Preface
- How is That Hideous Strength a fairy-tale?
- Is the college setting chosen because Lewis thinks it more evil than other spheres of life?
- What is the first word of the novel? How might it be significant to the novel?
- How is Jane's thesis subject ironic?
- "Mark himself, meanwhile..." How is Mark's opening significant?
- What is Distributism?
- The Bursar does not offer advice about what to do about the sale to the N. I. C. E., but merely mentions what as the key factor in the sale?
- Narrative shift (part 3, "I").
- Feverstone is the opposition? All a sham.
- Dr. Dimble as C. S. Lewis (Arthurian Legend, etc.)
- Merlin
- How might pecunia non olet relate to the opening of this chapter?
- What is ironic about the "Pragmatometer"?
- Consider: "The real thing is that this time we're going to get science applied to social problems and backed by the whole force of the state" (Mark).
- Feverstone wants the college as a "drag net, a recruiting office." He sees that science will help us "to take control of our own destiny...take over the human race and recondition it." Where do you see that impulse today?
- Consider: experimentation on children vs. a revolutionary or "experimental" school.
- The goal, according to Feverstone, is to make "a new kind of man."
- The Fairy is said to exhibit a "cold intimacy" toward Mark (last paragraph is section 2). How does this compare to Jane early in the novel? At the end of the novel?
- Explain Hingest's view of the N.I.C.E. Hingest is also "Bill the Blizzard."
- Narrative opening: Wither does not actually have quotes on paragraph two. Notice how that supports the feeling of distance.
- Notice that mark finally breaks down when asking about the details of his work: "The elasticity of your organisation is one of the things that attracts me."
- Mark has to pay to join the N.I.C.E. =).
- Contrast the incorrect, vague, hardly caring words of Wither to the direct, helpful, mirroring of Hingest.
- Hingest is leaving, the only real scientist (a noted chemist) on staff.
- The Fairy is said to exhibit a "cold intimacy" toward Mark (last paragraph is section 2). How does this compare to Jane early in the novel? At the end of the novel?
- Notice that Miss Ironwood interviews Jane and contrasts Miss Hardcastle (the Fairy). Thus, Lewis show a good and a wicked development in a strong female character.
- Jane's fear of being "entangled," "invaded," etc.
Ch. 4 The Liquidation of Anachronisms
- Here we meet not-so Reverend Straik. He is an apostate pastor (clearly believing and teaching heresy). He believes that technology will bring about the promises of Jesus. He quotes the Bible out of context and subverts the actual teaching of the Bible.
- Explain why some (often associated with the N. I. C. E.) think that the "real ditcher, ploughman, or farmer's boy, was the shadow" (87). What is the reality to those that think this way? Why?
Ch. 5 Elasticity
- Jane has helped Mark get up the courage to get some real answers from the N.I.C.E.
- Is neutrality an option for Jane? When does this issue arise in conversation? How does Jane respond to her position?
- Mark appears to be ready to leave the N.I.C.E.
- Miss Hardcastle levels with him. Mark is to write propaganda to "rehabilitate" Alacsan's public image. "It is the educated reader who can be gulled."
- Mark receives a message from the college that they understand through Feverstone (Dick Devine) that Mark was leaving his college post. The N.I.C.E. is guaranteeing that Mark must work there, regardless of what he decides.
- Contrast this with Jane's rejection of St. Anne's invitation. Jane was angry at the way she was spoken of as related to Mark...that this impinged on her direction, etc.
- "State of Emergency" to begin the police state of the area.
Ch. 7 The Pendragon
- Jane meets Ransom (the Fisher-King, the Pendragon). She is drawn to him, and he is pointing her back to Mark. She is frustrated by this. "You do not fail in obedience through lack of love, but have lost love because you never attempted obedience."
Ch. 8 Moonlight at Belbury
- Wither warms to Mark...to get him to bring Jane in. Mark hates the idea of her visiting--it would turn the N.I.C.E. into "a vast vulgarity." This is because she would be a good mirror, but Mark doesn't understand.
- Filostrato:
- Straik: "...we are offering you the unspeakable glory of being present at the creation of God Almighty..."
- Mark has to strip down...clearly this is weird.
Ch. 9 The Saracen's Head
- Jane dreams of the Head.
- MacPhee is the "sceptic; a very important office." Notice that St. Anne's has room for the critical thought or person, not so the N.I.C.E.
- Mark, on one hand, has to get Jane to the N.I.C.E...knows his life depends on it. On the other hand, he's worried about what they would do with her: "For the first time in his life a gleam of something like disinterested love came into his mind; he wished he'd had never married her, never dragged her into this whole outfit of horrors which was, apparently, to be his life."
- Mark won't sign to have the Fairy pick up Jane.
- Mark walks in on Wither in a strange state. Mark leaves...then sees what seems to be Wither outside. Mark is doomed...returns.
- MacPhee explains many things to Jane.
Ch. 10 The Conquered City
Ch. 11 Battle Begun
16.1
- The curse of Babel overtakes the dinner party at Belbury. Jules' speech is frustrated. Chaos ensues. This, as well as the release of the animals, relates to Merlin's works.
- Jules is shot by Miss Hardcastle.
- Animals are tearing through everything and everyone. Bodies are everywhere.
- Mark blacks out.
- Merlin releases Mr. Maggs and Mr. Bultitude. Mr. Bultitude is hungry.
- Merlin wakens Mark and gives him a letter directing him to return to Jane at St. Anne's and avoid Edgestow.
- Straik and Wither sacrifice Filostrato to the Head, who demands adoration...then demands a second sacrifice.
- Wither kills Straik.
- Mr. Bultitude enters and kills Wither.
- Feverstone wants to get to Edgestow.
- Frost immolates himself, but after recognizing that "he had been wrong from the beginning."
Themes and allusions:
- This chapter is dominated by themes and allusions associated with the Tower of Babel, the confusion of tongues, that hideous strength. The language confusion, destruction of the great edifice, "days of Nimrod," all point to the Tower of Babel.
- "He [Feverstone] had also a perfectly clear conscience and had played no tricks with his mind. He never slandered another man except to get his job, never cheated except because he wanted money, never really disliked people unless they bored him."
- Feverstone believes he sees himself well and that he is above reproach. Sadly, his reflections are from his own imagination, and they are false. He needs a better mirror to see his true vanity and wickedness.
17.1
- Mark travels to an inn and then to St. Anne's.
- The women dress; the men are cooking at St. Anne's.
- Feverstone angling to get to Edgestow.
- An earthquake destroys Feverstone and all else of Edgestow.
- Characters at St. Anne's discuss what will come and why Edgestow was destroyed.
- "Those who call for Nonsense will find that it comes."
This relates back to the hideous strength theme and the fruits of those ideas.
- Curry's thoughts show that some will not understand...will foolishly lead the college in foolish paths again.
- Notice the free indirect discourse: "'Providential.' You couldn't really look at it any other way" (374). This is the same kind of narrative technique that Jane Austen also subtly applied.
- This creates a note of open ending to the novel (bad things will come again), though the general stream is a closed ending (Mark and Jane unite).
- Couples are reuniting.
- Allusions to A Midsummer Night's Dream ("Jack had found Jill...freshness of a midsummer")
- Venus is over St. Anne's (allusions to marriage, passion, re-creation, fruitfulness, love, etc.)
- "Man is no longer isolated."
- "You will have no more dreams. Have children instead."
- Mark approaches St. Anne's.
- Mark and Jane reunite.
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