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ContextCliveStaplesLewiswasbornonNovember29,1898inBelfast,NorthernIreland.Hismother,FloraAugustaHamiltonLewis,diedwhenhewasyoung,leavinghisfather,Albert,toraisehimandhisolderbrotherWarren,knownasWarnie.WarnieandJack,asClivepreferredtobecalled,grewcloserastheygotolder.Simultaneously,thebrothersgrewapartfromtheirfather,whoseboisteroussenseofhumorandawkwardgoodnaturedidnotmatchtheirreticence.TheboysimmersedthemselvesinagameofAnimalLandandIndia.JackwasobsessedwithtalkinganimalsandWarniewasintriguedbythelandofIndia,sotheymappedoutaplacecalledAnimalLandwhichborderedonIndia.AnimalLandhadtalkinganimalsthatwerefrequentlyengagedintradeandcommercewiththeIndianpeople.ManypeoplehaveseenAnimalLandasaprecursortothelandofNarnia,butthosewhohaveactuallyreadthestoriesJackwroteaboutAnimalLandsaytheyshowverylittleoftheimaginationandwitJackinfusesintotheNarniaChronicles.Inshort,theyareboring.Nevertheless,theideaofafantasylandpopulatedwithtalkinganimalscertainlystartedwithAnimalLand.C.S.Lewishadaterribletimeingrammarandearlyhighschool.Hewascompletelyunathletic,whichwasamajorliabilitygiventhefocusonsportsintheschoolswhichheattended.Lewiswasavictimofasystemcalledfagginginwhichtheolder,strongerboysattheschoolwerenotonlypermitted,butencouraged,tobossaroundtheyoungerones.Thisloathingofschoollifesurfacesinmanyofhisbooks,particularlyinTheChroniclesofNarnia,whichincludesthebook,TheLion,theWitch,andtheWardrobe.Forexample,thecharacterProfessorKirkebemoansthestateofmoderneducation,Edmundbecomesamisfitwhenhebeginstoattendschool,andlater,inTheSilverChair,JillPoleandEustaceScrubbattendaterribleschoolthatseemstobemodeledcloselyonLewis'sownexperience.Lewisescapedthistormentassoonashecould,studyinginsteadunderaprivatetutornamedMr.Kirkpatrick.Hethrivedunderthechallengeandstimulationoflearningunderthissingularteacher'stutelage.LewiswasbornandraisedProtestant,buthisfaithgraduallybecamelesstangibletohimastheyearsprogressed.Itisunclearwhenhecrossedthelinefromlackadaisicalbelieverandagnostic,andstillhardertoknowwhenhewentfromagnostictoatheist,butbythetimehebegantoattendUniversityCollegeinOxford,Lewiswasanon-believer.Soonafterbeginninghiscollegestudiesin1917,Lewiswasdraftedintothearmy,andwentreluctantlybutdeterminedlytowar.HewaswoundedonApril15,1917duringtheBattleofArras,andthoughhereturnedtoserviceinOctober,hewasdischargedsoonafter.Heresumedhiscollegestudiesandhislifeoverthenexttenyearswasquiet,exceptforapossible,unconfirmedloveaffairwithMrs.Moore.Duringtheseyearshemadeaslow,steadyreturntoabeliefinChristianity.Heoftenexperiencedanindefinablesensationthathenamedjoy,asortofspirituallongingthatseemedtobearlittlerelationtoanyphysicalorspiritualpleasureorindulgencewithwhichhewasacquainted.TheseflashesofjoygrewmorefrequentandwerecompoundedwithatroublesomesensethatChristianityactuallymadeagooddealofsense.Lewisresistedconversionfiercely,butheeventuallyrealizedthatitwasnocoincidencethatallhisfavoritewriterswereChristianandthattheirworkscarriedanunmistakablehintofspiritualityandChristianity.In1929,heconvertedbacktoChristianity,thoughveryreluctantly.OnceLewiswasconvincedofthevalidityofChristianity,hewasinanexcellentpositiontoconvinceothers.Hispainstakingstrugglewiththelogicbehindfaithlefthimwellequippedtoarguewithothersaboutfaith.Itisnotanexaggerationtosaythatthereisnowell-knownbookbyLewisthatdoesnotprominentlyfeaturethethemeofChristianity.Someofhisworkswereapologetics,inwhichhearguedforChristianityfromanintellectualstandpoint.Otherbooksstraddledthelinebetweencommentaryandfiction,suchasTheScrewtapeLetters,whichwasaseriesoflettersfromanexperienceddeviladvisinghisyoung,inexperiencednephewonthebestwaystocorruptthesoulofthehumantowhomhehasbeenassignedasguardiandevil.SomeofLewis'sbooksarefiction,likeTheChroniclesofNarnia,TheSpaceTrilogy,aseriesofsciencefictionnovels,andTillWeHaveFaces.Stillothersareintenselypersonal,suchasLewis'sautobiography,SurprisedByJoy,andhisreflectionsonthedeathofhiswife,AGriefObserved.Throughmostofhislife,Lewismaintainedaveryintellectualperspectiveonhisfaithandonhislifeingeneral.Hewasabachelormostofhislife,andhisestrangedrelationshipwithhisfatherhadpossiblymadehimwaryofdeepaffectionorlove.Lewis'sabilitytothinklogicallythroughhisfaithwasflawless,butthereisanemotionalunderstandingofreligionthatseemstobelackingfromhiswork.Itslackisunobtrusive,butnotunnoticeable.In1952,whileLewiswasimmersedinwritingTheChroniclesofNarnia,LewismetJoyDavidmanGresham.Joywasaplain-spokenAmericanwomanfifteenyearshisjuniorwithwhomhebecameacquaintedoriginallythroughafanletterandachancemeeting.Thetwobecamefriendsasshestruggledwithadifficultmarriage.Sheeventuallydivorcedherhusbandin1953ongroundsofdesertion.Theirfriendshipgrew,butitremainednomorethanfriendship,evenaftertheyweremarriedin1956.ThemarriagewasarrangedtoavoidJoy'sdeportationfromBritain,soalthoughtheylivedinthesamehouse,theirrelationshipwaslimitedtochasteaffection.Slowlytheyfellinlove,andwhenJoywasdiagnosedwithbonecancerlaterin1956,Lewisrealizedthathelovedherandtheyweremarriedatherbedsideinthehospital.Herdeathseemed