The Life and Works of C.S. Lewis

The Life and Works of C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis was a novelist, academic, literary critic and Christian apologist. He is a very well know author throughout the world. Some of his most famous works are the books in the series The Chronicles of Narnia. Along with these books, Lewis has written many other novels that will remain to be read for centuries to come.

Clive Staples Lewis, or C.S. Lewis, was born on November 29, 1898 to Albert and Flora Hamilton Lewis in Belfast, Ireland. His father, Albert, was a known lawyer in Belfast and his mother was known as a mathematician. Lewis had an older bother named Warren who had been born in 1895 (Imbornoni 1). When C.S. Lewis was four years old, Lewis told his family that he wanted his name to be Jacksie after a car killed his dog. The Lewis family finally got Clive to accept Jack, which he was known as by his family and friends ("C.S. Lewis" 1).

Since Northern Ireland was not having bitter civil strife, Lewis's early childhood was happy and carefree (Imbornoni 1). As a child, Lewis was very close to his mother, who brought him up to love books. She also encouraged him to learn French and Latin, which paid off later in his life. Flora Lewis taught her boys in the "study" which was in the attic. This is where C.S. Lewis First learned to read and write (Liukkonen 1). Two of C.S. Lewis's most favorite books were Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burrnett (Imbornoni 1). Lewis also made his own fictional country of Bloxen in his attic. This made up country was run by animals and imaginary creatures (Liukkonen 1). In 1908, Lewis's mother became ill and died soon after when Clive was only nine years old. After her death, Lewis and his brother were sent to a boarding school in England (Imbornoni 1).

The schools strict rules and unsympathetic headmaster caused Lewis to hate it. But fortunately for Lewis, the school closed down in 1910 and he returned home to Ireland (Imbornoni 1). He ended up going to Campbell College and when Lewis was 15, he became atheist and left his Christian beliefs ("C.S. Lewis" 8). Lewis then served in the Somerset Light Infantry from 1917 to 1919 (Liukkonen 1). In December of 1918, C.S. Lewis was discharged from the army ("C.S. Lewis" 10).

After being discharged from the army, Lewis started to look in to Greek and Irish mythology up unto till the day of his conversion. The biggest influence on Lewis's atheism was Lucretius ("C.S. Lewis" 3). Lewis would quote Lucretius for having one of the best arguments for being atheist. When he was 33, was converted back to Christianity. He credited George MacDonald for having works that helped turn him away from atheism. He also had help from his friend J.R.R. Tolkien, who talked with him on many occasions when they went on walks together ("C.S. Lewis" 1-12). After being converted he chose to join the Church of England, but had mixed beliefs the Church of England and Roman Catholicism. Lewis was one of the most, if not the most, famous Christian converts of the 20th century ("C.S. Lewis" 1).

Lewis also, while in the army, made a packed with his friend