C. S. Lewis presents remarkable ways that different topics and arguments can coincide with each other and make complete connections with the purpose of his book Mere Christianity. After reading Mere Christianity it became apparent that his use of rhetorical devices is unlike any other. He has the ability to portray his arguments in a way that his readers could understand. This quality is quite impressive and every writer, who is trying to persuade, can definitely look upon his work to see a glimpse of what great persuasive piece of writing looks like.
C.S. Lewis, a christian apologist writer wrote Mere Christianity in the nineteen-forties during world war two. Lewis wrote Mere Christianity in attempt to bring together a “common ground” of truths for the core of the Catholic Church’s beliefs. Mere Christianity shows readers logical ways of understanding the Catholic faith and he is presenting this central idea to help comprehend such ideas. The preface of Lewis’s Mere Christianity sets forth his ideas and arguments. Lewis is trying to convince readers his argument is credible and trustworthy, he is trying to get readers to understand his positioning and he is trying to give a sense of clarity. The preface shows Lewis’ goals when writing this argument; it shows how Lewis wanted so badly to express Christian unity no
When Jane meets Helen at Lowood school, Jane is amazed and confused at Helen’s ability to tolerate the abuse directed at her by the teachers. Both Helen and Jane struggle at the school however, Helen and Jane endure the mistreatment from the teachers individually. “I heard her with wonder: I could not comprehend this doctrine of endurance” (Brontë 6). Jane refuses to conform to the teachers complaints, her free
In making the argument for the existence of the Law of Human Nature, C.S. Lewis first establishes the acknowledgement of a few different universal laws that man in subjected to. There is the law of gravity, in which Lewis insinuates that in the eyes of gravity, the body of man and a mere stone are one and the same. Then there are biological laws that correspond with those than an animal has. However, the one law that is specific to man and that man is free to disobey or get “mistaken”, is the “Law of Nature or decent behavior” (Lewis). C.S. Lewis uses inductive reasoning to form this kind of logic by first making the observation that even though throughout time man has seemed to have had different agreements of what they believe to be moral,
Imprisonment and constraint, can be felt in many different scenarios in the passage from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. However, we get these two feelings with a girl who is portrayed as an orphan in this chapter. When being an orphan many feelings can run through a person’s mind, for example abandonment and not feeling loved, or being/feeling trapped. The feeling of imprisonment and constraint in this chapter is expressed through the use of imagery and diction.
Wilbur does so with comforting and childlike rhyme scheme and tone with personification to ease the child’s thoughts. This leaves the child to not dream of “some small thing in a claw/ borne up to some dark branch and eaten raw.” The poem successfully calms the child’s worries and relieves their curiosity. Collins, on the other hand, ironically portrays the teacher as protecting the children’s innocence when he later implies that they had already lost it. He is shielding them from real world events that every child should learn in school. Feeding them more ignorance is does not protect their innocence, for children go to school to learn. This poem is a perfect example of how education allows students to be taught about the past and learn from what happened in history to better live in the future. With education comes wisdom and if the students were taught the real stories, they would not have been “messing up [other kids’] hair and breaking their glasses.” Though each poems strides to protect, both are filled with comforting lies that will sooner or later be confronted by the
In the introductory chapter of Why College Matters to God, the author focused on what a worldview is and why it is important in a Christian college setting. According to the author, “A worldview is a framework of ideas, values, and beliefs about the basic makeup of the world.” One point made was that worldviews are more about actions, not just beliefs. It is something that affects how we perceive everything in this world. Our worldview is “pre-rational and instinctive.” This means that we make decision based on our worldview without even being aware of its effect on us. Everyday we look at the world through the lenses of our worldview. Often we are unaware of how it shapes our perspective, but that does not mean it is non-existent. The author argues that our Christian worldview should always be open for revision as we encounter new people, ideas, and experiences. We should learn to use a pencil more often than a pen when deciding what we believe.
We will analyse, in this essay, the differences as well as the similarities which exist between Jane Eyre and Incidents in the life of a slave girl written by herself. We will see that they differ in terms of genre, the period of history in which they find themselves, the way the characters are presented and so forth. However, they share some of the main values concerning womanhood, race and some other aspects of life which they both treat in different ways and yet they do so in a specific aim.
Mythology reveals details about the social, religious, and philosophical beliefs of early civilizations. Myths also expose flaws of human nature. Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold reveals that it is easier to accept a distorted sense of self and reality rather than face the truth. Orual insists that her struggles are caused by the gods, but in the last section of the novel, the main character, also the narrator, reveals the role she plays in her own painful journey. The protagonist finally “faces” some difficult truths, and holds herself accountable for the hardships she causes or endures. While it is often said that “ignorance is bliss” (Gray), Lewis illustrates through the narrative perspective, epiphany and symbolism that sometimes an
Oftentimes, minor characters help to reveal a theme or contribute to the characterization of the protagonist. In the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Helen Burns serves as a foil character to the protagonist, Jane Eyre. Throughout the novel, Helen’s docile and pious nature helps to emphasize Jane’s development from a passionate girl to a modest woman. Helen’s theological beliefs also allow her to serve as a foil character to Mr. Brocklehurst, the headmaster of Lowood Institution, and St John Rivers, a zealous missionary, in order to reveal how Christianity is used to control Jane. Compared to the male characters in the novel, Helen’s positive use of religion proves to be more effective in encouraging Jane to adopt Christian values. The
Bronte 's Jane Eyre transcends the genres of literature to depict the emotional and character development of its protagonist. Although no overall genre dominates the novel exclusively, the vivid use of setting contributes towards the portrayal of Bronte’s bildungsroman (Realisms, 92) and defines the protagonist’s struggles as she grapples with her inner-self, and the social expectations of her gender.
C.S. Lewis is known as one of the most influential Christian writers ever. What many do not know is he was once an atheist at one point in his life. Atheism is a belief that there is no God or gods; Christianity is the exact opposite. Christianity is the belief in the one, true God, and remembering his son, Jesus, came to die on the cross for our sins. Lewis describes a Christian as one striving to be more like Christ and allowing Him to completely take over our lives for the better. Lewis had several atheistic views until converting to Christianity. He being an atheist gave him more knowledge when supporting his current beliefs of Christianity. On September 19,
A higher education pushes individuals to think, question and explore new and valuable ideas. An excellent education teaches students how to credibly think and prioritise when learning. David Wallace, who gave the Kenyon commencement speech, quoted, “[Learning how to think] means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience”. In his speech, Wallace is endorsing the idea that a higher education doesn't just throw knowledge at students, but it teaches them how to selectively compose their thoughts and construct a meaning from knowledge. Wallace also makes the point that individuals need to learn to adjust their “natural default setting” to become less self-centered.
Romans 14:1 says “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him.” Charles Colson was weak in faith for the majority of his life. He didn’t accept Christ into his life until he was facing arrest, an a close friend gave him a copy of C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity. Colson was a special counsel to President Richard Nixon. He did much of the dirty work for the President and gained the name “Hatchet Man.”
With Charlotte Brontë’s father being a clergyman and member of the Church, Charlotte Brontë, as well as her sisters have been in constant contact with religion throughout their whole lives. Even though her father gave Charlotte relative freedom in developing her own ideas and beliefs, religion was an important factor in Charlotte Brontë’s life nevertheless. Through Jane Eyre Charlotte Brontë expresses several issues of Victorian Britain, such as gender equality or the class system but religion is a reoccurring and omnipresent subject in Jane Eyre. Throughout the whole novel Jane is confronted with religious characters such as Mr Brocklehurst, Helen Burns and St. John Rivers. Those characters all represent three vastly different variations of Christian faith in the Victorian Era. Over the course of Jane’s journey, she struggles with her own Christian faith in God and beliefs as well as with the approaches to religion the characters Mr Brocklehurst, Helen Burns and St. John Rivers have chosen.