The Simulation of The Inklings' Place of Communion - Kate Bennett

  I wrote a quote down at the beginning of the semester that has remained with me as I’ve progressed through this course. In On Stories, C.S. Lewis writes, “I think that books which are read merely for the story may be enjoyed in two different ways. It is partly a division of books (Some stories can be read only in one spirit and some only in the other) and partly a division of readers (the same story can be read in different ways)” (2). This class is undoubtedly a demonstration of the division of readers that persist within story writing and reading. While we were all required to read the same books, by the same author, at the same time, our interpretations of the story never failed to exhibit differences. We showed up to class every week with a different idea of what we wanted to talk about, and how we had interpreted the previous week’s material. Even further, we are all working on completely different research papers, despite sharing the exact same content throughout the course. It has been incredibly enlightening to learn of everyone else’s perceptions. Many times, I was introduced to ideas I had never even considered before, but found myself liking them better than my own theories. The peer feedback of the Narnia assignment was a clear example of this. Ultimately, I now understand the value of simulating the environment that The Inklings created once ago, and I am appreciative of the opportunity to participate in the content in such an interactive way.