The Great Divorce

• Genre: Fiction; Christian Allegory; Fantasy
• Originally Published: 1945
• Reading Level/Interest: College/Adult
• Structure/Length: Approximately 160 pages; approximately 3 hours and 22 minutes on audiobook
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The narrative is a dream sequence told from the perspective of an unnamed narrator who finds himself in a grey, joyless town (representing Hell or Purgatory) and takes a bus journey to a bright, solid country (Heaven). The central conflict revolves around the various characters embracing or rejecting the invitation to Heaven, alongside themes of sin, redemption, and the nature of human desires in relation to divine grace.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Religious themes and allegory; discussions of morality and sin; philosophical explorations of Christian theology

C. S. Lewis, Author

• Bio: Born in 1898; died in 1963; British writer and scholar; known for his works on Christian apologetics as well as his fantasy and science fiction novels; was a prolific writer whose works have had a significant impact on both religious and literary fields.
• Other Works: The Chronicles of Narnia series (1950-1956); Mere Christianity (1952); The Screwtape Letters (1942); The Space Trilogy series, including Out of the Silent Planet (1938), Perelandra (1943), and That Hideous Strength (1945)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• The Necessity of Death for Salvation
• Grace Versus Good Works
• Humankind’s Capacity for Self-Deception

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Deepen understanding of genre elements and theological concepts to contextualize the text and increase understanding of the novel’s structure, conflict, and themes.
• Through paired texts, analyze, compare, and discuss textual elements such as allusion, language, theme, conflict, and character development.
• Discuss and analyze textual elements such as symbolism, motif, characterization, and structure, and construct essay responses tying these elements to the novel’s themes of The Necessity of Death for Salvation, Grace Versus Good Works, and Humankind’s Capacity for Self-Deception.
• Create an original narrative continuation of the story that explores the impact of the philosophical journey on the narrator’s waking actions and the impact of sharing this dream with others.