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Chapter 17 Study

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

Chapter 17 Study

Postby Kanakaberaka » April 30th, 2006, 1:40 am

Synopsis: With Augray's help, Ranson descends into the next handramit to behold Meldilorn. Within an almost circular lake stands a gently sloping island. Ransom is ferried over by a hross who tells him about the guest houses along the shore. Ransom however avoids the other guests by going further inland up the incline of the quiet island. Along the way Ransom comes apon several carved stones which tell the history of Malacandra. While deciphering the carvings he comes apon one of the artists who created such works. It is of course a pfifltrigg. And Ransom is asked to pose for a carving. Ransom learns more about the languages and customs of the Malacandrians from the pfifltrigg sculptor.
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This is THE pfifltriggi chapter. Yes, other hnau play important parts and only one pfifltrigg appears 2/3 of the way into this chapter. But it seems that Lewis wants us to get to know the artists by observing their works. When Augray calls for a ferry to Meldilorn with a gong near the shore Ransom has a glimpse of pfifltriggi craftsmanship. Too short a study it seems because the hross ferryman arrives before he's able to figure out what sort of story the carvings on the artifact are trying to tell. Ransom offers Augray his wristwatch as a gift for guiding him through the dangers of the harandra. But Augray reluctantly turns down Ransom's gift, explaining :
"This gift ought to be given to a pfifltrigg. It rejoices my heart, but they would make more of it. You are likely to meet some of the busy people in Meldilorn: give it to them. As for its use, do your people not know except by looking at this thing how much of the day has worn?"

"I believe there are beasts that have a sort of knowledge of that," said Ransom, "but our hnau have lost it."

So we learn that the Malacandrians are born with certain abilities which we need mechanical devices to accomplish. And that the pfifltriggi enjoy such things for their craftsmanship rather than utility.
Ransom appreciates the hospitality of the stone guest houses along the shore. But he feels uneasy about being observed by numerous eldils which inhabit the island. When the solid bodied hnau begin to arrive by ferry and wading, Ransom decides to retreat to higher ground inland. He even prefers to eat groundweed rather than to go down to the guest houses for food and risk conversing with other hnau. I can sympathise with Ransom's feelings about socialising with strangers at a time of anxiety. I am sure I would do the same myself. I would also do what Ransom did next which was to spend his time examining the carvings on the numerous stone slabs around Meldilorn.
Ransom learns the history of Malacandra from these carvings, although he is not sure if it is a mythical representation or reality. He also determines that Malacandra is in fact what we call the Planet Mars through a carving of the solar system. There's a symbolic carving of Mercury with a horn and of Venus with breasts. But the symbol for our own planet has be deleated from the graphic. While pondering this, Ransom's train of thought is interrupted by a persistent noise. It's made by a pfifltrigg at work on another carving. Ransom is asked by the pfifltrigg to pose for his latest work. His name is Kanakaberaka and he's the first hnau in Meldilorn which Ransom talks to. And it was about time, because there is only so much that works of art can tell anyone. Ransom is informed that all three hnau have their own languages, but they choose to speak the language of the hrossa because their's is the best when it comes to discribing things. And their poems can not be properly translated into the other languages. It seems ironic that the Malacandrian hnau who's appearance is least human, also in fact insect or reptile like, should be the one to bring Ransom out of his shell on Meldilorn.
Kanakaberaka explains to Ransom how the pfifltriggi mine their own materials for carving and Ransom replies that on his planet the work if divied up so that some workers spend all their lives mining ore without ever seeing the finished product. Kanakaberaka is shocked to hear this and asks what motivation we have for this. Payment for expenses like food, explains Ransom. The pfifltriggi division of labor reminds me of what G.K. Chesterton discribed as Distributism. The notion that every landlord should be his own tenet and every tenent should be his own landlord. In other words, we should all be responsible for our own work and reap all of the rewards which come with it.

so it goes...
so it goes...
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Kanakaberaka
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Original Chapter 17 Comments

Postby Kanakaberaka » May 2nd, 2006, 6:18 pm

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


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