Perelandra Essay, Research Paper

By Samuel Budani

In the novel Perelandra, by C.S. Lewis, Satan tried to tempt the untainted and sinless

world of Perelandra. Satan wanted to put his foot-hold in this holy world, but the

characters endured Satan s temptations, and came out victorious in the end. Satan s

temptations not only occur in Perelandra, but transpire universally in all humanity.

Satan took control of the body of a middle-aged man named Weston. Satan then

came to be called the Un-man and tried to tempt the Green Lady, the queen of

Perelandra, to disobey Maleldil s commandments about the Fixed Land. The Green Lady

new that she was forbidden to dwell on the Fixed Land. (Per. 103). But the Green Lady

never really understood why she was not allowed to dwell on the Fixed Land, except that

Maleldil had commanded not to. The Un-man deceives the Green Lady by asking her

why Maleldil has not forbid her to think about dwelling on the Fixed Land. (Per. 104).

The Green Lady did not understand a great number of things, and the Un-man could see

that it had a chance

The Un-man said that Maleldil has not told the Green Lady of a great number of

things, and by learning things not straight from Maleldil, but by other people, thoughts,

and questions, shall make her older, wiser, and independent. He is making you

older-making you to learn things not straight from Him but by your own meetings with

other people and your own questions and thoughts. (Per. 105). The Un-man said that the

King would love her more if she was the older and the wiser of the two. The Un-man said

that the women of earth are independent and did not need to wait for Maleldil to tell

them what is good, but they themselves know good from evil. These women of earth are

considered little Maleldils. (Per. 106). And because of their wisdom, their beauty is as

much greater than yours.. (Per. 106). The Un-man says that the women of earth are

much more beautiful than her because of their wisdom, and says that the King would love

her more if she was beautiful like the women of earth. And because of their beauty the

love which the men have for them is as much greater than the King s love for you…

(Per. 106). The Green Lady is tempted by beauty, and wishes that she could see the

women of earth and be as beautiful and as wise as they are.

Everyday the Un-man talked to the Green Lady and told her stories or told

her poetry. Everyday the Un-man was getting one step closer, and temptation was

growing stronger. There became a slight change in her face that was not of sorrow nor

confusion but uncertainty, and her reflection had revealed that the Un-man had an affect

on her. It was not sad, nor deeply bewildered, but the hint of something precarious had

increased. (Per. 113).

Ransom, an ordinary middle-aged man also, was sent by Maleldil to Perelandra.

While on Perelandra, Ransom also was tempted by Satan, or otherwise known as the

Un-man. Ransom saw that the Un-man needed to be stopped some how, before the Green

Lady dwelt on the Fixed Land, and disobeyed Maleldil. But Ransom had his share of

doubts and temptations. Slowly his faith in Maleldil started to fade away and he became

to feel abandoned. He was not quite sure that he would live. (Per. 111). The Un-man

tortured and tormented Ransom by repeating his name over and over again perhaps

thousands of times. Ransom…Ransom…Ransom…Ransom… (Per. 124). But Ransom

keeps his mind on some how stopping the Green Lady from disobeying Maleldil.

The whole time Ransom was trying to explain to the Green Lady that what the

Un-man is telling her is wrong and not to listen to it. But the Green Lady does not have

the understanding of great number of words, but the Un-man explains to the Green Lady

that Ransom is trying to keep her young and ignorant. The Un-man also explains to her

that she is becoming independent, and that is what Maleldil wants. It is saying that

Maleldil has let everything happen the way it is so that she would grow old, wise, and

independent. You are becoming your own. That is what Maleldil wants you to do. That

is why He has let you be separated from the King and even, in a way, from Himself..

The Un-man tells the Green Lady that Maleldil longs for her to break a commandment

just once, and He is just testing her to see if she would become independent and older. A

real disobeying, a real branching out, that is what He secretly longs for: secretly, because

to tell you would spoil all. (Per. 116).

Vanity is thought to the Green Lady by the Un-man when she wears clothing

made out of feathers and looks at herself in a mirror. She appeared to Ransom for a

moment as a women whom an earth-born man might conceivably love. (Per. 135).

When she looked in the mirror at herself, for the first time she showed emotion, and had

experienced fear itself. She got use to looking in the mirror, and enjoyed seeing how

beautiful she was. The Un-man was one step closer now and its aim was to the external

beauty of the Green Lady. He was making her mind a theatre in which that phantom self

should hold the stage. He had already written the play. (Per. 139).

Ransom began questioning Maleldil and His powers. Why did no miracle

come? (Per. 140). He could not understand why Maleldil could not be in person just as

the Enemy was in person. Not for the first time he found himself questioning Divine

Justice. (Per. 140). The Un-man asks Ransom do you think that you can fight with me?

You think He will help you, perhaps? (Per. 153). The Un-man tests Ransom s beliefs,

and questions to see how much faith he had in Maleldil.

Ransom stands strong in his faith in Maleldil, and after a long and almost

never-ending battle, he defeats the Un-man and the powers of evil over Perelandra are

destroyed. The Green Lady said that her mind was cleared (Per. 208) when Ransom

had defeated the Un-man. Her eyes were opened and she now understood things that she

had not known before, because Maleldil had put the knowledge of good and evil into the

minds of both the King and Queen.

These temptations experienced by the Green Lady and by Ransom also occur

universally in nature. Humans, both good and evil, are tempted many times throughout

life. Ever since sin had entered earth, by Eve being tempted by the serpent at the Garden

of Eden, sin and temptation have been apart of a human s everyday lifestyle. But as

Christian, we can overcome temptation, only if we trust and look to God for help.

In Perelandra, the Green Lady and Ransom were tempted, but they did not fall

into temptation, but instead over came Satan and rejected his authority. They followed

the authority of Maleldil and in the end became victorious and triumphant. Death and

destruction left Perelandra and never became part of the world of life and peace, in the

world which is called Perelandra.