earthly
happiness. The patient has been more urgently petitioning the Enemy on related matters, like the war.
This is the time, the devil advises Wormwood, to raise issues about the effectiveness of petitionary
prayer in the patient's mind.
The Enemy has told humans that praying for "their daily bread and the recovery of their sick" is not
only permitted but essential. Since the patient knows this and obeys, the best Wormwood can do is
worry him with the suspicion that such prayers really do not work. The granting or denying of prayer
can be confusing. A negative result can "prove" that prayer is ineffective. Any positive result may be
explained away by a physical cause. In other words "it would have happened anyway."

This confusion is tied to the human perception of time, which is quite different from that of the Enemy.
Humans perceive time as linear; as the past, present, and future. The Enemy perceives it as a totality
that includes the whole spiritual universe as well as the whole corporeal, or physical, universe. It is
creation in its entirety. Humans can only encounter this entirety as "a series of successive events." The
Enemy sees it all in "His unbounded Now." This leaves room for adaptations to human actions
stemming from free will. Therefore, how human action and prayer interact with the Infinite is not the
great question. Why the enemy leaves room for their free will is—for likes of Screwtape—"the problem
of problems."
Screwtape tells his nephew not to worry about great thinkers of the past who have written about and
revealed this secret. In Western Europe no one but the scholarly reads these old books. And they are
"the least likely to acquire wisdom by doing so." They have been successfully conditioned to view these
texts from "the Historical Point of View." The work and its author are thoroughly studied, analyzed, and
critiqued from all angles, yet the scholar never asks the crucial question about the subject matter: is it
true? As a result the ancient writer is not considered "a possible source of knowledge."

From Screwtape's point of view this is most desirable. In conclusion, he tells Wormwood that, as an
additional safeguard, each successive generation is discouraged from reading and picking up wisdom
from the previous generations. The idea that "history is bunk"—that there is nothing to be learned—is
encouraged.
Analysis
In Chapter 26 Screwtape has for the moment given up on attacking the patient's religion. He now
takes aim at the man's relationship with the woman. It's worth noting that Screwtape's advice
to Wormwood is based on his best guesses as to how the patient will behave in response to temptation
along with his general understanding of human nature. Yet, to date, Wormwood has been largely
unsuccessful in his efforts to lure the man away from his life of faith and secure his soul for Hell.
Screwtape's line of attack focuses on the charitable feelings the newly-in-love feel for each other: the
willingness to overlook odd little habits or character flaws and chalk them up to quirks that, in charity,
should be tolerated or found endearing. The two, in their happiness, also are inclined to look for ways
to please each other and show their love. These are natural inclinations that Screwtape aims to
pervert.

His first maneuver involves altering language. C.S. Lewis revered language as a gift from God and an
expression of humankind's relationship to God. He believed it was also vital to fellowship among
people. From a biblical standpoint, in the beginning God spoke, and with his word the universe came
into being. God's speech in this sense embodied his creative power. Words give shape to thoughts.
They are the building blocks of ideas. Ideas strung together by reason are the foundation of the
ordered world. They are also the springboard for questions that demand exploration of the world and
the search for truth and meaning. And finally, words are the means by which humans express what
they have discovered. Therefore, language is a precious gift to be guarded and used with care.
Screwtape understands the power of words. His counsel shines a light on the abuse language is
subject to. Already in Chapter 1, he has schooled Wormwood on the value of lofty, hollow "jargon"
used to mask the lack of substance in an ideology. Now he advises his nephew to substitute the term
"unselfishness" for "charity" in his patient's mind. While they seem interchangeable, the subtle
negativity of "unselfishness" is important.

Screwtape speaks proudly of the work of the Philological Arm of the temptation department. Philology
is the study of the history and development of words. (Lewis himself was a noted philologist.) The
devil's announcement is a warning. Like all gifts from God this one can be perverted to do harm. Lewis
and his audience would have been particularly sensitive to the use of language for good and evil. In
World War II Britain national broadcasts and other media were generally used to inform the people and
bolster their morale. In Nazi Germany all forms of communication were used to mislead the people,
spread propaganda, and incite hatred against supposed enemies of the Reich.
Screwtape advises Wormwood to persuade the patient that his generous thoughts and actions toward
the woman are not "charitable" but "unselfish." This casts them in a new, less agreeable light. Instead
of infusing his thoughts and actions with a sense of giving, it wraps them in self-denial and sacrifice.
The giver becomes a martyr. The false kindness becomes a form of manipulation, a tactic for placing
the recipient in the giver's debt. In contrast, true charity based on love has no other goal than the
good of the recipient.
In Chapter 4 Screwtape describes the structure of prayers (formal versus informal) and the manner of
praying and explains how these may be used to sabotage the patient's pursuit of faith. In Chapter 27
he delves into the nature of prayer and how prayer works.

The patient has recognized Wormwood's attempts to distract him from prayer and has made the
problem a chief subject of his prayers. This development, while unfortunate from a devil's perspective,
introduces the idea that prayer is the time to lift up problems to God, even if the problem is
concentration during prayer itself. Through Screwtape's counsel Lewis explores the problems of prayer
and its purpose.
As Screwtape's opening thoughts suggest, distraction during prayer is not unusual. It's how the
worshiper handles it that does or does not serve devilish interests. Trying to push through distraction,
as if it never happened, is like trying to ignore the proverbial "elephant in the room." The mind willfully
returns to the distraction again and again. However, placing the problem before God, like any other
concern, acknowledges it as well as the need for God's help and grace. It is no longer a stifled thought
demanding attention. Furthermore, the act of raising the problem in prayer brings the person closer to
God.

Screwtape next discusses the nature and purpose of prayer. There are prayers of pure adoration that
he describes as "praise and communion with God." While pious, commitment to this kind of prayer
alone can lead to a false sense of spirituality and disobedience to God. Petitionary prayers are
commanded by God. They remind those in prayer of their dependence on God for their "daily bread," a
term which embodies both the physical and spiritual things needed to meet life's daily challenges.

The devil knows that God may answer or remain silent in response to petitionary prayers. This can be
used to convince the petitioner that prayer really does not work. Even prayers that appear to have
been answered can be explained away as mere coincidence.

According to Screwtape, humans "get into this confusion" over prayer because they experience time
differently from God. In Chapter 21 he discloses that all time flows from God. It is a gift humans are
entrusted with and obliged to use wisely. The discussion now turns to how terrestrial time differs from
God's eternal "Unbounded Now." Humans experience time in a linear way. Life is a sequence of events
bounded by beginnings and endings. God experiences time in its totality, unbounded from linear time.
For God all time is "Now." All of creation is there in the eternal mind of God, yet within that totality he
leaves room for adaptation to human petition and action. In other words he indulges human free
will. How he adapts "the whole spiritual universe to the whole corporeal universe" is no mystery to
Screwtape. The mystery is why he troubles himself to leave room for free will.
In earlier letters Screwtape has advised Wormwood to "rely on jargon" (Chapter 1) and "hazy ideas of
Progress and Development" (Chapter 9) to keep the patient's thinking befuddled. He adds to this the
"Historical Point of View." With the devil's closing discussion of this idea, Lewis takes aim at the notion
that "old" ideas are inferior to "new" ideas and should be discarded. Over the ages knowledge provides
the building blocks of wisdom. Experience teaches how best to apply what is known. More than
intelligence or understanding, wisdom is the application of what is known in a way that is beneficial
and productive. The Historical Point of View approaches recorded wisdom of the past as a subject to be
studied, dissected, categorized, and treated like a relic, with little relevance in modern life. It is an
intellectual exercise that fails to ask the most important question: is it true? In this way what is true
and what is wise remain safely tucked away in old books; there is no danger of them benefiting
modern thought or behavior—or so Screwtape would have it.

Summary

Chapter 28
Wormwood has been sending in gleeful war-related reports about "the death of men and the
destruction of cities." Screwtape chides him for forgetting, in his "immediate enjoyment of human
suffering," the main benefit, which is the chance to corrupt the patient's spiritual life.
At present the war effort, love for his girl, and concern for his neighbors have focused the patient on
the needs of others and drawn him consciously closer to the Enemy. If he is killed now, his soul will be
lost to Wormwood and to Hell.

Screwtape reminds his nephew that humans "regard death as the prime evil and survival as the
greatest good" because of devilish propaganda. He cautions Wormwood not to be influenced by these
sentiments and values. In fact, he should aim to keep his patient alive, for time can be a devil's ally.

Screwtape explains that it is difficult for humans to persevere, or carry on in the face of difficulties,
obstacles, or discouragement. As the years pass and the patient enters middle age, the extended
monotony of either a troubled life or a prosperous life can wear out the human soul. Adversity brings
about a slow decay of hope, quiet despair, day-to-day drabness, and resentment for all of it.
Prosperity, on the other hand, "knits a man to the World." He feels he has carved out his niche and
wants to stay there. This attachment to earth can be an invaluable tool for a devil and needs time to
develop.

In the young, this same attachment is more difficult to develop. The best tactic is to convince them
"that earth can be turned into Heaven ... by politics, or eugenics, or 'science,' or psychology." A
stronger attachment to earth takes time, and its corruption should be characterized as "good sense or
Maturity or Experience." The falseness of this perception was once nearly revealed by a great human
philosopher who once said "Experience is the mother of illusion" when describing its effect on virtue.
But his wisdom has been rendered harmless to the devil by fashion and the historical view point.

Screwtape concludes that the Enemy values time and allows the majority of the human race very little
of it. He wants only a very few to have had the experience of resisting temptation for 60 or 70 years.
Therefore, Wormwood must make good use of whatever time his patient has and try to keep him safe.
Chapter 29
The Germans will be bombing the patient's town and, as a soldier, he will be "in the thick of the
danger." Screwtape offers Wormwood some ideas on how to use this against the patient. The choices
are to incite cowardice or courage (bolstered by pride) or hatred of the Germans.

Screwtape explains that making the patient brave has drawbacks. Bravery is a virtue and, as such, is a
product of the Enemy. The devil cannot supply these qualities; only use them. This arrangement is
unsatisfactory. By possessing this gift of virtue, the human is open to influence by the Enemy.

Hatred is a better option. The noise, danger, and fatigue of war make a human susceptible to violent
emotion. As Christians are told to forgive their enemies, the human should be steered toward hatred
on behalf of others, like women and children. Now the hatred is for someone else's enemies.

Hatred combined with fear is even better. Fear, or cowardice, is painful, but not a sin. Hatred—which is
a sin—can compensate for the shame and misery of fear. So, the more the patient fears, the more he
can be encouraged to hate. Wormwood can deepen the wound to the patient's soul by first defeating
the man's courage.

Screwtape points out that promoting cowardice is "a ticklish business." Humans can feel genuine
shame over cowardice. Producing it in the patient may result in "real self-knowledge and self-loathing."
This, in turn, may lead to "repentance and humility." Screwtape notes that war awakens humans to the
issues of good and evil, courage and cowardice. The last one (World War I) awakened thousands to
"the whole moral world for the first time." Yet, if devils promote "justice and charity among men," this
aligns with the Enemy's desires.
Screwtape surmises that the Enemy created a dangerous world for the purpose of drawing humans'
attention to moral issues at the heart of the danger. Here the virtues such as chastity, honesty, or
mercy are tested. Courage or cowardice decides how well the virtues stand. As the Enemy sees it,
courage is "the form of every virtue at the testing point." He points out, as an example, that Pontius
Pilate, who presided over the trial of Jesus, "was merciful till it became risky."

Therefore, by making the human a coward, Wormwood risks that he will learn too much about himself.
Yet, if this knowledge can be used to induce despair, all the better. A Christian is taught that sin can be
forgiven, and the patient has accepted forgiveness for other sinful acts. Despair would mean that he
feels the dishonor of his cowardice so deeply that he cannot believe in the Enemy's mercy. Even so,
Screwtape notes that the man is aware that despair is considered more sinful than any sin that might
provoke it.

In closing, Screwtape advises his nephew to keep the patient worried and focused on taking
precautions. The routine precautions that are his duty as a soldier should no longer seem good
enough. He will imagine all the ways disaster can strike and believe he can create safeguards for any
situation he imagines. He will forget that he has the Enemy and the Enemy's gift of courage to fall back
on. In a moment of real terror he will not be prepared and will meet it with an act of cowardice. This,
of course, is all the devil wants.
Analysis
Beginning with Chapter 28, Screwtape's final correspondences concern death and its relationship to life
and salvation. His first topic concerns long life versus early death in the battle to corrupt a soul.
Screwtape views an early death and long life quite differently than do humans. Humans fear death
generally and view long life as "the greatest good." Early death seems especially evil. In Screwtape's
realm early death is actually not very useful in the service of evil. Long life, on the other hand, can
provide abundant opportunities. Therefore, Screwtape advises Wormwood to keep the patient alive as
long as possible.
At the heart of Screwtape's counsel is an observation about human nature: humans find it hard to
persevere, meaning to persist or maintain a purpose despite difficulties, discouragement, or obstacles.
Over time prolonged adversity, a losing battle with chronic temptation, or the drabness of life can take
a toll on the human soul. The question becomes "Why try?" Perseverance can also break down with a
long life of prosperity and ease. Humans become spiritually lazy and give up pursuing God's plan for
them in favor of carving out and maintaining their niche in the world. Under both sets of
circumstances, humans lose focus and direction. They do not persevere in the pursuit of salvation.

Screwtape notes that the young are more prone to seek religion and are more susceptible to its
influences. They have not yet become jaded by worldly disappointment or too content with prosperity.
They still seek Heaven. Through his advice to Wormwood Lewis underscores the danger of believing
Heaven on earth can be created by worldly means such as politics, eugenics, science, or psychology.
This idea is strengthened by the point made in Chapter 8: humans inhabit the physical world in time
but are spiritually made for eternity. This is where they will find Heaven. Eugenics is a term coined in
1883 to call the study of methods to improve the hereditary qualities of a race or breed. It was
perversely applied by the German Nazis to "purify" the race by forcibly sterilizing or exterminating the
"racially impure."
Finally, Screwtape describes the worldliness that comes with long life and neglects spiritual needs as a
"creeping death." It eats away at virtue and calls it good sense, maturity, or experience. Happily for
Screwtape, this effect of long life is unrecognized by humans, although the German philosopher
Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) once sounded a warning in his Critique of Pure Reason (1781). He said, in
regard to virtues, that "experience is the mother of illusion." In other words experience can add to
knowledge and reveal how things work in the world, but it does not instill (or necessarily encourage)
virtue in a person. A person may start out as virtuous, but over time adopt the ways of the world, all
the while believing changes in his behavior have been induced by good sense, maturity, and
experience. If the person has not taken care to guard his virtue, this perception that virtue is still intact
and untarnished is only an illusion.
Still focusing on topics surrounding death, Screwtape counsels Wormwood on the uses of fear in
Chapter 29. Bomb raids over the patient's town are imminent, and fear is a natural human
reaction. The patient's behavior in response is what counts. Screwtape is hoping to produce its by-
products of cowardice, hatred, and despair.
Through Screwtape's advice Lewis offers thoughts on fear, cowardice (the want of courage when faced
with danger), hatred, despair, and the extremes of war as a spiritual testing ground for virtue. In the
face of grave danger fear and resulting cowardice may hinder a person from taking action. What is
feared looms large, and its disastrous outcome seems inescapable and inevitable. However, the
inability to take action is not a sin. Problems arise, spiritually speaking, in the aftermath, as the person
tries to cope with fear, cowardice, and the failure to act.

A dangerous coping method is hatred of the person or thing that provoked the fear and cowardice. The
trembling failure to do something hides behind a mask of outraged loathing. Lewis points out that
Christians are taught that hatred in response to a personal attack is wrong. But hatred on behalf of
others has a self-righteous air about it that may persuade the Christian it is acceptable, even virtuous.

Another spiritual danger arising from cowardice is self-contempt. This response can lead the human
down a path of repentance and humility or down the dark path of despair. Despair is the belief that
what has been done is unforgiveable; there can be no redemption. It is a failure of faith that implies
even God hasn't the power or desire to make things right through forgiveness. This abandonment of
hope contradicts the foundational Christian belief in salvation. It is deliberate surrender to damnation.

Through Screwtape's counsel Lewis theorizes on God's reason for permitting war, with all its
horrors. War reveals the raw reality of the world's moral and spiritual condition. Humankind collectively
and on an individual basis is forced to confront the decay that has gone along unnoticed for so long.
The fundamental virtues are thrown into the spotlight and put to the test in the human heart. The
virtue of courage or weakness of cowardice determines how well the others stand up. For example,
with courage mercy toward others—even the enemy—survives. Without it mercy perishes and is
replaced by hatred and cruelty. Lewis surmises that, in peace, humans grow complacent and largely
ignore good and evil. In war "the issue is forced upon them in a guise to which even [the devil] cannot
blind them."
In closing out this letter Screwtape offers a last bit of advice on how use the patient's fear to
undermine his faith. The ploy is to make God and his gift of courage seem less beneficial than the
patient's own precautions against the dangers of war. God's gift and his presence will cover all
contingencies, while the man's precautions cover only what his imagination can conceive. The patient's
reliance on himself alone to safeguard his life will make a failure of courage far more likely when the
actual danger arrives.

Summary

Chapter 30
Wormwood has reported that the patient endured his first air raid. Although frightened, he performed
his duties well. His only slip-ups were "a burst of ill-temper ... some excessive cigarette smoking, and
the forgetting of a prayer." Screwtape is extremely put out by this news and warns Wormwood that he
can expect "the justice of Hell" if these poor results continue.
Screwtape points out that the only constructive thing mentioned in his nephew's report is the patient's
fatigue. He advises Wormwood that moderate fatigue is more useful than fatigue that is approaching
exhaustion. Moderate fatigue can more easily produce irritability or bad temper. The catalyst is both
physical and emotional. When a human is already tired but still entertaining the hope of relief and rest,
unexpected demands are keenly felt. Putting these false hopes in the patient's mind—thinking the
strain will soon be over—will intensify his feelings of weariness.

Screwtape notes that "men usually feel that a strain could have been endured no longer at the very
moment ... they think it is ending." He therefore advises Wormwood to make sure his patient is not
prepared to indefinitely bear "whatever comes to him." He must be prepared only to bear it for a
period of time vaguely defined as "reasonable." Then the trial, taking slightly longer than this period,
will attack the man's "patience, chastity, and fortitude." The fun, from a devil's standpoint, is watching
the human surrender "just when ... relief was almost in sight."

The scenes of war are another means for the patient's spiritual destruction. The attack must target his
emotional response to the horrors of war, making him feel "that all his religion has been a fantasy";
that this is reality. Screwtape reminds Wormwood that humans have been "completely fogged about
the meaning of the word 'real.'" Sometimes it means only the "bare physical facts" of an experience. At
other times it refers to "the emotional effect those facts will have on a human consciousness." The
emotional value of the word "real" is flexible in its application. For a devil's purposes humans are
conditioned to apply it to the physical aspects of an experience, while the spiritual aspects are
classified as "subjective," or based on personal feelings.

Screwtape provides several examples of this principle, such as the pain and blood of natural childbirth
are "real"; the joy is "subjective." He concludes that, handled correctly, the patient can be convinced
that his emotional reaction to war's horrors is real, while his reaction to "the sight of happy children or
fair weather" is subjective.

Chapter 31
Wormwood's patient has died in a bombing raid, and his soul has slipped through the devil's fingers.
Screwtape looks forward to the moment his nephew, "as dainty a morsel as ever I grew fat on," will be
turned over to him for punishment.
Screwtape describes the patient's moment of death. With sudden clarity the patient saw who and what
Wormwood had been but was no longer. There was a moment of release, "as if a scab had fallen from
an old sore." A "final stripping" away of the "wet, clinging garment" of the body was followed by a
"complete cleansing."

The moment of death was swift. With the explosion and death all the pain, weariness, and horrors of
war faded like a bad dream. To the patient all private doubts became ridiculous. He realized this is the
way of all horrors, growing worse and worse until the dream of life becomes a nightmare. Then
suddenly comes release, you awake, and all is well. "You die ... and then you are beyond death,"
wondering how you could have doubted the new life you have so naturally entered.

As the patient saw Wormwood he also saw his counterparts in the spirit world. He recognized them
and realized what role they each had played in his life "when he had supposed himself alone."
Recognition freed him to enter their company "almost before the limbs of his corpse became quiet."
Only Wormwood was left outside.

The patient saw not only this host but saw God and could look upon him. With clarity and self-
abhorrence, he had full knowledge of his sins and prostrated himself before the Presence. While the
pain of final purification may still await him, it is a pain he will gladly embrace. No earthly delight can
compare to what lies ahead in this new world he is entering.
Screwtape is at a loss as to how to describe it further. Hell's Intelligence Department has yet to
discover more, especially "what He is really up to!" The devil finds it hateful that knowledge, that
"hateful and mawkish" thing, is still necessary for achieving ultimate power. Nevertheless, he is certain
that Hell can still triumph.

The devil closes with the promise to soon settle accounts with his nephew. He signs off as "your
increasingly and ravenously affectionate uncle."

Analysis
In Chapter 30 Screwtape continues to lay out uses for the horrors of war and death. He begins,
however, with a dire warning for his nephew should the patient's soul slip through his fingers. Once
more Screwtape mentions the coldly competitive and unforgiving nature of Hell, as he did in Chapters 4
and 22, for example. All the "justice of Hell" will fall on Wormwood if he fails. Only results count, not
effort.
The rest of Screwtape's letter explores the difference between true, God-based hope and false hope
that leaves humans vulnerable to despair. Through the devil's observations Lewis first explores the
spiritual trap of fatigue. He suggests complete fatigue can lead to a quiet state of mind, introspective
and gentle; no longer able or interested in lashing out in anger, malice, or impatience. On the other
hand, under the strain of moderate fatigue the human may hold out hope or expectation of relief.
When that relief seems at hand, anticipation intensifies the feeling of weariness and the sense that
relief is just in time; a moment more of this strain would be unbearable. From the devil's viewpoint the
fun comes in delaying relief just beyond that moment and watching the human's physical, emotional,
psychological, and spiritual collapse. This is the devilish joy of "false hope." The hoped-for outcome is
despair, as mentioned in Chapter 29.
Authentic hope is rooted in the firm belief that God is present and will grant the strength needed to
endure whatever may come. This is another facet of courage, which is God's gift to humans. Courage
in this sense instills in the individual spiritual strength to endure the circumstances, concerns, or
challenges before him. Stemming from faith, it is a barrier to hopelessness and despair. It does not
have a "timeframe" for suffering that sets up false hope for relief. It endures.

Lewis next tackles the meaning of real. Screwtape gleefully discusses how the meaning has been
muddled in the human mind. It may be limited to mean what is physical, or it may be broadened to
mean what is a subjective response to the physical. Sometimes, it can be both. The flexibility is what is
useful for confusing humans.
Through Screwtape's descriptions and examples Lewis sorts out the differences between objective and
subjective standards of measurement of reality. He points out that the emotional element inherent in a
subjective standard can be manipulated. From one angle it may measure something as "really real";
from another it may judge it a personal matter of taste, opinion, or feeling. The overall result is a hazy
perception of what is "real." The solution is to carefully evaluate what is classified as real to determine
what makes it so. Otherwise, the hard-edged grimness of life may be taken as the true and hopeless
reality, while the goodness and joy that are also present may seem purely subjective in nature and
mistakenly dismissed as not real.

From the opening of Chapter 31 to its ominous close it is clear that Wormwood is doomed. Hell is
howling with "sharpened famine" because the patient's soul has entered Heaven. Screwtape begins his
letter uncharacteristically, calling his nephew "my poppet" and "my pigsnie," both terms of
endearment. The treacherous, back-stabbing, hypocrisy of Hell is on full display as he assures
Wormwood that his love for him is true. He has always "desired" him and will happily take whatever bit
of him he is given.

In the moment of death the invisible world becomes visible. For the first time the human sees and
recognizes the tempter of his soul. Release from his tormenter's grip is like a scab falling off an old
wound. It is a moment of complete cleansing in which all that had defiled his soul is stripped away.

Lewis theorizes that the swiftness of the patient's death, although violent, is preferable to some long,
lingering illness or old age ending in death. Screwtape grouses, "He got through so easily!" There was
no long, painful physical or spiritual struggle that might have afforded the devil one last chance to
snatch his soul. Lewis seems to suggest that humans, in their fear of dying, are poor judges of the
manner of death. What seems cruelly violent may be swift release from a lifetime of struggle.

Through Screwtape Lewis describes the moment of arrival among the spirits that inhabit Heaven's
realm; the sense of homecoming and welcome. There is instant recognition and a sense of freedom
within their company. Then unworthy as he is, the patient stands in the presence of God—something
forever denied Satan and his minions. Now, fully aware of the magnitude of his sins, the man
prostrates himself, or throws himself face down before God. This recalls the interrelationship of body
and soul, spoken of in Chapter 4, how kneeling in prayer brings body and soul into harmony. While the
patient is now spirit, his reverence and submission are reflected in this act of prostration.

Screwtape next mentions pain the spirit still may have to endure. This is a reference to purgatory, a
sanctifying process after death. In church doctrine as well art and poetry, it has been likened to a
cleansing lake and a cleansing fire. Catholics and, to a lesser degree, Anglicans believe this is a
necessary interim step before fully joining the heavenly body of Christ.

Screwtape's final lament once again concerns the inexplicable nature of God's love for humans. He
cannot conceive of God's mercy, forgiveness, and grace. This is not Hell's way. This notion is reinforced
by the devil's chilling last lines. There will be none of that "silly nonsense and claptrap" to save
Wormwood. He was warned in Chapter 30 to reel in the patient's soul or take its place on Hell's menu.
Having failed in his assignment, Wormwood is about to become food.