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Chapter 6 Study

An archived study of the first book in Lewis' theological science fiction Space Trilogy.

Chapter 6 Study

Postby Kanakaberaka » March 26th, 2006, 3:14 am

Synopsis: Ransom awakes from his troubled sleep with a new resolve. He has resigned himself to the fact that will probably not return to Earth alive. And yet he does not let despair take him over. He hides a knife in hopes that it will protect him from Malacandran monsters. Apparently Ransom's military service has given him this attitude of facing down his fears as best one can.

But then the mood shifts to one of observation. The temperature of Weston's spacecraft gets gradualy colder. And the light gradualy decreases in intensity. Yet Ransom notices that the glorious quality of the Sunlight does not decrease. When Ranson mentions this the Devine all he can reply is: "Like thingummy's soap!" grinned Devine. "Pure soap to the last bubble, eh?"

Next the story turns technical as the vessel approaches Malacandra. The gravity of this mystery planet begins to have an effect on the space ship. No longer is the center of the vessel "down". Now everything goes askew. Heavy items must be moved against what were walls because now certain walls have become floors. All three space voyagers chip in to orient the cargo.

Finaly the vessel makes it's descent into the Manalcandran atmosphere. Curiously Ransom finds himself in philosophical meditations on the light of the Sun and what lies out beyond our Solar System as the ship lands.

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I wonder if C.S. Lewis' own military service contributed to his desciption of Ransom's resolve in the face of probable death? Lewis did lose a very close friend in WW I.

A first clue as to where Malacandra is located: the fact that the temperature gets colder indicates that the planet is out beyond our Earth (duh?). Of course the spacecraft could have bypassed Mars to go out further into our solar system. So Ransom can not be sure about what the planet is. Of course, no early sci-fi novel can be complete without a trip to the red planet. So we readers know better. (Okay, it's because we have read the notes on the inner flaps of the book cover )

As usual, all Devine can manage to say about Ransom's keen observation about the effects of the Sunlight is the Thingummy soap retort. Just what one would expect from such a man. Does anyone get the impression that Weston and Devine are rather two dimensional villains, set up to be knocked down by the powers of goodness? I am guilty of creating such characters myself in my "Jim Dandy" pulp adventures. Except that the heros as well as the villians are rather stereotypical. (Please forgive a little self-promotion, but would anyone here like to see any more of those Jim Dandy stories in the Fan Fiction Forum?)

I get the feeling that Lewis wanted to dispense with the technical details of the voyage as quickly and smoothly as possible. That's why the business about the gravity shift apon approaching Malacandra was so brief. Lewis dwells apon the physical exersion used to move all the heavy equipment into proper orientation lest they smash the vessel apart. The question I have is that if Weston was such a genius then why didn't he secure all these pieces of equipment with straps and bolts Before they even took off from Earth? The gear must have been in proper Earth orientation before lift-off, so Weston and Devine must have moved them before Ransom awoke the first time.

Lewis was wise to keep the control room out of our sight as the vessel descends into the Malacandran atmosphere. This way he does not have to make up technical details he has no interest in. Just Devine shouting that they are descending too fast. I wonder why they didn't burn up in the atmosphere if they were going too fast. Just to nit-pick, Ransom mentions nothing about the temperature rising apon atmospheric entry. He does get into a philosophical mood about the Sunlight which is blotted out by the atmosphere. He wonders about the existence of a greater "Light" out beyond our solar system which makes the light of our Sun seem like an interruption in space.

so it goes...
so it goes...
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Kanakaberaka
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Original Chapter 6 Comments

Postby Kanakaberaka » March 26th, 2006, 4:05 am

so it goes...
User avatar
Kanakaberaka
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Posts: 1030
Joined: Jul 1999
Location: Just outside of Rego Park, NYC


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