The Screwtape Letters Chapter Summary & Analysis - Letter 30 Summary

Letter 30 Summary

Screwtape is sarcastic toward Wormwood at the beginning of this letter. He has learned from the Infernal Police (Wormwood's own report being sketchy) that the man behaved well during an air raid upon his town. He was extremely scared, so takes no pride in his actions, but he did his duty and a little bit more than his duty. There are no excuses for Wormwood's failure in this. Hell is a place where a superior being consumes a weaker one. Human souls are to be brought for consumption, or the devils who fail will be consumed themselves.

Screwtape thinks the man's exhaustion following the air raid will not be good fodder for temptation. It might be useful if Wormwood can create escape hatches here, although he failed to do the same with the man's courage. If Wormwood can make the man resolved to bear his exhaustion so far...
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