Quote by C.S. Lewis
On the other hand, all those doubts which I had felt before I entered the cottage as to whether these creatures were friend of foe, and whether Ransom were a pioneer or a dupe, had for the moment vanished. My fear was now of another kind. I felt sure that he creature was what we called 'good', but I wasn't sure whether I liked 'goodness' so much as I had supposed. This is a very terrible experience. As long as what you are afraid of is something evil, you may still hope that the good may come to your rescue. But suppose you struggle through to the good and find that it also is dreadful? How if food itself turns out to be the very thing you can't eat, and home the very place you can't live, and your very comforter the person who makes you uncomfortable? Then, indeed, there is no rescue possible: the last card has been played.
Summary
The quote reflects a shift in the narrator's perspective. Initially, they were unsure if the creatures they encountered were friendly or enemies, and whether the protagonist was a leader or deceived. However, those doubts vanished, only to be replaced by a different kind of fear - the fear of the unknown goodness. The narrator questions whether they truly liked goodness as much as they originally thought. They express the anxiety of discovering that something deemed good could be equally alarming. This uncertainty leaves them feeling trapped, as there seems to be no hope for rescue when even the goodness itself becomes unbearable.
Topics
Goodness
By C.S. Lewis
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