Lewis on Jane and Mark as a married couple
Entry #9 (Choice Topic #3)
Katherine Forbes
In That Hideous Strength of The Space
Trilogy, Mark and Jane are both the subjects of a thorough case study on the
vulnerability of men to, for lack of a better term, herd behavior. Both seek out a role in the social hierarchy;
they want, not only to be a part of the “in-crowd”, but to be recognized as so. Yet there is a distinctive difference between
the very cores of their characters which sets them apart so powerfully, and
results in a dramatic difference in their vulnerability to the temptations they
are faced with.
Jane wants to be seen
as a woman married to a man of power and high social standing, while also being
seen as independent, intelligent, and respect-worthy individual. Notice, she doesn’t have nearly as great of
concern for these dignities when she is on her own, but rather emphasizes these
attributes when in a social setting. For
example when she meets Miss Ironwood she swells with pride upon being able to
say Mark has obtained a position with N.I.C.E.
Furthermore, one of the reasons she is so hesitant to become involved
with the Dimbles, despite their kindness and friendliness, is that she views
their open Christianity to make them somehow “unpopular”, not the socialites
she would prefer to associate with.
Notice also that one of the reasons she eventually returns to St. Annes
is because she cannot find a socialite companion to replace Mrs. Maggs with
whom she can “go out in the town”, and the Dennistons are so ideal to lure her
in to meet Dr. Ransom, being socially graceful and characteristic of her
socialite ideal. Yet Jane also overcomes
these impulses fairly early in the story, and we know based on the guilt Mark
feels when he thinks about her that she does have a more sturdy sense of
character than he. She also comes to stand on her own two feet, entirely
independent of Mark, placing faith in Dr. Ransom alone. Based on a mere encounter with him, she comes
to change herself, and undergoes an intermediary stage where she develops an
individual, independent identity.
Mark, conversely, is
far more vulnerable to his desires of being “included” in the “in-crowd”, a
desire which noticeably never dies, but rather shifts focus. He never has a phase when he stands on his
own two feet and develops strength of morality and character (although he does
develop a powerful resolve and an understanding of truth). He does not have a time as Jane does (when
she sets out for home and is interrogated by Hardcastle) where he is able to
develop an identity independent of a desired team, but rather defines himself
by whatever team he views to be best.
Just after he has been arrested and he is undergoing his transformation,
he realizes that he “joined the wrong group,” and desires instead to be with
Jane’s “in crowd.” Personally, I found
this development in Mark quite disappointing.
Furthermore, while Jane constantly questions every new piece of information
presented to her and thinks deeply about whether she should go along with
something, Mark fails to be so analytically engaged. Many, many times throughout the story “the
moment of his consent almost escaped his notice” and on page 127 this results
in his almost subconscious submission to NICE “it all slipped past in a chatter
of laughter, of that intimate laughter between fellow professionals, which of
all earthly powers is strongest to make men do very bad things before they are
yet, individually, very bad men.”
Compared to Jane’s over-active defensiveness, Mark comes across as a total
pushover, and this likely accounts for his inability to recognize the truth
sooner.
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