On recent essays

On Myth and Myth Became Fact was made more meaningful to me by the class discussion we had this afternoon. I have always considered myth to mean an untrue story. A tale, fable, yarn, etc. Lewis clearly believes that a myth is more than just some generic false story. First, it can be true. Second, it must affect the reader in a profound, universal way.

Learning in War Time is a very relevant essay, even in our time. We are not at war, but I have often been put in the situation where I had to justify why I could manage to continue my daily life even in severe crisis. This gives a very good set of answers to that problem. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I also wonder at times, "Is it worth it to invest in life insurance when the second coming could happen before I can cash it in?" This might even apply to that question.

The Few and the Many clearly reveal Lewis' attitude toward reading, and explains why his life revolved around it. I find myself on the "many" side of his discussion, being one of the many who reads when there is little else to do. I enjoy reading, but more often than not I enjoy other activities more. Rarely do I put a book down for the 20th or 30th time, having absorbed into my soul the content of any book. I am happy for those who find reading so fulfilling though.

On the Reading of Old Books contains an excellent argument for reading old books in order to keep a steady course amidst the ever changing winds of doctrine of our day. They Asked for a Paper (De Descriptione Temporum) seems to work with the aforementioned essay as it seems to defend the position of antique peoples and ideas. Lewis asks the question, "Why does 'latest' in advertisements mean 'best'?" Advertisement here I think can mean more than just trying to sell things for profit. It may also apply to persuasive ideas. Finally, Epilogue to An Experiment in Criticism seems also to fit this concept somewhat. It doesn't target old books so much as just reading in general. I don't know what the content of the essay has to do with "criticism", but the essay promotes the idea of seeing the world through hundreds of eyes rather than just your own. From all three of these articles, Lewis clearly believes it profitable and apparently has time to read hundreds or thousands of books, and many of them 20 or 30 times over.

In Christianity and Literature Lewis took two pages to say what he was not going to say for the rest of the essay. Sheesh. Although he uses Greek words fairly frequently in this essay, I did not find it especially difficult to understand. I did feel like I was wading through some fancy phrasings here and there though. He seems to be saying that all creativity comes from God. That we should not attempt to be or believe that we can be creative in and of ourselves. I disbelieve that. I believe God certainly can and does inspire us, but I believe we have intelligence of our own as well, and that God wants us to use it.