Nick DeHoust: The Brilliant Characters of the Space Trilogy

At one point in the semester, we briefly discussed how C.S. Lewis often based his fictional characters on people he knew in real life. For example, Dr. Elwin Ransom from the Space Trilogy was based on Lewis’s good friend J.R.R. Tolkien. To me, this is an interesting example because the characters in the Space Trilogy are particularly vivid. Weston’s elaborate metamorphosis into the Un-man is a striking example of how Lewis is able to masterfully weave complex and profound ideas into the fabric of his characters. Ransom’s growth over the course of the trilogy is another example. At first, he is just a wandering professor on leave from his station who abruptly finds himself among the stars. However, in the second book, he is sent (deployed like a soldier, almost, with orders that he does not fully understand) to defend Perelandra from the Un-man, and he does so readily. Finally, his development culminates in That Hideous Strength, wherein he is heir to King Arthur and a leading figure in the prevention of chaos. For me, the development of these characters (among many others in the trilogy) are examples of how Lewis's characters throughout the Space Trilogy are brilliantly vivid and insightful.

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