Tuesday, 12 August 2025

Dulled Colour

CS Lewis' That Hideous Strength could be subtitled "The Salvation of the Soul of Mark Studdock." The future of mankind on Earth is decided and, at the same time, one viewpoint character comes to see that his whole life so far has been wasted in superficial self-seeking.

A similar process seems to be occurring in Poul Anderson's character, Lucas Greco:

"Was the possession of certain bricks and roofs worth so much death?
"What is it, thought Lucas, that forever dulls the color of my finest moments and draws gargoyles among all my lions?"
-Rogue Sword, Chapter XII, p. 181.

Lucas is successful in a worldly sense and yet at the same time sees through his success. Why is it that some of us perceive more deeply whereas others do not?

2 comments:

S.M. Stirling said...

This is something I find unrealistic. People lived closer to death then.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

In many, many cases that is true. Except there were people who at least tried to look or reflect more deeply, such as Dante, who was living and writing in Lucas' time. Think of what a tremendous achievement Dante made with the DIVINE COMEDY!

Ad astra! Sean