Date

11-11-2026

Department

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree

Master of Arts in Literature (MA)

Chair

Karen Dodson

Keywords

Fantasy, Science Fiction, Milton, Lewis, Free Will

Disciplines

English Language and Literature

Abstract

This paper explores the literary dialogue between John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost and C.S. Lewis’s science fiction novel Perelandra. Whereas Milton’s epic established the modern Western imagination of man’s fall in the Garden of Eden, Lewis sought to provide a distinct reimagining of the foundational narrative. Comparing the author’s depictions of both unfallen worlds, the nature of mankind’s innocence, and the act of temptation illustrates the dialogue taking place between Milton and Lewis. This analysis also highlights Lewis’s deconstruction of the romantic character of Satan, which critics of Milton find to be the biggest flaw in his poem. While Milton’s Satan possesses a tragic grandeur that often elicits reader sympathy, Lewis’s Un-Man embodies a tremendous horror and evil. The paper argues that Lewis transforms the fall from a tragic inevitability, while elevating the ideas of free will and individual responsibility. Lewis’s Perelandra is more than just a retelling but rather is a continuation of Milton’s original epic.

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