English Test - Unit 1: The Great Divorce (copy)

Heaven and Hell

The Great Divorce explores the idea that Hell is self-chosen, and Heaven is open to anyone willing to surrender pride and sin.

Key phrase ( Two Types of People )

"There are only two kinds of people: those who say to God 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says 'Thy will be done.'"

Free Will and Personal Choice

Each Ghost represents a refusal or acceptance of grace. Lewis emphasizes that salvation is not forced—it must be chosen.

True Love vs. Possessive Love

True love reflects God's nature; possessive love is rooted in control and selfishness.

Ordinary vs. Earthly Glory

Sarah Smith shows that earthly fame is meaningless compared to heavenly love.

Narrator

A reflective, somewhat passive traveler who begins in the 'Grey Town' and takes the bus to the foothills of Heaven.

Narrator's Symbolic Meaning

Represents the ordinary human soul seeking clarity; functions as the 'everyman' through whom readers experience the journey.

George MacDonald (The Guide)

The Scottish writer and theologian who serves as the narrator's guide in Heaven.

George MacDonald Symbolic Meaning

Functions as a Virgil-like figure; embodies reason, theology, and wisdom.

George MacDonald Literary Function

Bridges allegory and theology, interpreting the spiritual significance of events for the narrator.

The Ghosts

These represent different human struggles, sins, and resistances to grace.

The Big Man

Proud ghost who insists on his rights.

The Big Man's Symbolic Sin/Flaw

Pride & self-righteousness.

The Big Man's Key Episode / Lesson

Refuses grace, believes he is owed Heaven.

The Hard-Bitten Ghost

Cynical, distrustful.

The Hard-Bitten Ghost's Symbolic Sin/Flaw

Skepticism & bitterness.

The Hard-Bitten Ghost's Key Episode / Lesson

Dismisses both Heaven & Hell as illusions.

The Intelligent Man (Materialist Ghost)

Intellectual skeptic.

The Intelligent Man's Symbolic Sin/Flaw

Materialism & disbelief.

The Intelligent Man's Key Episode / Lesson

Cannot accept what transcends empirical science.

The Episcopal Ghost

Theologian attached to intellectualism.

The Episcopal Ghost's Symbolic Sin/Flaw

Pride in intellect & relativism.

The Episcopal Ghost's Key Episode / Lesson

Obsessed with theological debates, not truth itself.

Relativism

The idea that truth is subjective; linked to the Episcopal Ghost's flawed theology.

Four Pillars

Author, Historical, Cultural, Literary—framework for analyzing a text.

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but reveals truth (e.g., the weak Ghosts vs. strong Spirits).

Symbolism

The use of concrete images to represent abstract ideas (e.g., painful grass).

Allegory

A story in which characters/events stand for moral, spiritual, or political meanings (The Great Divorce as a whole).

The Grey Town

Represents Hell—self-isolation, despair, endless choice without fulfillment.

The Bus Ride

The chance to leave Hell and approach Heaven (divine mercy).

The Solid People

Represent redeemed souls, more real than the Ghosts.

The Grass and Environment

Painful to Ghosts because they are less real—symbol of the difficulty of adapting to holiness.

The Lizard (lust)

When surrendered, becomes a powerful stallion—sin transformed into glory.

Sarah Smith's Procession

True heavenly greatness from hidden earthly love.

Significance of Sarah Smith in Heaven

She represents the idea that hidden, ordinary love is of eternal value; true greatness is not worldly fame.

Ghosts walking on the grass

They lack the 'substance' of holiness; they must become more real to endure Heaven.

Difference between true love and possessive love

Sarah's love = selfless, reflects God. Pam's love = controlling, idolizes her son.

First-person dream significance

It creates immediacy, connects the reader, and emphasizes the story as allegorical rather than literal.

Themes of The Great Divorce

The nothingness of Hell, the necessity of free will in choosing salvation, surrender to love and the world opens up to you.

Reptile and angel symbolism

Reptile stands for lust, bringing you down. The angel stands for God because He doesn't want that for you.

Sarah Smith's earthly status

Sarah Smith, a nobody on Earth, but honored in Heaven.

Creating our own hell

We have the ability to create our own hell which can go down a bad path leading to things seeming much bigger than they are.

Opening up to Heaven

If we open ourselves up to Heaven all those big things will seem small in comparison.

Chapter 1 setting

Book starts at the bus stop in Hell.

C.S. Lewis and Aristotle

C.S. put Aristotle in Hell because more people started believing in science/knowledge.

Passenger's belief

The passenger says he is a plain man (lower class) so he holds deeply on to his unalienable rights believing it's all he has.

Freedom perception

You are not as free as you think you are.

The plain man

A character who chooses to stay in Hell to try to convince others to leave.

C.S predicted the future

The idea that some aspects of the future can be foreseen.

The bus driver

A positive figure bringing people from Hell to Heaven.

The bus

Symbolizes a path to a better place, full of light.

People waiting for the bus

Represent negativity and greed despite the availability of the bus.

Spread the gospel

The act of sharing religious beliefs, emphasizing that you cannot save those who do not wish to be saved.

Tousle-Headed Poet

A character who symbolizes a modern man turned away from God, who ultimately takes his own life.

Education system's failure

The inability to support individuals like the Tousle-Headed Poet in finding peace.

Hell

A vast, sprawling place where people fight over land.

Bus stop accessibility

It is possible to reach the bus stop at any time, but one must have the desire to do so.

Napoleon's house

A metaphor for how far removed he is from salvation.

Napoleon's eternal loop

His constant blame of others for his situation in Hell.

The Intelligent Man

A new neighbor who shares historical knowledge and seeks to profit from Heaven.

Quality of thoughts in Hell

In Hell, thoughts can manifest but are of poor quality, reflecting current societal issues.

Question of talking to God

Raises the issue of why one would seek God if they can obtain anything they desire.

Fat clean-shaven bald man

A character with a cultured voice, representing a well-versed perspective on history.

Transformation of Hell

The idea that Hell can be transformed, as described by the bald man.

One chance on earth

The concept that life is singular and should not be wasted by creating personal Hell.

Clean shaven man

Represents an egoistic man; doesn't represent God, worships facts/knowledge/earthly things.

Bus descends into a light

Symbolizes Heaven.

Stuck in a dream

When you're stuck in a dream, it becomes reality.

Heaven's vastness

Heaven is so big that the main character can't wrap his head around its vastness.

Journey to know God

Heaven's big space represents not knowing God and that journey.

God in a box

When you try to put God into a box, then discover Him it'll be scary.

Who we are now vs. Heaven

Who we are now is nothing compared to the version of us in Heaven.

Fear of Heaven's vastness

The people were scared of the vastness of Heaven and realness of nature, so scared some ran straight back to the bus.

Angels

The angels are bright, giant, beautiful, have real flesh, and are of different ages.

Wisdom and faith

C.S. wants us to be wise like our elders but faithful like children.

Big Ghost's relationship

The Big Ghost found a 'bright' person who used to work for him; their relationship is toxic.

Big Ghost's fate

The Big Ghost lived a good life and did what he should but ended up in Hell because he was resentful, a tri-hard.

Bright person's redemption

The bright person murdered a guy on earth; this made him closer to God because of his time of need and is why he's in Heaven.

Forgiveness from God

If you ask for forgiveness God will give it to you but don't expect it.

Bleeding Charity

Represents Jesus dying on the cross because charity is a gift for free and Jesus bled on the cross dying for our sins as a gift to us.

Cultured man's irony

The cultured man is looking for the kingdom which is ironic because he is in the kingdom but he can't see that.

Apostate

Walking away from faith.

Cultured man's anguish

The cultured man loves the anguish of being right.

Cultured man's status

The cultured man is the king in Hell.

Fear of Heaven and Hell

We are afraid of what Heaven and Hell means for us but C.S. wants us to walk into it.

Mountains symbolize

The mountains resemble the throne of God, going to God, Heaven, it's going to be hard/uncomfortable at first.

God as a mystery

C.S. wants us to know that God is unknown, a mystery, and to get comfortable with the unknown but you should follow him with everything you have.

Fine line of existence

C.S. wants us to see the fine line we walk on earth that we are in both Heaven and Hell.

Main character's awareness

The main character's awareness to Heaven is good.

Waterfall symbolism

The book is focused on this waterfall that is spraying everywhere including on a tree that is growing golden apples; Tree of Life.

****'s goal

**** is going to the tree to get a golden apple to take back to Hell and sell.

****'s fear

**** is afraid of discovery, he just wants to get in and out.

Heavy apples

The apples are heavy, they fell on **** when he tried to get one though he managed to retrieve one, the smallest of them all.

Apple's fit in Hell

The angel tells **** the apple won't fit in Hell, it's way too big to fit in the small blade of grass that is Hell.

****'s ignorance

Lewis is saying **** is ignorant of how big Heaven is and how small his desires are.

Bright Angel

The waterfall is the Bright Angel.

Knowledge and humility

C.S. knows we have knowledge but he wants us to slow down because we may not know as much as we think.

Desires and profit

C.S. wants us to know we can turn good things into desires, but if for our profit, we shouldn't do it.

Hard-Bitten Ghost's view

The Hard-Bitten Ghost says Heaven and Earth are the same, just places to make profit.

Eternal war

The Hard-Bitten Ghost says there are wars going on all the time, he makes the argument that it's the same between Heaven and Hell, an eternal war.