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Interpretation

Out of the Silent Planet: C.S. Lewis` Christia­n apologet­ic beliefs

1.008 Words / ~2½ pages sternsternsternsternstern Author Leonie Z. in Jan. 2014
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Out of the Silent Planet - Why we are bent

Interpretation – Novel by C. S. Lewis

 

''There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done', and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.'' C.S. Lewis Out of the Silent Planet looks like a normal science-fiction novel at first:

Dr. Ransom, a college language professor, is kidnapped by a scientist (Dr. Weston) and his greedy accomplice Devine. Ransom is unwillingly brought to Mars in a space vessel that was secretly built by the two men. When Ransom finds out that Weston and Devine, whose purpose of coming is to steal the huge amounts of gold from Malacandra (the planet Mars in the language of its inhabitants) and to expand humanity to other planets, plan to give him to the Malacandrians as a human sacrifice, he escapes. Soon, he gets to know the different species living on Malacandra and finds out that Oyarsa, their leader and creator, asked for him. When Ransom finally finds Oyarsa, he is told to return to earth with Weston and Devine.

However, by taking a closer look at the novel, one can clearly see how C.S. Lewis' Christian apologetic beliefs make their way into the story. Effectively using the three rhetorical devices ethos, pathos and logos, Lewis explains how the lack of belief in a higher power and our fall from grace are the causes for mankind's greed and corruption.

Because of his Christian apologetic background, C.S. Lewis wants to push the ideals of Christianity and likes to remind us how things fail when we don't believe in a higher power. In chapter 12 (p.73) Ransom asks Hyoi, a hross (species of Malacandra), if they ever had a war about food or something like that and Hyoi answers :''If the other hnau wanted food, why should we not give it to them?'' 

This proves that the Malacandrians have a totally different mindset. They live in peace and it is natural for them to give others what they need. Lewis uses this as an example of greed. He wants to make us feel guilty because we don't have this sense of sharing and he has a certain credibility by saying that this is due to the lack of belief in a higher power because he is a Christian apologist.

Another example can be found in chapter 18 (p.121) when Ransom is talking to Oyarsa about Weston: ''I think he would destroy all your people to make room for our people. He wants our race to live for always.''

In the Bible it says that no race is created to live for ever. Lewis makes it sound obvious that this is true and is credible because of his Christian background. He points out that the people who don't believe in a higher power tend to be evil. His Christian apologetic background helps C.S. Lewis to be credible when he says that if people believed in a higher power they wouldn't be so greedy and evil.

Lewis appeals to the emotions of the reader by showing how humans are selfish, evil and greedy because they don't believe in somebody who tells them how to live the right way. In chapter 18 (p.121) Ransom says about Weston: ''I think he would destroy all your people to make room for our people; and then he would do the same with other worlds again.''

In the book Weston is the perfect example for a human that doesn't believe in any kind of higher power and Lewis uses him to show how selfish and evil those people are. He appeals to emotions by saying that Weston would kill other people to make room for his own.

In chapter 16 (p. 102) it says :''They were astonished at what he (Ransom) had to tell them of human history - of war, slavery and prostitution.'' War, slavery and prostitution are examples for mankind's greed, selfishness and evilness. It appeals to the emotions because it makes one feel guilty and a little bit embarrassed considering that the Malacandrians are obviously not familiar with those things.

Lewis uses emotion to make the reader realize how not believing in a higher power results in greed, selfishness and evilness. Lewis also provides logical reasons how not believing in a higher power and our fall from grace lead to greed and corruption.

In chapter 16 (p.102) a sorn says after Ransom tells him about the human history of war, slavery and prostitution :''There must be rule, yet how can creatures rule themselves? Beasts must be ruled by hnau and hnau by eldila and eldila by Maleldil.''

Lewis explains logically how every creature should be ruled by someone wiser and more powerful or there will be things like war and slavery. According to the book humans are considered hnau and eldila have many characteristics of angels. Maleldil represents God, he is the creator of everything. In chapter 18 (p.120) Oyarsa tells Ransom :''Once we knew the Oyarsa of your world [...] He became bent [...] It was in his mind to spoil other worlds besides his own.''

The Oyarsa of the earth, also referred to as ''the Bent One'', bent meaning evil, represents Lucifer, the fallen angel from the Bible who once had been good but was banished when he became evil. Since in the novel the Bent One created all the humans, this is a logical example for our fall from grace. As one can see from the evidence, Out of the Silent Planet gives lots of logical explanations that humans are bent because they don't believe in a higher power and because they fell from grace.

 

In Out of the Silent Planet C.S. Lewis provides logical reasons, emotional reasons and reasons in which he uses his credibility as a Christian apologist to explain that mankind's greed and corruption stem from our fall from grace and the lack of belief in a higher power.

Lewis gives a good and thoughtful explanation why humans are bent and can't live in peace. And many people in the world, predominantly Christians, probably agree with it. But this is definitely not the only way to attempt this problem.


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