Three Deadly Sins In C. S. Lewis The Screwtape Letter

Three of the Deadly Sins

The Screwtape Letters, written by C.S. Lewis, is comprised of the letters from a demon named Screwtape to his nephew, Wormwood. The villainous Screwtape's letters provide Woodworm with advice on how to corrupt his “patient”, a Christian. Maliciously, they use the seven deadly sins to try and convert their Christian patients. The three sins that are discussed the most are lust, gluttony, and pride. Irrefutably, these sins are ruinous to anyone who practices them.

Lust, one of the deadly sins, is viciously immoral and tempting. It is described as a strong desire for something or someone, mainly sex. In C.S. Lewis’s astounding novel, The Screwtape Letters, Screwtape explains that, “The Enemy’s demand on humans takes the form of a dilemma; either complete abstinence or unmitigated monogamy. Ever since our Father’s first great victory, we have rendered the former very difficult to them” (Lewis 93). Basically, this means that due to our own sexual desires, we have purposefully ignored God’s demand that we stay chaste and faithful. Lust is about getting the personal satisfaction of what you want while ignoring the feelings of others, which can lead to destroyed relationships.

Screwtape, the protagonist, describes the vices of gluttony here, “But what do quantities matter, provided we can use a human belly and palate to produce querulousness, impatience, uncharitableness, and self-concern?” (87). This means that it does not matter whether you eat modestly or a lot. Truthfully, what matters is becoming so obsessed with how much you are eating that it starts to lead to health problems such as anorexia or obesity. Evidently, gluttony can be incredibly disastrous and harmful towards your wellbeing depending on whether you are eating far too much or too