Students Try Their Hand At a ‘Screwtape Letter’

This spring, the students taking LIT 254 (Fantasy and Science Fiction of C. S. Lewis) were given an opportunity to write their own “Screwtape” style letter. After they read all of The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis, they were told that their goal was to produce a 21st-century Screwtape letter that befits our times, reflects Lewis’s orthodox theological point of view as displayed in Screwtape, and displays their own originality.

They were given several questions to ponder while they wrote their letters, including: What were Lewis’s ultimate reasons for writing these letters and in this way? What is gained by his choosing to write from the point of view of the tempter? What can be learned about evil by examining its thoughts and deeds that one cannot learn just by contemplating the good and the righteous? (Think of the Book of Job) Why doesn’t the demon ever understand “the Enemy” (God)? What do you learn about “the Enemy” (God) from Screwtape that you might not have realized before?

In response to this assignment
, the students wrote many intelligent, creative responses. They used the point of view of a demon to undermine itself and present insights into Christian living in our own times. The example below by Allison O’Donnell is one of the best of these letters submitted by our students.

My dear Wormwood,

I find your use of the word “tolerant” to be intolerable. Do not throw away one of your most subtle devices. Your patient should be so concerned with being tolerant that he actually becomes quite the opposite. His tolerance should step on the toes of his friend’s and family’s claims to right and wrong. You see, if the man cannot distinguish anything from anything, then so much the better! Tolerance is such a placid, sweet-tasting drug to swallow. It seems so peaceful, but even a virtue like tolerance can turn into war. What will the humans do when one man and then a few men do not want to be tolerant? Will the tolerant people force their tolerance on others?

For a time, there will be no opposers. They will all fall into each other like raindrops in the ripples of a tranquil lake. They will not be able to tell one man’s opinion from another because they will want to hold all things equal in a still cool cup. They will want a clear calm surface to their deep pool of thought. And they will shift and shrug in unison, maybe for centuries. One man silencing himself to his neighbor’s contradictory opinion in the name of peace. Soon they will be so silent, no discussion to be had, no need to reason through any opinion, no reason to give their beliefs any defense. All they must do is peal out a cry of, “Oh, but you should be tolerant.” Banal enough, don’t you say?

It sounds like a virtue of peace, but it bullies a man into silence and shame. He should not assert any pretension to being right. He should not declare something wrong. Soon men will be so watered down, no flavor, all one. What do you think, Wormwood? What a way to wipe out truth! Declare truth antagonistic, rabble rousing, divisive. Make them so worried for war that they become apathetic to everything. Make them believe everything so spinelessly that they aren’t sure if they believe anything at all. And all for the seeming good of the virtue of tolerance. Tolerance to the extreme, my dear, is intolerant. It’s brilliant. But you must be subtle. The longer the pool is still, the longer we can sustain the tense calm. As soon as the tension is broken and they all take sides, we will lose a few of our patients. They are content to be good enough now, but as soon as they see how bad a bad opinion can be in the light, they will undoubtedly become as good as they can be. And then they will truly be lost to the Enemy. Once we have taught everyone to call nothing by its name, we will have learned to unravel meaning. We will have succeeded in uncreating. Precisely the driving mission of our whole operation. Do not underestimate your patient’s interest in being tolerant. It is a delicate balance to which we must carefully attend.

Your affectionate uncle,

Screwtape

by Allison O’Donnell