Surprised by joy

I am a C. S. Lewis fan not because I understand all that he writes but because I don't. He makes me think and I appreciate any author who can do that. In his autobiographical work Surprised by Joy, he writes of his pursuit of "joy". Through a painful childhood involving a horrendous schooling and abandoning father he learns valuable, lifelong lessons.

The book's last two chapters focuses on his journey from atheism to theism and from theism to Christianity. Lewis ultimately discovers the true nature and purpose of joy and its place in his own life. In fact, at the end of the book, he points out that the pursuit of joy has lost all meaning since he met its Source (there's a great lesson there, too).

During his writing of this work, he begins a penpal relationship with Helen Joy Gresham who lived in New York. According to Wikipedia, "She was an American poet and writer, a radical communist, and an atheist before converting to Christianity in the 1940s." Ultimately, they marry and he is "surprised by Joy". Soon after their marriage, she dies of cancer, leaving Lewis to finish rearing her two boys from a previous marriage.

What does all this have to do with movies? One of my favorites is Shadowlands which tells this endearing love story. It is filled with marvelous lessons that everyone needs to hear and learn. Perhaps the most thoughtful is at the end of the movie. Lewis and the two boys are walking across a shadowed pasture land (powerful imagery); as you see them walking away, a closing summary lesson is presented:

Why love, if losing hurts so much? I have no answers anymore: only the life I have lived. Twice in that life I've been given the choice: as a boy and as a man. The boy chose safety, the man chooses suffering. The pain now is part of the happiness then. That's the deal.

~ Dean Boyer

JJL Editorial Notes:
Read more from Dean here at Joyful Jubilant Learning! Most recently he has written:

• Teaching with the heart of aloha in a digital age
• A Celebration of Children
• Children and Their Books

Comments

[Rosa Say]

First things first...Hau‘oli la hanau – Happy Birthday Dean! What a thrill for us that you have queued this up to spend part of your day with us! Sharing your joy is the Dean's birth-day gift we get from you every time you hit that publish button mahalo :)

And this is a special one where you continue to share of yourself so wonderfully, for I know how much you do love and admire the writing of C.S.Lewis.

Books and movie pairings, of course! Knew it wouldn't take long :)

[Greg Balanko-Dickson]

Powerful imagery indeed.

Does the happiness from then make the suffering today easier to endure?

Happy Birthday Dean, may happiness and joy be your experience each and everyday!

[Tim Draayer]

Dean - First things first, Happy Birthday to you! :)

I'm also a C.S. Lewis fan and have been since a very very early age. I started on the Narnia series but quickly branched out into his other authorings. Such as the Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity.

Not exactly light reading for a kid.

[amypalko]

I absolutely love this film, Dean. I find it so moving and the acting is just wonderful. I didn't realise that his autobiography was named after that fabulous Wordsworth poem, 'Surprised By Joy'. Do you know that poem?

Surprised by joy -impatient as the wind
I turned to share the transport - Oh! with whom
But Thee, deep buried in the silent tomb,
That spot which no vicissitude can find?
Love, faithful love, recalled thee to my mind -
But how could I forget thee? Through what power,
Even for the least division of an hour,
Have I been so beguiled as to be blind
To my most grievous loss? - That thought's return
Was the worst pang that sorrow ever bore
Save one, one only, when I stood forlorn,
Knowing my heart's best treasure was no more;
That neither present time, nor years unborn,
Could to my sight that heavenly face restore.

Such a sad poem which so evocatively captures the reality of Wordsworth's grief at losing his daughter.
Thank you so much for calling both the film and the poem to mind.

[Steve Sherlock]

Dean, happy birthday! Thanks for sharing this movie. It will be a consideration some night when I am looking for somethng to watch.

[Dean Boyer]

Dear Rosa, Greg, Tim, Amy and Steve,

Thank you for the birthday wishes. It was one of the very best times with family. Amy, thank you for introducing the poem. You all are encouragements to me.

[Chris Owen]

Dean Dean Dean, this'll teach me to book my article in early!
When the movies theme for the month was first mooted, I sighed with relief as the obvious movie for me to talk about was Shadowlands.
Personally i think it has been my favourite movie ever, but as a relationship specialist it has SOOOO much to teach us all as well.
So while I totally resonate with your choice and thoughts, I'm envious that you got in first!
Thanks too Amy for the poem, it gave me goosebumps.
Belated Happy Birthday Dean!

[Dwayne Melancon]

Excellent review, Dean. I didn't really know anything about CS Lewis until I saw this movie and I only watched it because it had Anthony Hopkins in it.

Since then, I've become very intrigued by Lewis- the fact that he was Tolkien's room mate at University, his writings on Christianity, and - of course - the Chronicles of Narnia.

I learned a good bit from the movie, which prompted me to learn a lot more about a fascinating man. And it was a great movie, too.

Oh - and happy birthday.