The Great Divorce: Preface
Summary
Lewis opens the book by referring to “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell” by William Blake (1790’s). Jack says that the temptation to wed the two is perennial, to turn evil into good without renunciation. Instead, getting to Heaven requires that we will let go of some things: “You cannot take all luggage with you on all journeys;…If we insist on keeping Hell (or even Earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell.” However, what we must give up will ultimately have been utterly insignificant! Not only that, when we look back, Earth will be seen to be a preliminary region of either Heaven or Hell.
Jack ends by emphasizing that this story is simply a fantasy, “an imaginative supposal”, which he is using to communicate spiritual truths. It is not a strict theology of what happens to us after death.
Questions
Q1. What was the inspiration behind this book?
Q2. In what ways do you think people imagine we can wed Heaven and Hell?
Q3. From Mere Christianity, how did Lewis understand the nature of evil? How does this demonstrate the problem with trying to wed Heaven and Hell?
Q4. What does Lewis mean when he says that we can’t take all luggage on all journeys? To what is he referring when he talks about leaving behind a “right hand” or “right eye”? How does this relate to the conception of the Christian transformation described in Mere Christianity?
Q5. According to Lewis, if we go off-track, what must we do to get to our destination? If we get the wrong answer to a sum, what should we do?
Q6. What will happen if we insist on keeping Hell, or even Earth?
Q7. From where did Lewis get the idea of unbreakable matter?
Q8. Is Lewis describing what he believes the afterlife is like?