Influences and Themes
Inklings
Inklings was a group of highly experienced authors, intellectuals and best of friends. They reviewed each others books, shared ideas and honed in their writing skills. Notable members being J.R.R Tolkien, (C.S, Lewis), Charles Williams and Lord David Cecil. The Inklings affected C.S. Lewis in many ways, but the most prominent way was through connections and reviews. C.S. Lewis got character ideas from the other members, he got his first books published by using the others members publishers and got his works critiqued and reviewed by the other authors.
Inklings was a group of highly experienced authors, intellectuals and best of friends. They reviewed each others books, shared ideas and honed in their writing skills. Notable members being J.R.R Tolkien, (C.S, Lewis), Charles Williams and Lord David Cecil. The Inklings affected C.S. Lewis in many ways, but the most prominent way was through connections and reviews. C.S. Lewis got character ideas from the other members, he got his first books published by using the others members publishers and got his works critiqued and reviewed by the other authors.
Death of his Mother
The death of C.S. Lewis's mother greatly influenced him. It put him into a shock and eventually caused him to renounce his original religion, Christianity. Also, because his mother was homeschooling him he had to be sent to a boarding school which was one of the worst boarding schools possible. Here the darker sides of his imagination grew, he became an Atheist and was both physically and mentally abused from this experience.
The death of C.S. Lewis's mother greatly influenced him. It put him into a shock and eventually caused him to renounce his original religion, Christianity. Also, because his mother was homeschooling him he had to be sent to a boarding school which was one of the worst boarding schools possible. Here the darker sides of his imagination grew, he became an Atheist and was both physically and mentally abused from this experience.
Beatrix Potter
A major theme in C.S. Lewis books are talking animals. In almost all of C.S. Lewis's books are talking animals. They are very prominent in The Lion and the Witch and the Wardrobe and even in Out of the Silent Planet they are one of the most important features. We see many of the main characters of these novels being animals or other mythical creatures like in Narnia Aslan is a lion and in Out of the Silent Plant there are only 3 humans actively seen in the book and the rest are different animal-like species that have their own society much like the one Lewis made as a child, Boxen.
A major theme in C.S. Lewis books are talking animals. In almost all of C.S. Lewis's books are talking animals. They are very prominent in The Lion and the Witch and the Wardrobe and even in Out of the Silent Planet they are one of the most important features. We see many of the main characters of these novels being animals or other mythical creatures like in Narnia Aslan is a lion and in Out of the Silent Plant there are only 3 humans actively seen in the book and the rest are different animal-like species that have their own society much like the one Lewis made as a child, Boxen.
Christianity
Another very common theme in C.S. Lewis's books is Christianity. The series Narnia is based around Aslan, who is a God/Jesus like figure. In Lewis's novel The Screwtape Letters it's about 2 demons (from the Christian religion) talking about how to crush one's faith. In the space trilogy C.S Lewis wrote which includes Out of the Silent Planet, he travels to space and learns more about the Christian religion, God and angels. He goes on to help save planets that need Christianity and spread the faith on earth. One can see in almost every book of C.S. Lewis allusions to Christianity, history and morality.
Another very common theme in C.S. Lewis's books is Christianity. The series Narnia is based around Aslan, who is a God/Jesus like figure. In Lewis's novel The Screwtape Letters it's about 2 demons (from the Christian religion) talking about how to crush one's faith. In the space trilogy C.S Lewis wrote which includes Out of the Silent Planet, he travels to space and learns more about the Christian religion, God and angels. He goes on to help save planets that need Christianity and spread the faith on earth. One can see in almost every book of C.S. Lewis allusions to Christianity, history and morality.
A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell. C. S. Lewis