Makes us forget the important things in life
Screwtape talks about the Atheist in the first letter and how he was corrupted. Screwtape mentions a strategy he used and that is making the Atheist stop thinking about the important things in life and instead making him think only about the stress of everyday life and of the problems in the world. Using this strategy, the Atheist was corrupted into becoming one of Srewtape’s followers. The idea that stress can influence a person into no longer focusing on the important things is a common motif in the letters and appears time and time again.
Thought are important
A common motif found in the play is the idea that a person’s thought are extremely important. Screwtape makes Wormwood understand that if they can control the direction of a person’s thought, then they can control that person completely and can make the person in question do whatever they want the person to do.
The devil does not exist
In the seventh letter, Screwtape tells Wormood to do everything he can to conceal the existence of the Devil and demons. The reason behind this is that is a man denies the existence of demons, then it is most likely that he will also deny the existence of God and his angels. This idea becomes a common motif in the letters and appears time and time again, mentioned both by Screwtape and by Wormwood.
Created by God
Another common motif that appears in the letters is the idea that demons and the devil are unable to create anything. They can only use God’s creation to try and sway men and women away from God by amplifying the need to do something they know they are not supposed to do or by making the humans experience certain things in times when they are not supposed to and in manners unacceptable by God. This idea is a common motif and appears on numerous times in the letters when Screwtape talks about tempting humans.
Avoid thinking about what is true and what is false
Another common idea found in the letters is the idea that, starting from the 21th century, people started to avoid thinking in finite terms. Humanity in general gave up the belief that there is a universal truth and that some behaviors and ideas are always wrong or always right. This shift in the population’s mentality meant that more and more people were giving up religion where they had to think in finite terms and where they had no choice but to obey what they were told by the religious leaders.
