Letter 14 Summary

Frightening for Screwtape, the patient has found some real humility. Humility is dangerous. He asks Wormwood if he can draw the patient's attention to just how humble he is being, so the patient can begin to pride himself on his very humility and thus move closer to Hell again. He also encourages Wormwood to deceive the patient into thinking humility means self-denigration and denial of his own talents. Since this is not true, the patient will know it, but not be able to escape from his misconceptions. Also, he will continue to think about himself, which is what Hell wants.

Letter 14 Analysis

The goal of humility, as with all the virtues, is to turn the person's attention to God and others—God and one's neighbors. This was, as Jesus said, the greatest and most all-encompassing commandment: to love God and to love...