Ben Faxon
Planning Memo Revision
Warnings of Totalitarianism in C.S. Lewis Literature Compared to Censorship Themes in other 20th and 21st Century Authors
The focus of this essay will be to relate the “survive at any price” ideology in Solzhenitsyn’s book to Lewis’s writings in both his novel and essay. It will focus on Lewis’s fears of the rise of totalitarianism in Europe in the 20th century and his advice to readers. The advice in The Abolition of Man will be related to multiple events in That Hideous Strength, such as the secret takeover of NICE and the death of those who denounced them. Other books that focus on totalitarian control and “survive at any price” such as The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshanna Zuboff will be related to further show why Lewis’s fears are rational.
Draft Enthymeme Thesis: C.S. Lewis’s novel focuses on Mark and other characters working for a totalitarian government, and the reasons why people work for such a regime, therefore foreshadowing Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn’s idea of “survive at any price” that is prevalent today in many corrupt powers all over the world.
- Chapter 10 Section 1, Page 203: This fits into my analysis by including a discussion of Hingest’s death as well as using NICE’s blackmail of Mark to show the total control and unfairness of totalitarian regimes
- Chapter 16 Section 4, Page 352: This fits into the analysis because it shows both the issues of blind loyalty in members of totalitarian regimes as well as corruption in the thought of absolute power, shown when Wither kills his coworkers.
Close Reading
In the first section of Chapter 10 in That Hideous Strength, Mark is called down to the office of his boss, Director Wither. Mark is hesitant, due to his argument with the director during their last meeting. Lewis states that “to Mark’s surprise and (momentarily) to his relief, Wither showed no recollection of their last meeting” (202). Often in totalitarian regimes acting against or arguing with the ones in charge can lead to serious repercussions, or even death. As it is shown with many different people in The Gulag Archipelago and in Solzhenitsyn’s own life, the Soviet Union would not tolerate disrespect and sent the police after anyone who was believed to be a possible threat. Although at this point in the novel Mark does not know of the true authoritarian motives of NICE, he is still wary since Wither is, at this point, who Mark believes runs the company.
When Mark arrives at Wither’s office, he is greeted by Wither and Miss Hardcastle, the leader of the NICE police force. Wither’s manner is described as “genial, even deferential, though extremely grave” (202). This is a fake emotion meant to “sell the scene” due to the reason Mark is called in to being fully the actions of NICE. Mark is asked if he had recently lost his wallet, in which he responds that he has. The use of this question is again used to further “frame” Mark as admitting to what they are trying to prove. This was a tactic used by the Soviets as well as other totalitarian governments as a way to “trick” the prisoner into admitting to a crime that they have, most of the time, not committed. In The Gulag Archipelago, Solzhenitsyn states that “every interrogator was given an allowance of a certain number of cigarettes to encourage those willing to confess” (72). This is the same persuasion technique that Wither and Hardcastle used on Mark, but instead of offering a bribe they merely tricked him.
Mark is called down to the office because his wallet was “found” at the body of Bill Hingest. Hingest was found murdered on the side of the road the night where he left NICE for good. He was a former employee, and tried to convince Mark to leave NICE one of the first days Mark arrived. Mark is angry because he is originally under the impression that Hardcastle is accusing him of murdering Hingest. To this, Wither states that he does not know if “Miss Hardcastle has made it perfectly clear to you (Mark) that it was her officers, and they only, who have made this- er- embarrassing discovery” (204). Mark then becomes confused, and wonders why, if Hardcastle believes he killed Bill Hingest, she has reported it to the actual police force in the area. This is when Wither shows the true totalitarian nature of NICE. Wither and Hardcastle want the framing of Mark to be able to keep him in check. They do not come out and say this, but Mark is able to pick up on it when he cannot think of a reason why they should not report it to the English police force. This idea is reflected in The Abolition of Man, through the use of holding an idea or object above someone to be able to control them. It is explored in the first section of the book. The Tao can only be achieved by those who are not bound by others and can truly think and act for themselves. Due to this, those who are trapped by a real or framed crime cannot truly achieve it until they are freed. Mark decided that due to the crazy event that had occurred, he wanted to go to the official English police and use the evidence to prove that he did not kill Bill Hingest. Wither advises Mark to not go to the police, stating that, while he would look disloyal to NICE, he would be out of their protection. While this is of course false, and the police are under the control of NICE, this is a further use of the persuasion technique to keep Mark in check. It is used to make it appear that NICE cares for him and Wither wants to protect him. Withers then states that it is advisable Mark “should act, as I’m sure you(Mark) will, with the greatest prudence and- er- er- caution for the next few months” (207). Wither uses this moment as a way to indirectly tell Mark the real reason they “found” his wallet: to make sure Mark is aligned with them and afraid to not do what NICE needs from him. This is reflected in the section of The Abolition of Man titled Men Without Chests. Men without chests refers to the concept of people unable to think for themselves. The heads of the men “are no bigger than the ordinary: it is the atrophy of the chest beneath that makes them seem so” (25). The majority of the employees at NICE have been transformed into men without chests, and Wither clearly sees how difficult it is to fully change Mark into a loyal employee. Mark is closer to the Tao than others, and Wither must resort to blackmail to get him on his side. This will result in Mark feeling that he must join them to “survive at any price.” At this point, it is not truly his life on the line, but should he not take NICE’s warnings, his life, independence, and freedom will be in danger.