Out of the Silent Planet

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1938

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-9

Chapters 10-12

Chapters 13-15

Chapters 16-18

Chapters 19-21

Chapter 22 and Postscript

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Discussion Questions

Essay Topics

Compare the characters of Weston and Devine. What do they have in common, and how do they differ? Why does Oyarsa refer to Weston as “bent” and Devine as “broken”?

What is the symbolic significance of the small, warm, rounded room in which Ransom awakens after being kidnapped? Connect this to the idea of a spiritual awakening or “rebirth.”

Why does Lewis make Ransom a fallible character? How might the novel’s message change if the reader did not initially see Ransom give in to his fears and make mistakes?