The Great Divorce
The Great Divorce, a book written by C.S. Lewis, is known to be one of the most profound works on Christian philosophy. Much of Lewis's work is based on his Christian faith. In this book, he explains the concepts of Heaven and Hell as well as the experiences he went through in his conversion from atheism to Christianity. He also explores some of the issues of the mid-twentieth century and the Catholic Church's teachings on Heaven and Hell. C.S. Lewis was born in Belfast, Ireland in the late nineteenth century. He received a good education through private education and studying at the University of Oxford. In 1931, Lewis abandoned his atheist views and converted to Christianity. His good friend, J.R.R.Tolkien, encouraged this major step in his life. From that point on, Lewis's work began to share a common theme. His work was not only influenced by his new religion, but also by G.K. Chesterton and Tolkien, who served as his mentors as well. Most of his writings contain a moral lesson as well as a theological theme. Both of these can be found in his book, The Great Divorce. The Great Divorce is a story in which the author, who is the main character, embarks on a journey through Heaven and Hell on a bus. H
e explains not what Heaven and Hell are like physically, but rather what it means to be in hell or heaven. Lewis states, "Heaven is not a state of mind. Heaven is reality itself" (Divorce 68). In the book, the main character encounters many different characters that he engages in philosophical discussions with. There are also many contrasting themes in this book. The people of hell that are visiting Heaven are described as transparent people, similar to ghosts. The people found in heaven are seen as "bright, solid people" opposed to the phantom appearance of the people who exist in Hell. When the ghosts visit Heaven, they experience many different things. The colors around them are so strong they make the people almost disappear. The people from Hell then realize they are transparent. The grass is sharp and piercing on their feet and the raindrops feel like bullets. The ghosts can not even pick flowers because the stems are too strong for them. Another contrasting theme is the size of Heaven and Hell. Heaven is seen as vast and glorious and Hell is infinitely small and is also described as a "gray town." While in Heaven, the solid people try to explain the grace of God to the transparent people. The ghosts become upset and blame heaven for not accepting them. This shows the sin of pride that
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Approximate Word count = 875
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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