Over the course of The Screwtape Letters, the state of the patient's soul fluctuates as he experiences a conversion, doubt, dangerous friendships, war, love, and finally, in death, oneness with God. What major strategies does Screwtape use to tempt the patient into the Devil's camp? Why do these temptations fail? In what ways can the patient be seen as an Everyman?
Screwtape scolds Wormwood because Wormwood finds enjoyment in human death. Screwtape reminds him that keeping people on earth longer allows temptations more time to tie them down. “The truth is that the Enemy, having oddly destined these mere animals to like in His own eternal world, has guarded them pretty effectively from the danger of feeling at home anywhere else. That is why we must often wish long to our patients; seventy years is not a day too much for the difficult task of unraveling their souls from Heaven and building up a firm attachment to the earth” (Letter 28). Screwtape says that knitting a man down to earth secures more satisfaction than death. He states that the belief that death is a negative event is the patients’ own propaganda. Instead, Screwtape believes death could be a good thing for “The Enemy”. Screwtape wants Wormwood to keep the Patient hidden from the truth during his life on the earth so that he can tempt him into the Devil’s Camp. Screwtape’s temptation strategy fails because the Patient is meant for God’s eternal world in Heaven and not the earth. The Patient has so far escaped the wordly friends Wormwood tries to tempt him with, he falls in love with a Christian woman and in result is “immune” from Wormwood’s attacks on his chastity, and also has escaped methods which would have corrupted his spiritual life. The Patient is in fact not attached to the earth. Before Wormwood has time to “unravel” his soul from its intended destination, the patient meets his death and eternal life by joining God in Heaven.
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In The Screwtape Letters, written by C.S. Lewis, Screwtape, a senior demon, attempts to lure the patient's soul into the Devil's camp. Here are the major strategies Screwtape employs to tempt the patient and why these temptations ultimately fail:
1. Distraction: Screwtape seeks to divert the patient's attention away from matters of the soul. He encourages the patient to focus on trivial and mundane affairs, preventing him from developing a deeper spiritual life. This strategy fails because the patient eventually realizes the emptiness of worldly pursuits and desires something more meaningful.
2. Doubt and Intellectual Pride: Screwtape tries to sow seeds of doubt in the patient's mind. He encourages intellectual pride, making the patient believe that he is too intelligent for faith. However, these temptations fail because the patient experiences an illuminating conversation and witnesses the true spiritual nature of life, leading to a conversion.
3. Dangerous Friendships: Screwtape uses the patient's friendships to influence him negatively. He encourages the patient to associate with individuals who lead him astray from faith and morality. However, these temptations fail as the patient realizes the harmful influence of these friends and eventually breaks away from them.
4. War: Screwtape exploits the chaotic times of war to incite fear, anger, and selfishness in the patient. He tries to make the patient lose hope and turn against his fellow men. However, these temptations fail as the patient, instead of becoming consumed by self-interest, develops a sense of compassion and selflessness.
5. Love and Romance: Screwtape manipulates the patient's relationship by promoting possessiveness, jealousy, and self-centeredness. He tries to turn love into a mere earthly pleasure, devoid of any higher purpose. These temptations fail as the patient recognizes the destructive nature of his behavior and seeks to rectify it through self-reflection and genuine love.
In the course of the story, the patient can be seen as an Everyman, representing the struggles and dilemmas faced by humanity as a whole. His experiences and temptations reflect the universal challenges that individuals encounter in their journey towards spiritual growth and understanding. The patient's journey serves as a relatable example of the internal conflicts many people face as they strive to find meaning and purpose in life.
In "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis, Screwtape's main strategy to tempt the patient into the Devil's camp is through the use of deception, distortion, and diversion. He attempts to exploit the patient's weaknesses and lead him away from God. Let's break down some of the major strategies employed by Screwtape and why they ultimately fail:
1. Distraction: Screwtape tries to divert the patient's attention from deepening his relationship with God by occupying him with trivial matters, worldly ambitions, and overindulgence in pleasures. However, these distractions fail because the patient starts to realize the emptiness and shallowness of such pursuits and desires something more meaningful.
2. Doubt and Rationalization: Screwtape encourages the patient to doubt his faith, question God's existence, and rationalize his immoral actions. But the patient's doubts and rationalizations are eventually exposed as mere excuses for his own selfishness, and he begins to see through the lies.
3. Exploiting Dangerous Friendships: Screwtape advises the patient to indulge in toxic friendships that will pull him away from his moral compass. However, these friendships backfire when the patient realizes the negative influence they have on his spiritual journey and distant himself from those harmful connections.
4. Exploiting the War: During the war, Screwtape tries to make the patient embrace a sense of self-righteousness and indulge in pride and hatred towards the enemy. However, the patient eventually realizes the destructive nature of such attitudes and seeks forgiveness, thereby undermining Screwtape's plans.
5. The Power of Love: Screwtape understands that love can be a powerful force, so he attempts to twist the patient's love for a woman in a selfish and possessive way. However, the patient's love evolves into genuine selflessness and sacrificial devotion, which foils Screwtape's plans once again.
Ultimately, Screwtape's strategies fail because the patient's journey portrays an Everyman figure, representing the common struggles and temptations that all individuals face. The patient's ability to recognize his own flaws, question his choices, and seek redemption makes him relatable to readers. His journey reflects the universal human struggle to overcome temptations and find meaning in life beyond temporary pleasures and distractions.