Cs Lewis Analysis

C.S Lewis Prose Commentary

This passage from c.c lewis conforms to the style of fictional writing. The protagonist portrays a stressed atmosphere, using strong diction which subsequently catches the readers attention, drawing their attention further into the story.

In this extract, lewis uses rhetorical devices such as questioning himself, imagery and in which person the author conveys his message. "at last i came to the crossroads by ... I ought to be seeing the lights... My watch had stopped, and i didn't know... I was afraid of, you understand. ... I did not like. ..." in the first paragraph, it can be noticed that this is a 1st person narrative text, as shown above. The author is describing a scene as a memory, as something that
happened to him personally. And this happens again throughout the text. Being a first person narrative, this would suggest that the author is a character in the text, which in return, implies that the whole text is conveyed from an unambiguous perspective. This would mean that we only see the point of view of the narrator, which could mean the account may not be trustworthy as the character already seems to present some mental issues, in his hallucinations. The paranoia with which the protagonist assesses their surroundings makes one question the authors reliability as a narrator.

"At last i came to the crossroads by the little chapel where i had to turn to the left under the beech trees.
I ought to be seeing the lights from ransom's windows by now... It was dark enough but that might be due to the fog and the trees. ... The black enmity of those dripping trees. ..." still from the first paragraph, not only the type of narrative the text is may be denoted but the reader also becomes aware of setting. When he says "... I ought to be seeing the lights from ransom's windows by now..." gives the impression to the reader that the character is in a road few miles away from his destination. The implication of chapel and beech trees gives an impression to the reader that this passage takes place in the countryside. It also connotes that this is at the end of the day, when the author again mentions it is getting dark. Giving this description right in the beginning of the text gives successful introduction, immediately setting the eerie and gothic like tone that continues to develop through out this
passage.

This gothic tone is emphasized through the state of mind of the protagonist as he makes his way to a friend's house by having focused on the narrator's situation and his surrounding.
The extract is full of suspense and anxiety which lewis has tries to capture through his use of dark and perturbed imagery and characterization. The evident tension is created by lewis' use of diction such as 'drumming', 'shouting' and 'slam' as they represent sudden loud noises, ultimately creating tension. The passage is extremely effective, confusing the reader, as the reader cannot interpret what is going to happen next. The author's use of caps and flashback in the narration helps to convey the inevitable terror and fear the protagonist feels. The choice of words used by the author also plays a major hand in creating and maintaining the tension throughout the excerpt. The theme that stands out the most to the reader is the theme of self-questioning and self-doubt. The author's choice of words helps in creating an apprehensive atmosphere in the extract. Vivid feelings of dementia and fear have been expressed by the protagonist, which has helped in successfully creating the mood and tone for the setting. Lewis continues to add to the idea the protagonists character is not entirely stable by jumping from different attitudes. He is rational, as well as, irrational. The part of him that is valorous and composed seems to come to indifferently perceive that insanity is, in fact self evident to
those that are affected by it. 'Suppose that real insanity has chosen this place to begin?' however he feels no pity for himself suggesting the mind of someone with no physciatric issues. The protagonist is so deep into his fear and the fact that he is hallucinating, his reason couldn't persuade him to think otherwise. According to his disenchanted sense, its only mad people who perceive the world the way it is because what he is being exposed to has to be fanciful. In those moments of madness and fear, what according to the narrator seems to be a justified reason 'it was the expression of this bit of the road which i don't like' is a completely irrelevant and irrational point. The engagement between the dual thoughts of the narrator evokes empathy and insight into the narrators mind when as he says, ' we have all known times'

In this passage, where it is assumed the setting is during world war ii, hence the referral to ‘black out’ human instinct and natural fear kicks into the protagonist as he is overcome by anxiety.. The narrative voice in this extract makes it apparent to the reader that the protagonist is truly frightened as he is talking to himself for reassurance. The setting also provided an uneasy environment for the central character to be in; although trees and darkness should not generate such apprehension, lewis uses it in such a way to create the irrational fear that the man is feeling. Syntax plays an important role in the character's actions.

Short sentences create a heartbeat effect as he goes through his actions one by one. Through these means, c.s lewis demonstrates that the perfectly sane, can have and irrational fears and actions. C.s lewis creates tension by his use of diction, emphasizing the protagonist's current nervousness. As the central character approaches the door of the apparently empty house, tension is heightened as he was 'drumming on the door', 'wringing at the handle and 'shouting to him [ransom]' to let him in. These pulsating disyllabic words create an on the edge atmosphere as the words represent a rapidly accelerating heartbeat, showing that the character is terribly nervous and worried. Lewis has created an instance where a reasonable man turns into a frantic, shelter-seeking refugee who is acting like a murderer is hot on his tails. This shows that sometimes, a human's instinct and natural fear can take complete involuntary control over the mind and body, leading to moments of hasty movements.

Lewis successfully creates a sense of tension through diction and structure. As the prose has an interactive nature, in the form of rhetotical questions and emotive language to enforce empathy the author has succesfully displayed a prose to which a reader can relate to. Ultimatley the style of the extract creates a dark and eerie atmosphere which is brought about simply through the mind of the narrator, showing the fear expressed in this passage is entirely created by the protaganist himself.