The Discarded Image

Lewis creates many extensive arguments about the nature and beliefs of medieval people. Select one argument that you find to be valid and one that appears to be lacking, and explain the reasoning behind your judgments, using specific references to the text.

Read one or more of the texts that Lewis references in The Discarded Image. How has Lewis’s work informed your understanding of that prior work? Write an essay relating the text to Lewis’s arguments.

Using the same process as Lewis, examine contemporary literature and try to develop a Model that most modern writers accept about the universe, themselves, and their writing. What conclusions have you come to?

Lewis writes for readers who are familiar with Latin, Greek, French, Italian, and Middle English. How does his use of language impact your understanding of the text? Why does Lewis include so many passages without accompanying translations?

What assumptions is Lewis making in his writing about Europeans, classical civilizations, and the development of societies? How do these assumptions inform his arguments?

Read at least one installment of The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. Which ideas in these books are also reflected in The Discarded Image? Write an essay critically analyzing the similarities between the texts.

Lewis claims that each era’s Model reflects prevailing attitudes of the time. Is this also true of the current model of the universe? Why or why not?

How does the rigidity of the Medieval Model reflect the corresponding rigidity of medieval culture and social norms? Support your analysis with examples from the text.