Chapter 26- "In discussing any joint action, it becomes obligatory that A should argue in favour of B's supposed wishes and against his own, while B does the opposite. It is often impossible to find out either party's real wishes; with luck, they end by doing something that neither wants...(143)"
ScrewTape is writing about how, sometimes, a sense of unselfishness can be used to cause conflict between humans. This passage shows that what some people may consider to be polite and thoughtful, can be turned into a means to argue with one another. It also shows how the demons have the ability to manipulate things into their favor.
Chapter 27- "And since we cannot deceive the whole human race all the time, it is most important thus to cut every generation off from all others; for where learning makes a free commerce between the ages there is always the danger that the characteristic errors of one may be corrected by the characteristic truths of another (151)."
This shows the need for Christians to be unified in their faith. As ScrewTape mentions how characteristics of error might be corrects; this shows how Christians and the Church and can help other Christians to have victory over their sins. This is not limited by one generation teaching another, but any Christian has the ability help their friends.
Chapter 28- "Prosperity knits a man to the World. He feels that he is "finding his place in it", while really it is finding its place in him. His increasing reputation, his widening circle of acquaintances, his sense of importance, the growing pressure of absorbing and agreeable work, build up in him a sense of being really at home in earth which is just what we want. You will notice that the young are generally less unwilling to die than the middle-aged and the old. (155)."
This section shows how people can be easily caught up into the world when the obtain prosperity. The list of things a person acquires when he has wealth can also act as a distraction from God. The treasures he has on earth will make a man not want to leave earth since he feels like everything here is his extremely vital to him. This attachment to earth will cause many older people to try and remain on earth as much as possible. Thus making their goal to live for their own desires, instead of for God's will.
Chapter 29- "The danger of inducing cowardice in our patients, therefore, is lest we produce real self-knowledge and self-loathing with consequent repentance and humility (161)."
ScrewTape talks about how cowardice can be used as a good thing for people, which is bad for him. When people realize their true fear and cowardice, they begin to reconsider how to live their lives. If they repent and choose to follow God, then they will have thwarted the demon's plans. This also shows how tools for demons can be turned against them to work for God's desires.
Chapter 30- "It is not fatigue simply as such that produces the anger, but unexpected demands on a man already tired. Whatever men expect they soon come to think they have a right to: the sense of disappointment can, with very little skill on our part, be turned into a sense of injury (166)."
If a person is already tired and expects to be able to get rest; one of the most frustrating things to happen is to be asked to do something else. An idea in this passage is that people feel they have a right to their own time to rest. When that right is taken from them they feel disappointment, which can also lead to bitterness.
Chapter 31- "But when he saw them he knew that he had always known them and realised what part each one of them had played at many an hour in his life when he had supposed himself alone, so that now he could say to them, one by one, not "Who are you?" but "So it was you all the time". All that they were and said at this meeting woke memories (174)."
When the patient meets the spirits he is not shocked when he sees them. He has a sense of memory of them and the roles they played in his life. This suggests that other angels or spirits aid Christians in their faith. The passage also shows how spiritual warfare was being waged by God, as well as, his angels. This passage also suggests that people will receive revelations of the things they did in life. These happier revelations are opposite to the clarity one might have in hell as mentioned earlier in the book.
Work Cited
Lewis, Clive S. The ScrewTape Letters. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2001. Print.
