Affection: Pages 31-44 Summary and Analysis

Lewis says he considers affection to be the most basic of loves because it is not all that different from what animals display. He does make the point that it's no less valuable than other types of love. The image that best describes that emotion is a mother nursing her young, whether it's a human mother or an animal. This is an example of how the various loves evolve and overlap. The mother offers gift love when she gives birth to the child, suckle it, and provides protection. But she is also exhibiting need love because she literally must give birth or die, and must allow the baby to suckle or she's in pain. That's not to say affection begins and ends with mothers and children. In fact, Lewis says, affection can actually be felt between people...