Freshmen Summer Reading 2015-2016: Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis
Introduction: Martians, Mars, and Monsters
Thirty years before a man took his first steps on the moon, Clive Staples Lewis explored our solar system with his Martian rover of imagination. C.S. Lewis, author of dozens of fictional and non-fictional works, including The Chronicles of Narnia, is less known for his Space Trilogy: three fantasy books that blend the boundaries of spirituality and fantasy, and explore Christian truth through space travel and encounters with strange beings. C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were dissatisfied with the novels being written in their time (among which were the works of H.G. Wells, who wrote The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, and The Invisible Man). Ransom, the man character, has an imagination that has been fed by these kinds of works that portray outer space as a dangerous and monstrous place, filled with horrifying beings. I leave it to you to decide if this is the reality that he actually encounters.
Ransom, the protagonist, unwillingly travels to Mars (or Malacandra) in Out of the Silent Planet (book one), visits Venus (or Perelandra) in Perelandra (book two), and fights for the future of mankind on earth (or Thulcandra) in That Hideous Strength (book three). If you have Mr. Schwagger in 12th grade, you will probably read That Hideous Strength (book three).
Be prepared to experience the strange sensations of space-travel, encounter (what at first seem to be) monsters, and laugh at Weston and Devine, who think they are smarter than the super-intelligent “Lord of Mars.”
You may purchase any format of the novel, digital or physical, but I do recommend finding a copy with a cool old cover like those above (try amazon.com or abebook.com). It is a shorter book, so savor it. Take it chapter by chapter, and don’t rush (which means do not save reading for the last minute!).
If you find the reading difficult or confusing, see the Appendix below the Assignment for some support.
The Assignment
1. As you read, focus on annotating (take little notes in the margin, highlight, underline, circle, etc.)
Focus your annotations on the following theme:
A fallen human cannot fully see what is unfallen; in other words, the imperfect human sees the perfect only through a distorted perspective.[1]
In Isaiah 53, the prophet is describing, in great detail, character traits and events surrounding Christ, the coming Messiah, and says in verse 6, “All we like sheep have gone astray;/ we have all turned to our own way,/ and the Lord has laid on him [Christ]/ the iniquity of us all.” Christ, the perfect lamb of God, was despised, and rejected, and brutally murdered by the very people he came to save. Ransom, Weston, and Devine are all fallen men who encounter unfallen beings—and in their own ways, each fails to fully grasp or understand such perfection and goodness.
2. At the end of each chapter, do three things (you may do these on a separate paper, digital or typed, or in the margins of the book if you have space):
1) Highlight a sentence or phrase that stands out to you as interesting, puzzling, or related to the theme above.
2) Summarize the main, or most important, event in the chapter that is important to the plot.
3) Describe at least one character/being you encounter—whether his/her external traits or his/her internal qualities. Consider drawing a picture of a character/being or a landscape/setting to help you understand what Lewis is describing, or what Ransom is seeing or feeling.
I will be checking that you have one highlight, one summary, and one character description per chapter. Be prepared to show these to me during the first week for credit.
Conclusion: Thinking Ahead
When you arrive at school, we will do the following things with your notes and reading of Out of the Silent Planet:
1) Identify which chapter fits into each of the five major movements of a plot’s development (exposition/setting, rising action, climax, falling action, dénouement/resolution).
2) Write about Lewis’ development of characters and creatures in the novel, and how they fit in to the author’s Space Trilogy universe.
3) There may or may not be a quiz on the basic elements of plot and character—if there is, it will be open note and open book.
4) During the first few weeks of school, we will write our own fantasy stories based on some aspect of Out of the Silent Planet (see below if you want a head start, although it is only required for Honors students). If you are in Honors, see below.
*Honors Only*
The fantasy story mentioned above (in “Thinking Ahead” #4) should be written during summer, and turned in on the second day of school. You will write a story that follows these guidelines:
2) Start the story with something ordinary that turns into something extraordinary (think about the opening of Out of the Silent Planet, Alice in Wonderland, or some other fantasy story).
3) Follow the basic 5-step plot flow: Exposition/setting, rising action, climax, falling action, dénouement/resolution).
4) Seek to explore the theme that is our focus in Out of the Silent Planet: “fallen humanity cannot properly see what is perfect.” Try to explore this theme using character and plot.
Enjoy your reading, and find some aspect of the book that you enjoy—the new words, new landscapes, strange creatures. I look forward to exploring this and other worlds with you come Fall.
Happy roving,
Mr. Kirkendall
Appendix: Help, I’m confuthed…
You might find the British tone of writing and the careful descriptions in Out of the Silent Planet confusing. If you do, keep the following in mind:
1) Ransom, the main character, is just as confused as you are. He often does not know what is happening, or even what he is seeing. C.S. Lewis will describe a scene to reflect how Ransom is trying to understand the new, strange land of Malacandra, or a new, strange monster. So, if you are confused, the character probably is too, and Lewis wants it that way—but keep moving, and keep chewing on what he is describing.
2) Don’t be afraid to re-read a chapter. You have all summer—revisit, reread, recycle…
3) As you read, circle words you do not know, and look these words up after you finish reading the chapter (so you don’t interrupt the flow of your reading). Look up the definition. Learn some synonyms from a thesaurus. Then, try to see how the word’s meaning works in context (visit dictionary.com and thesauras.com).
4) You will encounter a new language on Malacandra/Mars—but don’t fear, the protagonist Ransom is a philologist (languages are his profession), so he will be your trusty guide. Here is a link to the names of all the planets in Lewis’ Space Trilogy world, and a list of words in the Malacandrian language (thanks to Mr. Schwagger and his blog!).
5) Take it chapter by chapter, and make sure to keep track of the following characters or beings:
· Ransom
· Weston
· Devine
· Sorns
· Hrossa
· Eldila
· Pfifltriggi
· Oyarsa
· Maleldil
6) I will be posting some helpful tips and resources on our class blog throughout the summer. Visit literalogos.blogspot.com to find these.
[1] Hint: while Thulcandra/Earth is a fallen planet full of sin, Malacandra/Mars is not tainted by that same evil. The human characters are “sinful” (literally, they “miss the mark,”) while the M
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