“Logic will get you from A to B, but imagination will take you everywhere,” said Albert Einstein. When Clive Staples Lewis was a teenager, he had thought of a faun carrying an umbrella and parcels, walking through a snow- covered forest. This boy grew up and became the author of that story that became famously well-known. C.S. Lewis overcame childhood adversities to become a famous author and Christian apologist who used imagination and logic to present his faith to the world. He was a Christian, and he had a strong faith and belief in God. Clive Staples Lewis, the most well-known author of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was admirable not only because he was a good writer and a true Christian, but also because he stood up for his belief and used his talent to share his belief.
Lewis’s childhood started with happiness and with hope. However, an unexpected thing happened to him and he had to overcome many hardships. Albert Lewis married Flora Lewis, and on November 29, 1898, in Belfast, Ireland, Flora Lewis gave birth to a child named Clive Staples Lewis (Coren 125; Coren 6). Lewis was a second child. He had a brother who was three years older named Warren Hamilton Lewis. Warren later became the author of The Splendid Century (Davenport 21, McGovern par. 2). When Lewis was young, he told his family to call him Jack so everyone in his family usually called him Jack (Bloom 35). Lewis lived happily with his family until he became ten years old. When Lewis was almost ten years old, on Albert Lewis’s birthday, August 23, 1908, Lewis’s mother died because of cancer (Davenport 29). He could not believe that the closest member of his family passed away and it was hard for little boy to understand his mom’s death (Coren 12). Lewis lost his mother at a young age and he had to overcome all the hard times. By overcoming this adversity, though, Lewis became a strong and determined person.
C. S. Lewis’ school years were sometimes difficult, but during this time he was developing his admirable view of God. Due to Lewis’s father’s plan to educate his sons in a better environment, he decided to send Lewis and his brother to boarding school. At that time period, it was common that Irish boys moved to England for their education (Bloom 33). In 1908, Lewis and his brother were sent to the boarding school Wynyard House in England after his mother died (Coren 12). However, both boys hated Wynyard House so much and wanted to be removed from the school (Coren 125). Lewis hated his school and he said that his school days were the unhappiest period of his life (Bloom 35). He stated that the only thing his school benefited him was that they helped him to embrace Christianity (Coren 12). Lewis kept persuading his father and his father decided to remove him from the boarding school. Lewis and his brother had been in the boarding school for two years. Since Lewis was removed from the school, his father Albert Lewis placed him with a tutor named W.T Kirkpatrick (Bloom 35). Lewis’s father wanted him to enter Oxford University and he was tutored for the Oxford entrance examinations (Bloom 35). Despite of mother’s death and the difficult time in the boarding school, Lewis embraced Christianity and he was steadfast and determined.
Clive Lewis had passion with studying and he worked hard to achieve his goal. He is admirable because despite of all the adversities he did not give up. Lewis studied with his tutor and he could achieve the goal which was entering the Oxford University. W. T Kirkpatrick taught Lewis well and he won a scholarship at Oxford (Bloom 36). He entered Oxford in 1917, but in the same year he joined the army and was stationed in France, because of World War II (McGovern par. 2). Two years later, he returned to Oxford and continued his studies (Lewis par. 5). Lewis focused on literature and philosophy at Oxford University and he spent most of the time on studying and reading until he graduated (Davenport 54). Lewis studied hard in the university and he continued writing and reading. He was a hard worker and his studies in the Oxford prepared him for the future.
Even though, Lewis was a student and spent most time on studying, he kept good relationship with God. As he studied more and more about literature and also philosophy, he knew what he wanted to do and get more involved in writing activities. In 1939, Lewis and also his brother involved in the club named Inklings. Inklings club was a literature club and all the members of the club shared their writing and thoughts together. This club activity helped Lewis to expand his thoughts and to improve his writing and thinking skills (Coren 45). Inklings club, the literary societies in Oxford was important to him and it was helpful for him (Bloom 39). Entering the Oxford and joining the Inklings club prepared him for his career and other jobs. He loved writing and reading, but at the same time he also loved God and had strong faith in Him.
Lewis stood up for his belief and he used his passion of writing to share his belief. He had a strong faith and had a talent in writing. He wanted to share and spread his belief by writing. Lewis always spent his time on reading, writing, and talking about his reading and writing. He loved writing and he wrote theological works, children stories, interplanetary novels and poetry as a hobby (Bloom 39). He was the prolific author of fiction and nonfiction. He wrote many famous books like Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Chronicles of Narnia books (Lewis par. 6). He started as a hobby but later years he became a famous author who shared gospel and showed his belief through his books. He became an admirable messenger who sent God’s message to the people.
Lewis did not only believe in God but he shared his faith and had a good effect on others, also on his family. While Lewis was writing and teaching students, he met Joy Davidman. Joy had married before she met Lewis, but she was unhappy with her marriage. In 1942, Joy Davidman first married William Lindsey Gresham, who was an author and they had two sons named Douglas Gresham and David Gresham. However, William Gresham was alcoholic and Joy Gresham was unsatisfied with her marriage and divorced her husband in 1954 (Joy par.1). Joy Davidman liked writing and in 1934, while she was studying at Hunter College, she won a short story prize. Also when she turned to 25 years old, she published a novel (Davenport 82). Joy and Lewis both enjoyed writing and because they had the same interests they fell in love with each other. Joy Davidman first met Lewis through his religious writing and also in Cambridge University. She was an English teacher in 1954, while Lewis was a literature professor at Cambridge University in 1954 (Davenport 87). Lewis loved Joy and also her two sons. They loved each other so much, and decided to get married. On April 23, 1956, Lewis married Joy Gresham in a civil ceremony at the Oxford Registry Office and they went to Wales and Ireland for their honeymoon (Coren 127). After they married, Joy became a Christian through Lewis’s influence (Lewis par. 4). Joy died because of cancer in 1960 three years before Lewis died. C.S. Lewis was a good person to his family as a husband and also as a father so that he influenced Joy to become a Christian.
Lewis said, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” Lewis was an outgoing person. He knew what he was good at but he did not rely on his talent. He kept develop his talent and also used his talent to achieve his own goal which was publishing books. He used and developed his talent by teaching students at the University. After Lewis graduated from Oxford University, he worked at Oxford as a teacher. In 1924 to 1954, he was a tutor and a lecturer at Oxford and he was also elected as a fellowship in English language and literature (Lewis 13; Bloom 38). After he finished working at Oxford University, he transferred to Magdalena College and Cambridge University and worked as a professor of Medieval Renaissance English until 1963 (Lewis 14). Many people said that Lewis was a demanding tutor and superb lecturer (McGovern par. 3). Lewis spent most of his life teaching students in the University. He always tried best on everything and used his talent in many ways with passion.
C.S. Lewis had a dream and it was always in his heart, his belief never changed. While he was teaching students, he did not stop writing stories. Lewis had a strong view of a children’s book and he published his first children’s book called The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (McGovern 17; Coren 68). He thought, the best stories for the young people should appeal to their parents as well and he tried to make more than one point when he was writing (Coren 70). The Chronicles of Narnia, Lewis’ most famous books, presented Biblical concepts. These books were not the same as ordinary children’s books, they have a deeper meaning behind the fairy tale children’s story. Lewis’ Narnia book series tells children about darkness and light, right beating wrong, and hope, and goodness (Curley par. 1; Coren 70). Aslan, a huge lion in the story sacrifices his life for one of the human children which represents Jesus in the Bible (McGovern par. 17). Lewis wrote stories and literature that justify the belief in Christianity. Due to Lewis’s novels, he received respect and admiration (McGovern par. 24). He had received many awards such as Carnegie Medal and Israel Gollancz Award and also New York Times evaluated his novels as a good (Bloom 38; McGovern par. 24). He had a talent in writing, and he used it to stand up for his belief. Lewis is admirable for his many novels and books that demonstrate the he knew what God wanted him to do.
Clive Lewis was a true Christian and he achieved what he wanted to do. He stood up for his belief and he was determined. He wanted to share his belief and faith through his writings and he did it. His life ended on November 22, in 1963 when President Kennedy was assassinated (Bloom 46). He died in Kilns, Headington, where he lived for about thirty years and his main home for the rest of his life (Coren 38; Coren 39). Lewis died because of heart attack and kidney disease (Bloom 46). He is considered as an admirable person because his life could motivate other people. He had faith in his belief and shared it to other people by using his talent which is writing.
Clive Staples Lewis had a strong belief in God and he spread his belief by writing novels which was his talent. He had some hard times when he was a child. His mom died when he was almost ten years old, and he sent to the boarding school which he hated so much. He might want to give up everything because his mother passed away and he was having a difficult time at the boarding school. However, Lewis never gave up and he overcame all the adversities with a strong faith of his belief. He believed in God, and he stood up for his faith. He wanted to share his belief and to make other people have the same belief as him. He is admirable because he stood up for his belief and shared that belief with using his talent which was writing.