As I was reading The Screwtape Letters, I kept feeling sorry for Wormwood. I don't know if that was part of Lewis' intentions with the story, but his life (though we never meet him) seemed so sad and hopeless. He has one mission which is terrible and involves squashing out all hope and love, and if he fails, he will be punished the same as if his patient would have gone to hell--to be devoured.
Slowly throughout the story, we find out that his Uncle Screwtape doesn't seem to care who is punished, he just wants to see it happen. And it doesn't really seem to matter if it is his nephew. Though Screwtape signs his letters saying "your affectionate Uncle," it is just another deception. In the end, Screwtape just wanted flesh and was "ravenously affectionate" for it.
For me these details really pounded in, how hopeless Hell is. There is no existence of any good or presence of God. If we life a Godless life, we will be just as wormwood. No matter what happens we will be doomed to a hopeless existence (or possibly be eaten immediately). (I am not going to pretend to know what happens when humans go to hell.)
Another great lesson that I learned from this book was how crafty and serpent-like sin can sneak into a persons life. There were countless times that Screwtape suggested how something good can be twisted and manipulated for evil. It's such a scary thought for me. I've always learned that it is important not to under-estimate the devil and evil, but it can be just as bad to over-estimate them as well. There is such an unknown line there. Since we started reading this book, I have been really praying for revelations of truths and the amount of hope it takes not to despair at these thoughts.
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