Biography Introduction of C.S.Lewis

Biography-childhoodIntroductionC.S.Lewis(29November1898-22November1963)wasaprolificwriter,poet,scholarofEnglishliteratureanddefenderofChristianity.HismostfamousbookisTheLion,theWitchandtheWardrobe,thefirstpublishedofhisChroniclesofNarnia.ThisarticleexploresmoreofLewistheman,thestorytellerandtheChristian.Lewis'schildhoodC.S.Lewis'sownaccountofhisearlyyearsreadslikealistofbooks,alongwithafewpeople,thatshapedhislife.LewiswasborninBelfastin1898,theyoungeroftwosons.HisparentsAlbertandFlorawerebothkeenreaders.Inhisautobiography,SurprisedbyJoy,Lewisdescribeshimselfasaproductoflongcorridors,emptysunlitrooms,upstairindoorsilences,atticsexploredinsolitude,distantnoisesofgurglingcisternsandpipes,andthenoiseofwindunderthetiles.Also,ofendlessbooks.BornCliveStaplesLewis,heannouncedwhenhewasthreeyearsoldthathisnamewasJack,andJackhewastofamilyandfriendsfortherestofhislife.HisolderbrotherwasWarren,nicknamedWarnie.JackLewis'schildhoodwashumdrum,prosaichappiness.HeandWarrenwereclosefriends,andwouldspendlonghoursdrawingandwritingtogether.Warren'sinterestwasintrainsandsteamships,whileJacklikeddressedanimalsandtalesofknightsandchivalry.JackdiplomaticallycombinedthemodernandmediaevalthemesintoacontinuinghistoryoftheimaginarycountryAnimal-Land,latercombinedwithWarren'skingdomofIndiaandchristenedBoxen.ChroniclingtheadventuresoftheBoxonianskeptbothbrothersoccupiedforyearstocome.Jack'sparentswereUlsterProtestantsandhegrewupbeingtakentochurcheverySunday.Hefoundtheservicesuninspiring.TheywereChristianitywiththelifeleachedoutofit:moreapoliticalstatementthanastatementoffaith;aweeklydemonstrationthattheywerenotCatholics.TheyformedinJackadistasteforChristianitythatlastedintoadulthood.NomoreoftheoldsecurityThechildren'sliveschangedafterthedeathoftheirmotherinAugust1908.Jacksaidthatallsettledhappiness,allthatwastranquilandreliable,disappearedfrommylife.HeandWarrenbecamemorereliantoneachother,buttheirrelationshipwiththeirfatherbecameincreasinglydistant.SoonafterwardsJackwassenttoaboardingschoolcalledWynyard.Theschool,whichinSurprisedbyJoyhetellinglynicknamedBelsen,wasbyallaccountsadreadfulplace.Lessonsconsistedoflearningbyroteorbeingleftwithaslateandmadetodosums.Theheadmaster,RobertOldieCapron,seemstohavebeenacruelmanwhowouldflogtheboyswithlittleprovocation.Hisneighboursbelievedhimtobeinsane.ItwasatWynyardthatJackfirsttriedtobeChristian.Hemadealistofresolutionsandtriedtoprayeachnight,butallowedhimselftobedistractedbyworriesaboutwhetherhewasprayingcorrectly.ItisclearthatAlbertLewisdidnotknowwhatlifewaslikeforhissonsatWynyard.Jackstayedthereuntiltheschoolcloseddownfromlackofpupils.Afterhalfatermatanotherschool,afterwhichhewaswithdrawnwithanillness,JackattendedaprepschoolcalledCherbourg.Herehewashappy-thanksinparttodiscoveringthemusicofRichardWagner,butalsobycomparisontoWynyard-andhisacademicstandardsquicklyimproved.Healsobegantoassociatewithwhathelaterconsideredtobebadinfluences.Warrenwasbecomingrebelliousatthesametime:heeventuallywasexpelledfromcollegeandjoinedanarmyacademy.JackwentontosecondaryschoolatMalvernCollege.TopBiography-educationNorthmenandJoyWagnermeantmoretoJackthangoodmusic.TheepicoperasoftheRingcycleintroducedhimtoNorsemythology,thebeginningofhislifelongloveof'Northernness'.ThemusicandmythologycausedmomentarybutintensefeelingsinJackthathecouldnotdescribe,andlatercalled'Joy'.HisdescriptionofJoysoundslikeadesireforanotherworld:thestab,thepang,theinconsolablelonging.JackrealisedhehadfeltJoyafewtimesbefore;heexperienceditagainintheyearsbeforehisconversiontoChristianity.JackthrewhimselfintostudyingNorsemythology,hopingtoexperienceJoyagain.ReadingandwritingabouthisNorthernmythskeptJacksustainedthroughhistimeatMalvernCollege,whichheotherwisefoundverydifficult.NorthernnessevenhelpedJacktofindhisfirstclosefriend,apartfromhisbrother.ArthurGreeveslivedneartheLewisesbuttheboyshadneverspenttimetogether.ThenonedaytowardstheendofhistimeatMalvernJackwasinvitedtovisitArthur,whowassickinbed.HespottedacopyofMythsoftheNorsemeninArthur'sbedroomandsoontheywerefirmfriends,writingtoeachotherandexchangingconfidences.MalvernwasashocktoJack.Anelitegroupofolderpupils,usuallymembersofsportsteams,ruledtheroost.TheywerecalledBloodsandwerehero-worshippedbytheyoungerboys.ABloodcouldcornerayoungerboyandmakehimdooddjobs-tea-making,boot-blacking,cleaninghissportskitorhisstudy.Thiswascalled'fagging'andJacksaiditmadehislifemiserable,comingasitdidontopofaheavyloadofschoolwork.Jackwasupset,too,byrumoursofhomosexualitybetweenpupilsatMalvern,andwroteanexaggeratedanddisapprovingchapteraboutthecollegeinSurprisedbyJoy.WarrenlatersaidthattheschoolhadnotbeenasbadasJackclaimed.Thebrothersgrewdistantforawhileasaresultofthatdisagreement.JackhadcertainlylosthisChristianfaithatthispointtoo.ThebrightspotatMalvernapartfromhisNorsemythologywasaninspirationalteachernicknamedSmugy.JackportraysSmugyastheessenceofcourtesyinthemidstofaloutishschool.HewasalsomuchtakenwithSmugy'smelodiousmethodofpoetry-reading:hetriedtoimitateithimselffromthenon.KirkpatrickandcollegeAnexaminerhadremarkedtha