Lesson Topic 2: "The Shoddy Lands"

text annotation indicator An emblem memorializing author C. S. Lewis. It reads: "MHDC - At this Inn C.S. Lewis (1898 - 1963) scholar and author of THE NARNIA CHRONICLES met frequently with literary and hill-walking friends." Malvern Civic Society. C.S. Lewis is most known for The Chronicles of Narnia collection, but he was a novelist, essayist, poet, literary critic, and Christian apologist from Ireland. He is best known for his fictional work, and he was close friends with J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings.

"The Shoddy Lands" is a story written by C.S. Lewis which originally appeared in the February 1956 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The narrator, a huffy, very 1950s-era scholar, mysteriously gets stuck in the mind of his complete opposite: a boring young woman named Peggy. He sees the world through her eyes. And what does he see? Not much. Everything is shoddy.

It is now time to read "The Shoddy Lands." As you read, pay close attention to the lesson of self-perception and ego. Identify places in the text which reflect Lewis's ideas about the way in which we perceive ourselves as opposed to the way others perceive us. Can you connect this piece to one of the themes covered in the Elements of Science Fiction presentation?

Once you finish reading, see if you can answer the following questions:

What point of view is "The Shoddy Lands" told from?
Can you find an example of irony in the story? Is it verbal, situational, or dramatic irony?
Find one example of imagery. Which of your five senses did this description appeal to?
Can you find any examples of foreshadowing?

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