Essay On Out Of The Silent Planet
“Out of the Silent Planet” by C.S. Lewis
Essay 1 (Character sketch)
C.S. Lewis’ Out of the Silent Planet follows the adventures of Dr. Elwin Ransom, a philogy professor at Cambridge University, who while on a walking tour of the English countryside was drugged and kidnapped by two men, Devine and Westin. He is then taken to the planet of Malacondra. Through his travels of the unknown planet, we learn that Dr. Elwin Ransom is a very intelligent man with quick response and philosophical mind.
In the first chapter of the novel, we learn that Ransom is a very well educated and intelligent man. At Cambridge he taught linguistics. This worked to his advantage, especially after escaping his captors, when he came across a civilized group …show more content…
of natives by the name of Hross. Ransom lived among the Hross for several weeks. Within that short period of time, he was able to learn their language and communicate with them. The author writes, “but the real revolution in his understanding of the Hrossa began when he had learned enough of their language to attempt some satisfaction of their curiosity about himself” (39). Not only was he able to master their language, but he was actually able to gather information from the different species and learn the entire history of Malacondra. In addition to this, Ransom learned that the Malacondrian society is made up of three distinctly different but equal species, each with different roles to play. He even came to learn and understand the religion the natives practiced. “He learned that the Hrossa were not specially concerned with the service of Oyarsa, as he had surmised from finding a Hross in charge of the ferry: all three species of hnau served him in their various capacities”(66).
Many times throughout the novel, Ransom was able to think and act quickly in times of danger. The first example of this is when he threw his backpack, without hesitation, over the locked gate of the Rise to save Harry from Devine and Westin. “Throwing off his pack, Ransom sprang down the steps of the porch, and ran round to the back of the house as quickly as his stiff and footsore condition allowed him” (4). After landing on Malacondra, Ransom's forethought and quick planning allowed him to escape his captors as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
“He had had no need to make a decision. The moment he was free he had found himself automatically darting behind his captors, then behind the space-ship and on as fast as his legs could carry him into the utterly unknown beyond it” (26).
Dr.
Elwin Ransom was also a philosophical man, occasionally drifting off into deep sessions of thought. As the spacecraft entered Malacondra’s atmosphere, Ransom thought about how space is vibrant and alive, and that the planets are actually the “dark” places among the bright heavens. “How indeed should it be otherwise, since out of this ocean the worlds and all their life had come? He had thought it barren; he saw now that it was the womb of worlds, whose blazing and innumerable offspring looked down nightly even upon the Earth with so many eyes - and here, with how many more! No: Space was the wrong name. Older thinkers had been wiser when they named it simply the heavens” (18). Another example is found when Ransom's mind leaped to thoughts of Malacondrian grammar and creating a Martian-English Dictionary, even in the midst of facing possible instant death in the hands of the Hross people. “His imagination had leaped over every fear and hope and probability of his situation to follow the dazzling project of making a Malacandrian grammar. An Introduction to the Malacandrian Language - The Lunar Verb - A Concise Martian-English Dictionary.... the titles flitted through his mind” (32). This manner of analyzing and viewing the world greatly assisted Ransom in overcoming his fears. It helped him to take the time to really think about and appreciate the beauty of his
surroundings.
Thus, Dr Elwin Ransom’s intelligence, ability to act quickly and philosophical mind were the reasons for his survival on Malacondra. These traits helped him escape his captors, travel through the strange Martian landscape, successfully learn the native language and finally reach the Oyarsa who safely returned him home to earth.
Essay 1 (Character sketch)
C.S. Lewis’ Out of the Silent Planet follows the adventures of Dr. Elwin Ransom, a philogy professor at Cambridge University, who while on a walking tour of the English countryside was drugged and kidnapped by two men, Devine and Westin. He is then taken to the planet of Malacondra. Through his travels of the unknown planet, we learn that Dr. Elwin Ransom is a very intelligent man with quick response and philosophical mind.
In the first chapter of the novel, we learn that Ransom is a very well educated and intelligent man. At Cambridge he taught linguistics. This worked to his advantage, especially after escaping his captors, when he came across a civilized group …show more content…
of natives by the name of Hross. Ransom lived among the Hross for several weeks. Within that short period of time, he was able to learn their language and communicate with them. The author writes, “but the real revolution in his understanding of the Hrossa began when he had learned enough of their language to attempt some satisfaction of their curiosity about himself” (39). Not only was he able to master their language, but he was actually able to gather information from the different species and learn the entire history of Malacondra. In addition to this, Ransom learned that the Malacondrian society is made up of three distinctly different but equal species, each with different roles to play. He even came to learn and understand the religion the natives practiced. “He learned that the Hrossa were not specially concerned with the service of Oyarsa, as he had surmised from finding a Hross in charge of the ferry: all three species of hnau served him in their various capacities”(66).
Many times throughout the novel, Ransom was able to think and act quickly in times of danger. The first example of this is when he threw his backpack, without hesitation, over the locked gate of the Rise to save Harry from Devine and Westin. “Throwing off his pack, Ransom sprang down the steps of the porch, and ran round to the back of the house as quickly as his stiff and footsore condition allowed him” (4). After landing on Malacondra, Ransom's forethought and quick planning allowed him to escape his captors as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
“He had had no need to make a decision. The moment he was free he had found himself automatically darting behind his captors, then behind the space-ship and on as fast as his legs could carry him into the utterly unknown beyond it” (26).
Dr.
Elwin Ransom was also a philosophical man, occasionally drifting off into deep sessions of thought. As the spacecraft entered Malacondra’s atmosphere, Ransom thought about how space is vibrant and alive, and that the planets are actually the “dark” places among the bright heavens. “How indeed should it be otherwise, since out of this ocean the worlds and all their life had come? He had thought it barren; he saw now that it was the womb of worlds, whose blazing and innumerable offspring looked down nightly even upon the Earth with so many eyes - and here, with how many more! No: Space was the wrong name. Older thinkers had been wiser when they named it simply the heavens” (18). Another example is found when Ransom's mind leaped to thoughts of Malacondrian grammar and creating a Martian-English Dictionary, even in the midst of facing possible instant death in the hands of the Hross people. “His imagination had leaped over every fear and hope and probability of his situation to follow the dazzling project of making a Malacandrian grammar. An Introduction to the Malacandrian Language - The Lunar Verb - A Concise Martian-English Dictionary.... the titles flitted through his mind” (32). This manner of analyzing and viewing the world greatly assisted Ransom in overcoming his fears. It helped him to take the time to really think about and appreciate the beauty of his
surroundings.
Thus, Dr Elwin Ransom’s intelligence, ability to act quickly and philosophical mind were the reasons for his survival on Malacondra. These traits helped him escape his captors, travel through the strange Martian landscape, successfully learn the native language and finally reach the Oyarsa who safely returned him home to earth.