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In Perelandra By Samuel Budani In the novel Perelandra, by C. S. Lewis, Satan tried to tempt the untainted and sinless world of Perelandra. Satan wanted to put his foot-hold in this holy world, but the characters endured Satan s temptations, and came out victorious in the end. Satan s temptations not only occur in Perelandra, but transpire universally in all humanity. Satan took control of the body of a middle-aged man named Weston.
Satan then came to be called the Un-man and tried to tempt the Green Lady, the queen of Perelandra, to disobey Maleldil s commandments about the Fixed Land. The Green Lady new that she was forbidden to dwell on the Fixed Land. (Per. 103). But the Green Lady never really understood why she was not allowed to dwell on the Fixed Land, except that Maleldil had commanded not to. The Un-man deceives the Green Lady by asking her why Maleldil has not forbid her to think about dwelling on the Fixed Land. (Per. 104). The Green Lady did not understand a great number of things, and the Un-man could see that it had a chance The Un-man said that Maleldil has not told the Green Lady of a great number of things, and by learning things not straight from Maleldil, but by other people, thoughts, and questions, shall make her older, wiser, and independent. He is making you older-making you to learn things not straight from Him but by your own meetings with other people and your own questions and thoughts. (Per. 105).
The Un-man said that the King would love her more if she was the older and the wiser of the two. The Un-man said that the women of earth are independent and did not need to wait for Maleldil to tell them what is good, but they themselves know good from evil. These women of earth are considered little Maleldil's. (Per. 106). And because of their wisdom, their beauty is as much greater than yours... (Per. 106). The Un-man says that the women of earth are much more beautiful than her because of their wisdom, and says that the King would love her more if she was beautiful like the women of earth. And because of their beauty the love which the men have for them is as much greater than the King s love for you (Per. 106).
The Green Lady is tempted by beauty, and wishes that she could see the women of earth and be as beautiful and as wise as they are. Everyday the Un-man talked to the Green Lady and told her stories or told her poetry. Everyday the Un-man was getting one step closer, and temptation was growing stronger. There became a slight change in her face that was not of sorrow nor confusion but uncertainty, and her reflection had revealed that the Un-man had an affect on her.
It was not sad, nor deeply bewildered, but the hint of something precarious had increased. (Per. 113). Ransom, an ordinary middle-aged man also, was sent by Maleldil to Perelandra. While on Perelandra, Ransom also was tempted by Satan, or otherwise known as the Un-man. Ransom saw that the Un-man needed to be stopped some how, before the Green Lady dwelt on the Fixed Land, and disobeyed Maleldil. But Ransom had his share of doubts and temptations.
Slowly his faith in Maleldil started to fade away and he became to feel abandoned. He was not quite sure that he would live. (Per. 111). The Un-man tortured and tormented Ransom by repeating his name over and over again perhaps thousands of times. RansomRansomRansomRansom (Per. 124). But Ransom keeps his mind on some how stopping the Green Lady from disobeying Maleldil.
The whole time Ransom was trying to explain to the Green Lady that what the Un-man is telling her is wrong and not to listen to it. But the Green Lady does not have the understanding of great number of words, but the Un-man explains to the Green Lady that Ransom is trying to keep her young and ignorant. The Un-man also explains to her that she is becoming independent, and that is what Maleldil wants. It is saying that Maleldil has let everything happen the way it is so that she would grow old, wise, and independent. You are becoming your own. That is what Maleldil wants you to do.
That is why He has let you be separated from the King and even, in a way, from Himself... The Un-man tells the Green Lady that Maleldil longs for her to break a commandment just once, and He is just testing her to see if she would become independent and older. A real disobeying, a real branching out, that is what He secretly longs for: secretly, because to tell you would spoil all. (Per. 116). Vanity is thought to the Green Lady by the Un-man when she wears clothing made out of feathers and looks at herself in a mirror. She appeared to Ransom for a moment as a women whom an earth-born man might conceivably love. (Per. 135). When she looked in the mirror at herself, for the first time she showed emotion, and had experienced fear itself.
She got use to looking in the mirror, and enjoyed seeing how beautiful she was. The Un-man was one step closer now and its aim was to the external beauty of the Green Lady. He was making her mind a theatre in which that phantom self should hold the stage. He had already written the play. (Per. 139). Ransom began questioning Maleldil and His powers. Why did no miracle come? (Per. 140).
He could not understand why Maleldil could not be in person just as the Enemy was in person. Not for the first time he found himself questioning Divine Justice. (Per. 140). The Un-man asks Ransom do you think that you can fight with me? You think He will help you, perhaps? (Per. 153). The Un-man tests Ransom s beliefs, and questions to see how much faith he had in Maleldil. Ransom stands strong in his faith in Maleldil, and after a long and almost never-ending battle, he defeats the Un-man and the powers of evil over Perelandra are destroyed.
The Green Lady said that her mind was cleared (Per. 208) when Ransom had defeated the Un-man. Her eyes were opened and she now understood things that she had not known before, because Maleldil had put the knowledge of good and evil into the minds of both the King and Queen. These temptations experienced by the Green Lady and by Ransom also occur universally in nature. Humans, both good and evil, are tempted many times throughout life. Ever since sin had entered earth, by Eve being tempted by the serpent at the Garden of Eden, sin and temptation have been apart of a human s everyday lifestyle.
But as Christian, we can overcome temptation, only if we trust and look to God for help. In Perelandra, the Green Lady and Ransom were tempted, but they did not fall into temptation, but instead over came Satan and rejected his authority. They followed the authority of Maleldil and in the end became victorious and triumphant. Death and destruction left Perelandra and never became part of the world of life and peace, in the world which is called Perelandra.
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