Letter 29 Summary

This letter is about the rapid approach of the war toward the man's own town and the probable bombing of it. Screwtape recommends making the man a coward about it all. Since courage is, Screwtape asserts, the very forging point of all the other virtues, undermining a man's courage makes good sense. What is more, every human being feels shame and guilt about cowardice.

Screwtape advises Wormwood to fill the man's mind with little escape hatches so that when push comes to shove, he will act in a cowardly fashion. After all, Screwtape says, feeling fear is no sin. It is the act of cowardice, not the feeling of fear, that counts.

Letter 29 Analysis

Lewis points out that courage is the formation point of all of the virtues. A virtue that is not upheld in the face of threat is no real virtue...