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1-Page Summary of The Screwtape Letters

Overall Summary

This is an epistolary novel, written in the form of a series of letters. The letters are from Screwtape, a senior devil to Wormwood, who’s trying to tempt his human soul.

In the letters, it is explained how a person may be led to give up virtue and true spirituality in favor of corruption, vice, and deadly sins.

The story follows the main character, a young man who is led astray by the devil. After he becomes a Christian and breaks away from his friends, he falls in love with a girl from a good Christian family.

Throughout the book, Screwtape focuses on human thoughts and feelings. He explains how they can be manipulated by devils, who encourage malice and hatred towards others, pride in one’s self, distracted religious observances. God encourages free will, love of neighbors and genuine faith.

We can also look at the parallel story of World War II and its effects on this young man.

Towards the end of the story, a young man has an experience when he’s in his house and sees it being destroyed by bombs. He then realizes that life is more than just material things. Thus, when he dies during an air raid, his soul goes to heaven while the devils are left frustrated because they lose him forever.

Preface

Lewis gives the reader some advice about how to interpret this book. He states that they should remember that Screwtape is a liar and not take what he says at face value, especially when it comes to describing the characters in this story.

Chapter 1

This is an epistolary novel, a book written in the form of letters. In this case, we only get to see Screwtape’s side of the correspondence. Wormwood has been assigned by his senior to tempt a human being and win him over for the devil’s camp. The first letter begins with basic advice on how to do that: encourage your “patient” (the person you’re trying to corrupt) not to think about religion or anything else that might lead him away from temptation.

Chapter 2

Screwtape is frustrated that Wormwood’s patient has become a Christian and now feels he can’t be influenced by his uncle. Screwtape hopes the man will see things differently if he becomes disillusioned with churchgoers or their actions. If the man judges his fellow Christians poorly, then it could affect him negatively.

Chapter 3

In this chapter, the author introduces a character named Mother. She is an older lady with rheumatism and her son prays for her health to improve. The devil sees an opportunity in this situation by manipulating the young man’s mind into thinking that his mother is not real, or that she doesn’t care about him anymore because of her illness.

Chapter 4

The chapter focuses on the devil’s interpretation of prayer. The devil encourages his apprentice to get people who pray to focus on God as an objectified entity, rather than having a more direct sense of “the person who has made him”.

Chapter 5

The young man’s life is about to change. World War II has begun, and the young man is unsure whether he will be called for battle. Wormwood is excited at the prospect of war and destruction.

Screwtape scolds Wormwood for not being more creative in his approach to tempting the man. He tells him that people who are going through a war will often turn to God, the Enemy. Screwtape prefers the more mundane scenario of people dying in costly nursing homes amid lies from doctors, nurses and friends promising life to those who are dying while encouraging indulgences among them.

Chapter 6

The devil advises his nephew not to rely on the man’s hatred of Germans, but rather focus his malice on those he meets every day.