Screwtape Analysis Final Draft

The Screwtape Letters Analysis

People of the world may face a whole variety of temptations throughout their lifetimes. Although some people may surpass the temptations safely, others fall for them, taking a step in the wrong conduit. This leads to the basis for the following of sinful enticements - trough periods. C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters clearly demonstrates the significance of the trough periods and how the trough periods cause others to become vulnerable to sinful behaviors. Trough periods are the spiritual or emotional lows in people’s lives, which makes them enormous contributors to the man's walk with sinful temptations. A few quotes from the book clearly support the idea on the trough periods.

The first quote is found in chapter nine, "In the first place I have always found that trough periods of the human undulation provide excellent opportunity for all sensual temptations, particularly those of sex" (Lewis 43). This quote obviously hits the thought on trough periods right on the mark! As a person descends into a depression of some sort in his life, he becomes more susceptible to the temptations of Satan. Satan will then slowly corrupt and direct him in the wrong direction, leading him on the course of indulgence. These concepts support the next quote in the book.

The second quote is also found in chapter nine, "And the troughs are the time for beginning the process" (Lewis 45). Satan and his demons use the trough periods as the time to plant the seed of transgression in a man's soul. The seed symbolizes the "beginning processes" of the demons temptations; and the trough periods act like an actual trough in a garden which nurtures the seed of transgression, eventually growing into a large plant. Furthermore, the plant of sin in the man's soul will then cause sinful thoughts and behaviors.

The third and final quote is found in chapter eight, "Now it may surprise you to learn that in His efforts to get permanent possession of a soul, He relies on the troughs even more than on the peaks..." (Lewis 38). The quote, being similar to the first quote, relies heavily on the fact that the eternity of the soul can depend greatly on the outcome of the trough periods. Through this, it means that the devil is actually searching for victims in their trough periods so that he can tempt them and claim their souls permanently.

Lewis' The Screwtape Letters lucidly exhibits how the trough periods promote sinful temptations. The trough periods can be such a dangerous portion of a person's life. Being vulnerable to evil temptations during these times, people need to ultimately call upon the Lord for His guidance.

Works Cited

Lewis, C. S. The Screwtape Letters: with Screwtape Proposes a Toast. New York: HarperOne, 1942. 38-45. Print.