Internal Dualism and Moral Disintegration in C.S. Lewis’s Screwtape Letters

This paper analyzes C.S. Lewis’s Screwtape Letters as a Christian Apologetic novel presented in an epistolary form. It examines the intricacies of the inner dichotomy of self and paradoxes presented as a result of contrary propositions made within the character. Through an interdisciplinary study of psychology and literature, this study draws on the theoretical framework of psychological dissonance to understand the internally and externally existing dualities. From a literary standpoint, satire and irony are employed in the text by the conspiring entities to add literary depth; this allows the reader to be deeply reflexive and consider morally upright stances and question ethics. This theological fiction contributes significantly to literature through literary technique demonstrating how a narrative functions as a means of persuasion, spiritual inquiry, and an exploration of the human condition.