Symbolism In C. S. Lewis The Torture Planet

C.S. Lewis’ final novel in his space trilogy, The Tortured Planet, provides a disturbing image of what our environment may be reduced to if man’s ideals and attitudes toward nature become radical enough to seek destruction of it and to deny our place within its structure altogether. As the novel progresses, the closed world space of the National Institute of Coordinated Experiments, or N.I.C.E, foments distorted rationality, the exploitation of nature and the denial of objective mortality. Dissimilarly, the green world space of St. Anne’s provides a foil to N.I.C.E’s war against nature, as the inhabitants of the manor represent an idealistic relationship with nature that features a loving and respectful ecological connection between man and …show more content…
Anne’s represents a green world space where normal rationality becomes void, magic and cosmic forces influence humans’ mentality, and where man exists in harmony with his environment and all the creatures that live there. The juxtaposition of the environment and symbolism of Belbury and St. Anne’s is emphasized in The Tortured Planet by the way that the text’s narrative switches back and forth from Mark to Jane, transporting readers from the realms of the closed world and the green world and back throughout the novel. In this way, Lewis is able to emphasize the difference in the worldviews and relationship with nature between the two settings. For example, whereas Mark’s first view of Belbury is full of tall, unnatural cement buildings, Jane’s walk to St. Anne’s brings her past a row of beech trees, unfenced plough land and a forested plain that stretching as far as she could see. Furthermore, while members of N.I.C.E. are cutting down trees for no other reason than to get rid of them, those who live in the community of St. Anne’s show reverence and respect for the natural environment around them as they are often depicted gardening or simply appreciating weather as a natural phenomenon. The scene where Jane first comes to live at St. Anne’s demonstrates the loving ecological relationship the community has with all natural beings, as Jane is startled by finding a large bear named Mr. Bultitude nonchalantly in a bathroom. Mrs. Maggs, Jane’s former maid, explains to Jane that Mr. Bultitude lives in the manor with them and assures her, “don’t be frightened, Mrs. Studdock. He’ll let you stroke him” (Lewis 98). Because St. Anne’s is welcoming not only of all humans regardless of their social standing in society, but also of all animals as well, the institute at Belbury provides a sharp contrast as wild