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Two questions on The Great Divorce

Comprising most of Lewis' writings.
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Postby Stanley Anderson » November 24th, 2008, 4:32 pm

…on a night of rain Frodo smelled a sweet fragrance on the air and heard the sound of singing that came over the water. And then it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a fair green country under a swift sunrise.
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Postby Stanley Anderson » November 24th, 2008, 4:47 pm

…on a night of rain Frodo smelled a sweet fragrance on the air and heard the sound of singing that came over the water. And then it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a fair green country under a swift sunrise.
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Postby sunbear » November 25th, 2008, 9:52 pm

I just finished leading a book discussion this semester where we combined The Four Loves and Great Divorce. It was so much fun to read those two back to back and hear what people had to say!

I concur with the George Macdonald comment. People kept say, "Well, as George Macdonald said..." and I kept thinking to myself, "Well...as George Macdonald's CHARACTER said." I would love to find out what parallels if any there are between Macdonald's lines in Great divorce and what is in Macdonald's own literature.

As to the question of the Big Ghost and the Spirit of the murderer...I'm assuming you mean Matthew 5:21-22? "...anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgement...."

I hadn't really thought about that, but it's a good point. Jesus in that verse seems to be saying that it isn't only what you DO, but what you consistently allow or even WILL yourself to think that changes your spiritual health/condition.

At the heart of it, Lewis seems to be agreeing. As the murderer said, the act of murder itself was a one time reaction that was based on an excess of anger (emotion). The more sever crime (spiritually) was the INTENTIONAL, CONCIOUS, choice of thinking evil thoughts towards his boss day in, day out. (sorry for the poor paraphrase, I don't have the book in front of me).

I thought this theme came up in many of the characters who got to where they were by consistently making little, but still bad, choices...exercising their will AGAINST what was good in little ways. There is more commentary on this in the case of the Apostate, and more evidence of the consequences in the mother, the wife, the man with the lizard, and the Tragedian and Dwarf. I'm pretty sure that this is a theme that winds its way through each of the ghosts stories.
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Re: Two questions on The Great Divorce

Postby nomad » December 2nd, 2008, 5:33 pm

I think your right Sunbear. It seems to be the overarching theme of the book. A related thread with many of the characters seems to be how their idea of doing the right thing was in fact the way they rationalized their own selfishness so that they convinced themselves it was selflessness. I don't have the book with me this moment, but I believe the mother would be a good example of that. If I recall correctly, there were several ghosts who accused their solid people of being selfish or of not giving them the credit they were due, not recognizing all the ghost had done for the solid person or others in life.
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