Mere Christianity - Bk. I - Ch. 4 - What Lies Behind the Law

On August 20, 1941, C.S. Lewis delivered his third talk on the BBC then entitled, "Materialism or Religion."  It became the fourth chapter of Broadcast Talks published in England in 1942, and The Case for Christianity published in the United States in 1943.  When published as Mere Christianity in 1952, Lewis changed the title to "What Lies Behind the Law."

Lewis begins by summarizing the previous chapter about the reality of the moral law, something we cannot explain, something we expect everyone to follow, even though we realize we often fall short of this standard.

So Lewis moves on to what this means.  He explains two basic views about the universe.  First the materialist view which explains the universe just happens to exist by chance.

By one chance in a thousand, something hit our sun and produced the planets.  By another chance in a thousand, some matter on this earth came alive, and eventually by another very long series of chances, those living creatures turned into something like us.

The second view Lewis calls the religious view.  Behind the universe is something more like a mind, being conscious, with purpose, and definite preferences.  This mind produced creatures like itself - with minds.  Both views have been held for a long time throughout human history.


Now Lewis wants to make it quite clear that science simply cannot resolve this issue.  He says science has a very proper role within its limitations - that which can be tested by experiments.  Those who try to use science to answer this issue usually do not understand the limitations of science.

Lewis also points out that we do not just observe mankind, we are men (or women) - we have inside information.  We know the moral law does not just describe just what we do - instead it strongly informs and pushes us towards what we ought to do.  This inside information gives us a clue - points the way to a mind outside of the observable facts - which strongly influences us to behave in a certain way - the moral law.  If we look at a house or building, we can't see the architect, but we can see how that mind shaped the design of the edifice.  When we see the postman delivering mail, we have some idea of what he delivers to others based on the inside information we derive from what we receive when the postman delivers the mail to us.  Otherwise, if we just saw a postman delivering mail without this inside information - we would likely have no idea what he was doing.  Lewis compares God with a sender of letters who tells us to obey the law of human nature.

Lewis cautions the reader - he has not yet started to describe the God of Christianity.  All he has done thus far is to describe Something which directs the universe, who urges us to follow a basic law of right and wrong - something more like a mind rather than matter - since it would be difficult to imagine matter giving us instruction.

Bk. 1 - Ch. 3 - The Reality of the Law

Bk 1 - Ch 5 - We Have Cause to be Uneasy

Overview of Mere Christianity

Mere Christianity - Bk 1 - Ch. 3 - The Reality of the Law

On August 13, 1941, in the midst of the London blitz, C.S. Lewis delivered his second BBC talk, which he called "Scientific Law and Moral Law.  Later, when those talks were published as "Broadcast Talks" in England, and as "The Case for Christianity" in America, it became Chapter 3 with the same name, but when it was republished as "Mere Christianity" in 1952, the name of this chapter was renamed, "The Reality of the Law."

Lewis begins by recalling the first chapter, that though people thought they behave a certain way - fair play, morality, or some other name, they in fact did not not.  Lewis points out this state of affairs has certain consequences.

Inanimate objects, like trees and rocks, observe the laws of nature, but not by choice.  In stark contrast, humans choose whether or not to follow the moral law, the law of human nature.  Thus, while the law of nature simply describes how rocks and trees behave in nature, the Law of Human Nature tells human beings what they ought to do or not do.  While the law of nature simply describes the facts with regard to the rocks and trees, the Law of Human Nature deals with something above and beyond the facts.

Some try to explain this as simply a matter of inconvenience - that if someone behaves in a manner

you think he ought not, this simply means it's inconvenient to you.  Lewis objects.  If a man takes a seat you want on a train because he got there first - you don't object.  However, if a man slips into the same seat while my back was momentarily turned, and removed the bag I placed there - I strongly object.  Both cases involve inconvenience to me, but the first man I do not blame while the second man I blame.  There are other examples whether the behavior of others might be very convenient to me, yet I still recognize their behavior is quite wrong, such as a traitor during war.

Others say what we call the moral law simply amounts to what's best for the entire society instead of the individual.  Though Lewis agrees in part, he argues this misses the point -  it's circular.  The argument basically says you ought to do what is right because it's right.  It simply doesn't go any further.  Lewis compares this to saying you ought to play soccer in order to score goals.  However, scoring goals is the whole point of soccer - it's not the reason for the game.  By saying this - Lewis says you are basically saying you should play soccer to play soccer - something not worth saying.  Same as if you said you should behave decently in order to behave decently.  Circular.

We have a basic sense, derived from somewhere other than just nature, that we ought to behave a certain way, and we cannot get rid of that notion.  It must be a real thing - not something we made up.  It's not simply a fact - not simply our behavior - since we know we ourselves do not follow this standard of behavior.  Lewis points to a real law, pressing in upon us, which we did not make up.

Bk. 1 - Ch. 2 - Some Objections

Bk 1 Ch 4 - What Lies Behind the Law

Overview

Mere Christianity - Bk. 1 - Ch. 2 - Some Objections

Lewis gave this as the firth BBC talk on Sept. 6, 1941, originally called "Answers to Listeners' Questions.  Originally, the BBC scheduled him for four talks, but his talks not only generated much interest, but many listeners asked questions, or raised objections, so a fifth talk was added to allow Lewis to respond to them.  Later, Lewis simply called this "Some Objections," in the book forms.

Some asked if the Moral Law Lewis referred to in the first talk was not simply herd instincts.  Lewis did not deny human instincts - such as mother love, food instincts, or even sexual instincts.  However, he distinguished them from the feeling you ought to help someone, whether you wanted to or not.  When someone cries for help, you feel two desires - first, a desire to help - and second, a desire to stay and keep yourself out of danger - the instinct for self- preservation.  However, you find a third thing that tells you to follow your instinct to help, and suppresses the instinct to run away.  Lewis argues by comparison that third thing is the moral law, which is like a sheet of music which tells us which notes (which instincts) to play.  .  (BTW, Lewis does not care what you call the Moral Law.)

Lewis gives another way of looking at this.  If two instincts are in conflict, all things being equal, the stronger instinct should win out.  Instead, we find when two instincts conflict, we often choose the weaker one.  The instinct to be safe should overrule out instinct to help others, but we feel a stronger tug to help others because of the Moral Law.  Lewis points out since instinct cannot instruct us which instinct to follow - it must be something outside of instinct itself.  Instead, we find the moral law is the thing which tells you which note to play on the piano - which instincts to follow.

Lewis compares the Moral Law to a music sheet which tells you which notes (which instincts) to play.  Just as there are no right or wrong notes - only right or wrongs notes depending on the sheet of music - so there are no good or bad instincts - only good notes - good instincts - depending on what the sheet music calls for at one time or another - and thus only good or bad instincts depending upon the situation we face and what that situation calls for in order to adhere to to the Moral Law.

Other people wrote saying what he called the Moral Law was only moral convention - merely put into us by education?  Lewis responds this usually involves a misunderstanding.  Many think everything we are taught involves mere human invention.  Lewis disagrees.  Though we learn the multiplication tables  from others, it's not a mere human invention. In a similar manner, though we learn the Rules of Decent Behavior from others, it does not follow that all of them are human inventions.  Some are, such as which side of the road to drive on, which can differ in other countries.  However, others are like mathematics - not mere human inventions.

Lewis argues that the Moral Law belongs in the same class as mathematics for two reasons.  First, most societies, people, and cultures throughout history largely agree upon the Moral Law, with some relatively minor exceptions.  Second, we deeply believe the moralities of one society, people, or culture, is far better that others.  Otherwise, it would make no sense when we condemn the moralities of others - such, as for example, many condemned the moralities of the Nazis in the midst of the war when Lewis originally gave these talks (and as most do to this day).  Lewis points out such talk strongly indicates we ardently believe in a standard of right and wrong beyond the reality of our lives, and thereby admit, sometimes inadvertently, of that reality.

As an example, Lewis talks about New York City.  He reasons why your idea of it might be better than his is because there is a real New York City to compare those ideas to.  If instead, we just meant the New York City in our mind, then there would be no way to compare them to.  In that case, each of our ideas of New York City would be equally valid.  In a similar manner, Lewis argues that the Moral Law only existed in our minds, then we could never condemn anyone.  But we in fact do condemn others because we strongly believe in a real, objective moral code.

Finally, Lewis talks about an objection by someone who points out that three hundred years ago, people put witches to death, and who thus object to the notion of an objective moral law.  However, Lewis points out that the reason we do not do the same is because we no longer believe in real witches.  If we did, if we actually still believed in persons who had sold themselves to the devil, received from the devil supernatural powers and used those powers to kill our neighbors, drive them mad, or bring devastating weather upon them to destroy our crops - we would naturally want to stop or destroy them - but we no longer believe this.  We simply don't put out mousetraps if we no longer believe there no longer exists mice in the house.

Overview

Bk. 1 - Ch. 1 - The Law of Human Nature

Bk. 1 Ch. 3 - The Reality of the Law

Mere Christianity - Bk 1 - Ch 1 - The Law of Human Nature

On August 6, 1941, C.S. Lewis broadcast his first BBC talk.  He called it "Common Decency." When Mere Christianity was published in 1952, it was called "The Law of Human Nature."

Though Lewis began to explain Christianity, he opened with the common experience of people quarreling.  According to one account, a bartender, upon hearing this, suddenly stopped in the process of serving a drink,  in order to hear this out.  Lewis wanted to point out that the common experience of quarreling indicated a that people used a usually common standard of right and wrong - of morality - to support their arguments.

Lewis said that while this higher standard used to be called the Law of Nature, he thought it should be called the Law of Human Nature, so as not to confuse it with natural laws such as gravity, etc. While we have no choice whether to observe gravity, or other natural laws, we do have a choice whether to follow the Law of Human Nature, the common morality most observed  for ages.

Lewis said some said different civilizations and ages had different moralities.  Lewis responded that a

true comparison showed most had very similar moralities.  He asked readers to imagine what vast differences would mean - a country where a soldier was admired for running away - or where another was admired for double-crossing those kindest to him.  He compared it to a country where two and two made five.

Lewis acknowledged that not everyone agreed with this view.  But he noticed that those who disagreed usually tended to insist the next moment on a standard of right and wrong to call attention that they had been wronged on some matter or other.

Next, Lewis pointed out that we all know we don't keep the moral law, whatever you might call it.  We know we have not completely kept the moral law we expect others to observe, and tend to accuse others of not keeping.

Lewis summarizes this as the basis for all clear thinking.  First, almost everyone believes others ought to behave in a certain way - the Law of Human Nature - and Second, that everyone who faces the truth has to admit they do not completely observe this standard - and, in fact, have disobeyed it.

Mere Christianity - Preface
Mere Christianity - Overview
Bk. 1 - Ch. 2 - Some Objections

Mere Christianity - Preface

Lewis added a Preface when Mere Christianity was published in 1952.  It wasn't part of the original BBC broadcasts during WWII, nor part of the original three books based upon those broadcasts.

Up front, Lewis discusses the radio broadcasts and the three books it generated, which I discussed in the Overview.  He also discusses the difference between giving a radio address and the modifications he made for book publishing.

More importantly, Lewis describes what he means by "Mere Christianity," a term he had not used during the radio broadcasts, nor in any of the three books initially published from those broadcasts, and only introduced in bringing those 3 books together afterwards in 1952.  He freely admits to borrowing the phrase from someone else.

Lewis makes it clear that he is no help to someone who is trying to decide between any Christian denomination.  While an Anglican, he disavows trying to persuade anyone to that position.  In addition, he freely admits he is no expert about the points which tends to divide denominations.  In addition, he observes such discussions tend to deter those who might want to enter into Christian communion.

He describes Christianity as a hallway with several rooms.  He says he is only attempting to describe the hallway.  The rooms, an analogy of various Christian traditions, is where you go to get warm and comfy by the fireplace, something you cannot do in the hallway.  He wants to describe the hallway, and invite people there, but he hopes they find their way into the rooms, the various Christian traditions, where they will get warm and cozy by the fireplace with tea and all.  But its up to them to find their way from the hallway to those cozy rooms.

Lewis also talks about the word "Christian," and compares it with the word "gentleman."  At one time, "gentleman" meant a man who owned land and had a coat of arms.  Later, the word gentleman came to mean a good man.  For Lewis, when this occurred, the word gentleman lost all meaning, since you could always just say a good man as a description of a good man.  For Lewis, the word Christian means someone who accepts the teachings, the doctrines, of the apostle.  If it is instead used to simply describe a good man, then it has lost its meaning to describe something other than simply a good man, a phrase that already has a good descriptive meaning.

Mere Christianity - Overview
Bk. 1 - Ch. 1 - The Law of Human Nature
Bk. 1 - Ch. 2 - Some Objections

Mere Christianity - Overview

In 1941, during WWII, in the midst of the London Blitz, the BBC asked C.S. Lewis, an Oxford don, to deliver a set set of broadcasts.  He agreed.  His talks riveted Britain, and the BBC expanded them.  His talks later formed the basis for the 1952 book, Mere Christianity, which combined three books already published based upon those talks.  The first book was published in Britain in 1942, simply called, Broadcast Talks. It contained his first 10 talks.  A year later it was published in the United States under the title, The Case for Christianity.  In Mere Christianity, the first five broadcast talks became Book I. Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe.  The second five talks became, Book 2. What Christians Believe.

The second book based on the BBC talks was published in Britain in 1943, called Christian Behavior.  It included eight more talks Lewis delivered in 1942, and expanded into 12 chapters in the book.  In Mere Christianity, those 12 chapters became Book 3. Christians Behavior.

Lewis delivered the third set of seven talk in 1944 - and the BBC first published them in its weekly magazine, The Listner.   It was then published in 1944 as 11 chapters in a book called Beyond Personality.  In Mere Christianity, it became Book 4. Beyond Personality: or First Steps in the Doctrine of the Trinity.

In 2006, Christianity Today, considered evangelicalism's flagship by the Washington Post, placed Mere Christianity third on its list of most influential books among evangelicals since 1945.  While many books tend to decline in sales over time, Mere Christianity increased in sales over time.  Many non-Christians tend to read it.

I am currently leading a group of men in studying this book.  I plan to post a separate blog post summarizing one chapter of this book, and provide a link to each summary of each chapter in this post.  I hope this helps you if you decide to read the book (or already have read the book).  If you have not read it, and plan not to, I hope this will help you in understand the book.

The links below will lead you to each post on each chapter (at least as far as I have gotten).  Below that, I will provided a link to some other books where I posted a chapter by chapter summary. (The link will lead to the Overview post, which contains links to the chapter postings.)

Preface
Bk.1 Ch. 1 - The Law of Human Nature 
Bk 1 Ch 2 - Some Objections
Bk 1 Ch 3 - The Reality of the Law
Bk 1 Ch 4 - What Lies Behind the Law
Bk 1 Ch 5 - We Have Cause to be Uneasy

Bk 2 Ch 1 - The Rival Conceptions of God
Bk 2 Ch 2 - The Invasion
Bk 3 Ch 3 - The Shocking Alternative
Bk 3 Ch 4 - The Perfect Penitent

That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis

The Confessions by St. Augustine

That Hideous Strength - Character List

This lists many (not all) of the characters which appear in That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis.

• Mark (Gainsby) Studdock - A Fellow in Sociology for 5 years at Bracton College.  He talks with Sub-Warden Curry and discovers, to his delight, he is now part of the inner circle.  He married his wife Jane six months ago, and they are drifting apart.  Lord Feverstone recruits Mark to join the NICE, where Mark delights in reaching another inner circle before discovering how horrendous it is.  He has to pretend to go along before he can finally leave it.
• Jane (Tudor) Studdock - Jane Tudor married Mark 6 months ago, and left the job she enjoyed.  Since then, she works on her doctoral thesis, but makes no progress.  Before marriage, they had endless talks, but since marriage, she feels alone in solitary confinement.  She has nightmares of a man beheaded by having his head twisted off.  A picture in a newspaper reminds her of this dream.  Out shopping, she runs into Mrs. Dimble, who invites her home to lunch with her husband, Dr. Dimble.  She eventually joins a fellowship at St. Anne's where she plays a key role in overturning the evil forces assembled at the NICE.  She continues to have strange and scary dreams, which eventually turn out to be true since she has a gift for seeing the future in her dreams.
• Dr. Cecil Dimble - used to be Jane's tutor at Northumberland College.  Knows a lot about Arthurian scholarship and pre-Norman Britain.  He notices Jane does not look well, and she tells the Dimble's about her dream.  They send her to see Grace Ironwood at St. Anne's, where Dr. Dimble plays a central role in the fellowship there, especially after the Dimbles move in full time after losing their home to the expansion of the NICE.
• Margaret "Mother" Dimble - Married to Dr. Dimble, she takes on a motherly role to all his current and former students, like Jane, as well as to everyone in the fellowship at St. Anne's.
• Grace Ironwood - A psychologist.  Jane tells her her dreams, and worries if anything is wrong with her.  Grace, who is kind, but tough, tells Jane nothing is wrong with her - instead, Jane is a visionary who sees things in her dreams ahead of time, a gift she inherited from a Tudor ancestor who wrote about it in his autobiographical book.  She urges Jane to use her gift in service for the fellowship at St. Anne's, and warns others will want to use her gift for subversive purposes.
• Sub-Warden Curry - Curry serves as the effective head of Bracton College, who thinks the NICE "marks the beginning of a new era - the really scientific era."  Curry wants Mark to support the sale of of Bragdon Woods to the NICE.  At dinner, he introduces Mark to Lord Feverstone.
• James Busby - the Bursar at Bracton College.  Busby is also enthusiastic about the NICE.
• Lord Feverstone - His real name is Dick Divine, who has appeared in the prior stories of the Space Trilogy as a villain. At the dinner, Mark discovers Feverstone as the person responsible for getting his position at Bracton College over another prospect, Denniston.  Once Curry and Busby, the Bursar, leave, Mark discovers Feverstone holds them in disdain, but finds them useful in running Bracton College for the benefit of the NICE.  He believes Mark would fit in well at the NICE and invites him to meet the leaders there, which Mark accepts with some reservation.
• John Withers - the Deputy Director of the NICE, who masters double-talk.  He says a lot without saying anything, or says something while meaning something else.  Mark can never seem to get a a straight answer out of him.
• Bill Hingest - also known as "Bill the Blizzard."  A prominent chemist at Bracton, he left to work at the NICE, but now informs Mark he plans to leave it immediately, and advises Mark to do the same.  Bill winds up dead later that evening.  Later, Mark is falsely accused of murdering Bill.
• Professor Filastro - advises Mark to stay with the NICE and not worry about a job title - the work of the NICE is too important to pass up.  Later, Filastro reveals he would like to do away with the messiness of organic life.  He only wants to preserve the mind and clean metal.  He likes to talk about the cleanness of the moon.  He believes the real purpose of the NICE is the conquest of organic life.  He tells Mark the real head of the NICE is Francois Alcasan.
• Francois Alcasam - An Arabian radiologist who poisoned his wife.  He was beheaded for this crime.  However, before his execution, Jane sees him in a dream being beheaded by twisting his head off.  Somehow, Filastro has obtained his head, attached it to a machine with many tubes and dials, and believes he is keeping it alive, and it speaks.  To see it, select visitors must strip to their underclothes, wash, put on white clothes, gloves, and a surgical mask, and go through an air lock.  Jane saw in a dream, three of them, including her husband Mark, approach him, speak with him in French (which she did not understand).  
• "Fairy" Hardcastle - head of the internal police of the NICE.  She also later advises Mark how to get along at the NICE, by not bothering Withers (the Deputy Director) about his position. Later she gives Mark an assignment which gains him passage into an inner circle.  Still later, she attempts to arrest Mark's wife, Jane, and does torture her in the process, though Jane manages to get away and goes back to St. Anne's.
• Reverend Straik (also known as the "Mad Parson).  He believes the NICE program must be carried out with violence - as the means of bringing about the Kingdom of God through science.  He believes himself a prophet (who actually reveals the nature of the NICE).
• Professor Frost - A member of the inner circle at the NICE, who has nez-pierce glasses and a pointed beard.  He works closely with the Deputy Director, Withers, in managing the NICE.
• Mr. Denniston - an old friend of Mark (who now lives at St. Anne's).
• Camilla Denniston - wife of Mr. Denniston.  They reveal they live at St. Anne's in a society run by a Mr. Fisher-King, who recently received an injury to his foot which won't heal (which ties into Arthurian legends - Mr. Denniston also refers to him as the Pendragon - another Arthurian reference.  They urge Jane to join the society at St. Anne's and use her gift for good before the forces of evil force her to use on their side.  (Which goes against Jane's independence - so she resists.)
• Pendragon (Fisher-King - Dr. Ransom) - A title held by Arthur's uncle, which passed to Arthur's father,Uther, and then which passed to Arthur.  In Welsh it roughly means the dragon-head - the leader.  This title has passed from person to person down through the years, and now applies to the Director (Dr. Ransom) at St. Anne's.  When Jane met him, "her world was unmade."  Though he appeared as a 20 year old golden boy, his beard and strength made it clear he was much older.  One of his foot bore a bandaged wound, so that pain came and went on his face.  His voice seemed like sunlight and gold.  The Director wants Jane to join the fellowship, but she hesitates while Mark belongs to the NICE.  Dr. Ransom was a philologist before he began his adventures in outer space.
• Mr. Bultitude - a bear who peacefully lives in St. Anne's.
• Mr. McPhee - Part of the fellowship at St. Anne's who insists on empirical evidence to support any belief.  (The resident skeptic.)
• Logres - a name for ancient England, which recalls a more romantic and earthy past.
• Merlin - from Arthurian days, yet we find that though Merlin has a pagan past - he is much more aligned with Christianity than we knew.  He has been asleep for many years and has now awakened.  Both sides seek him and his assistance, though he finds his way to the Pendragon to whom he offers his assistance and loyalty.
• Macrobes - Frost reveals they are the true source of direction for the NICE.  He says they exist above animal life, including humans.  Apparently, through their influence, Frost believes most of the human population is dead weight, and only about ten percent need survive.
• The tramp - a street person whom the NICE mistake for Merlin.

That Hideous Strength - Conclusion

Though That Hideous Strength can be read alone, it's important to keep in mind it's the last book in Lewis' Space Trilogy, and it helps to read the first two books, which sets forth the cosmology background as well as important character background.

It also helps to understand the publication history of the Space Trilogy, as well as some other books Lewis published around this time, along with some broadcast talks he gave around then.

• Out of the Silent Planet - 1938
• BBC Broadcast talks about Christianity (1942-1944)
• The Case for Christianity -1942 (a pamphlet based on the BBC talks)
• Perelandra - 1943
• Christian Behavior - 1943 (a pamphlet based on the BBC talks)
• The Abolition of Man - 1943
• Beyond Personality - 1944 (a pamphlet based on the BBC talks)
• That Hideous Strength - 1945

By the time Lewis wrote That Hideous Strength, these other writings, talks, and pamphlets all influenced it,

especially The Abolition of Man.  In fact, some have identified the theme of That Hideous Strength, as a fictional treatment of the dystopian (opposite of utopian) project to carry out The Abolition of Man.  The final chapter of The Abolition of Man describes a distant future where a small group rules the majority by rejecting any moral system in favor of their whims and their "perfect" understanding.  They surrender rationality and thus give up their humanity.  They seek to convert mankind into essentially robots, and thus destroy their humanity.

In That Hideous Strength, much of this gets reflected in the NICE (The National Institute of Coordinated Experiments), a small group who seek to control mankind, who set aside any moral system to reach this goal, and who believe their understanding justifies their whims.  Mark gets sucked into this organization, and soon takes pride in writing articles which manipulates the public to achieve the NICE's goals.  It takes him awhile to learn what a hideous organization it really is.

To oppose the NICE, Lewis draws upon not only Christianity, but the richer world of Old England - of Logres, which always stands ready to keep modern Britain from straying too far.  So Merlin appears, ready to take action on behalf of the Pendragon, a successor to Arthur.  In addition, the other main angels of the different planets, the Oyeresu (often confused with the gods of mythology), descend to earth to assist and oppose the Oyarsa of Earth, the "Bent One" (Satan), who assists and secretly guides the NICE in its destructive behavior.  These forces assemble under the leadership of Ransom at St. Anne's who has a small collection of loyal followers, including Mark's wife, Jane.  Ransom is the current Pendragon, and though his actions, or inaction, often confuse his followers, they learn he knows exactly what he is doing (since the Oyeresu instruct him).

The story begins with Mark and Jane drifting apart - apparently heading towards divorce.  It ends with their drawing together again under the influence of Venus, who descends over St. Anne's.

That Hideous Strength, written as a dystopia novel, can be difficult to follow and read.  It helps to think of other dystopian novels when reading it, such as Gulliver's Travel (1725) by Johnathan Swift, or Brave New World (1932) by Aldous Huxley.

Ch. 17 - Venus at St. Anne's

That Hideous Strength - Overview

Character List

That Hideous Strength - Ch 17 - Venus at St. Anne's

Birth of Venus - Sandro Botticelli - 1483-85

Mark gets a ride from a truck driver near St. Anne's.  But Mark takes his time because he feels shy - he's going to see Jane in her proper world, but not his - admitted out of kindness to Jane - but otherwise viewed suspiciously.  He also now saw that he assumed marriage gave him the power to take the freshness he saw in Jane.  He now understood all that must change, but how?

The ladies at St. Anne's wandered through a Wardrobe upstairs full of robes of state, and helped each other select elegant, sumptuous dresses for each other - then something shook.

Lord Feverstone tried to get back to Edgestow, only to encounter one difficulty after another, and to find everyone leaving it, since it was falling apart.  When he finally got there, he decided to leave, but couldn't.  Instead, the earth, destroyed as it was, swallowed him up.

Meanwhile, back at St. Anne's, Dimble explains to the group that Logres (Old England) has always struggled against Britain, and seeks to prod it out of its stupor.  He briefly explains its history from this perspective.  He goes on to explain how the last in a long unbroken Pendragons passed the office on to Ransom, who will soon pass it on to someone else before leaving for Avalon (where Arthur still lives by legend).

Back at Edgestow, Curry had difficulty with the train, which stopped moving, and he came to be informed that all of Bracton College had been destroyed.  Suddenly, he looked forward to being the founder of a new Bracton College, and all the prestige that would bring him.

At St. Anne's, Ransom declares Venus herself was over St. Anne's;  for Mr. Bultitude (the bear) had returned with Mrs. Bultitude, and after the Director laid hands on them, they blundered out together into the warmth and wetness of the fragrant midsummer night.  Other animals paired off in a similar manner.  Ransom, laid his hands on the Dimbles, and they went off arm in arm.  He sent Ivy off to be with her husband released from jail, Tom.  Finally he sent Jane off to be with her husband (Mark) waiting for her at the lodge.

Mark reflected on all his failings as a husband, and expected Jane to send him away.  Suddenly, he noticed someone like a woman woman divinely tall, inhumanely beautiful, opening a door for him.  He went in and found a place of sweet smells, bright fires, food and wine, and a rich bed.

Jane went into the liquid light and supernatural warmth of the garden - across the wet lawn, going down to the lodge.  She thought about what if Mark did not want her?  Then she noticed the bedroom window was open - Mark's clothes lay all over the chair, the sill, and the outside wall.  She thought it was high time she went in.

Chapter 16 - Banquet at Belbury

That Hideous Strength - Conclusion

Overview - That Hideous Strength

Character List

That Hideous Strength - Ch 16 - Banquet at Belbury

The scheduled dinner party commences at Belbury, with Jules, the figurehead Director, as the scheduled speaker, with the tramp (whom they believe to be Merlin) sitting at the high table and the interpreter priest (the real Merlin) standing behind him.

Jules begins speaking, but the Deputy Director, Withers, soon noticed that everything Jules said seemed utterly nonsensical.  He noticed the others, who usually only minimally listened to the speaker so they could laugh or applaud when customary, were all staring agog at Jules.  Withers debated whether he should interfere, but when he did, though he thought he said perfectly sensible words to calm everyone, they stared at him agog, and then panic began to set in as no one could understand anyone else - everything everyone said sounded like gibberish.

We learn that Merlin uses the power Viritrilbia (Mercury) - the master of language - gave him to confuse their speech - similar to the confusion at the Tower of Babel.  He then sneaks out of the banquet room and releases the animals the NICE confine for their experiments.  These animals find their way to the banquet room where they cause more panic, mayhem, and even death, especially at the feet of the elephant who breaks in through the front door, causing sheer terror.  In the confusion, Miss Hardcastle, the head of the NICE police, shoots Jules (the figurehead Director) who dies.  She keeps shooting again and again which furthers the wild terror.  Soon Miss Hardcastle herself turns up dead.

Mark blacked out during the commotion.  Merlin woke him with a splash of cold water in his face.  Mark noticed an empty room filled a hideous confusion of mangled people awash in food, filth, and spoiled luxury. Merlin handed him a note which informed him his wife awaited him at St. Anne's and to come quickly.  Mark went outside, Merlin struck him on the back, and Mark found himself running as never before - his legs would not stop.

Meanwhile, Withers somehow escapes the dining room.  He understands all is lost, the powers of Deep Heaven reached the Earth (Tellus) - despite the assurances of the dark Masters they could not.  He, Straik, and Filostrato went before the talking head (actually the voice of dark Masters), worshiping him.  The talking head demands a further sacrifice, to they killed Filostrato - and then demands a further sacrifice - so Withers kills Straik.  Then Mr. Bultitude (the bear) shows up, also released by Merlin, and upset at his captivity.  He kills Withers, and thus Belbury practically ends defeated in one evening.

Feverstone decides to escape Belbury by car.  However, he finds his car follows an old Roman road between Belbury and Edgestow apart from his control.

Frost, who denies everything, including his own emotions and self, goes into the room adjacent to the talking head (the voice of the dark masters).  Seeing his close companions mutilated, but denying the reality and his own emotions, he pours out petrol and lights it, killing himself and only realizing at the last moment everything he believed in was wrong.

Ch. 15 - The Descent of the Gods

Ch. 17 - Venus at St. Anne's

Overview - That Hideous Strength

Character List