That Hideous Strength: Chapter 4

Spoiler alert: This post is part of an in-depth discussion of That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis, which will inevitably reveal key plot points. I recommend you support your local bookseller or public library, and read the book first.

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Mark Studdock, a sociologist and Fellow at Bracton College in Edgestow, left Bracton to take a public-relations position with the N.I.C.E., a scientific think tank that purchased a large parcel of land from the College to set up its institute, including the ancient Bragdon Wood, where Merlin is buried, according to folklore. He travelled to Belbury, the current headquarters of the N.I.C.E., with the influential Lord Feverstone, another influential Fellow and a member of the Institute. There he met several high-ranking members of the N.I.C.E., but none of them seemed to know exactly where Mark fit in the organization or would give him a straight answer about his job description. One interesting character he met was Miss Hardcastle, known as "the Fairy," a burly woman who headed the N.I.C.E.'s police organization. The N.I.C.E. itself wants to re-engineer society along "scientific" lines including eugenics and direct mind conditioning, and Miss Hardcastle was particularly enthusiastic about her job as the enforcers of the Institute's agenda. He also meets another Fellow at Bracton, William "Bill the Blizzard" Hingest, who strongly advises Mark to leave the N.I.C.E. alone and go back to Bracton—as he himself is that night.

Meanwhile, Mark's wife Jane, who is disturbed by clairvoyant dreams, travelled to St. Anne's on the Hill. She was given the address of a Miss Ironwood, whom her tutor, Mr. Dimble, invited her to visit to talk about her dreams. When she spoke to Miss Ironwood, she was disappointed to find out that she could be no help, because there was nothing wrong with her. Jane's dreams are a natural ability inherited from her ancestry in a branch of the Tudor family. She has an ancestor who wrote down an accurate account of the Battle of Worcester despite not being there: he, too, dreamt it. Jane returned home to Edgestow, where she received a phone call late at night from Mrs. Dimble, asking if she could stay the night.

Chapter 4: "The Liquidation of Anachronisms"

First of all, I love the title of this chapter. That's not something I say often about chapter titles. It sounds like the title of a prog-rock album, but in this story, as we'll see, it's literally true.

That Hideous Strength: Chapter 3

Spoiler alert: This post is part of an in-depth discussion of That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis, which will inevitably reveal key plot points. I recommend reading the book first. It's short, I promise.

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Mark Studdock is a Fellow at Bracton College in the University of Edgestow. At a meeting of the Governing Board, the Progressive Element, a clique of which Mark is part, succeeded in approving the sale of some College property, the ancient Bragdon Wood, to the N.I.C.E., a scientific research institution. Afterward, Lord Feverstone (aka Dick Devine), another Fellow and an influential politician involved with the N.I.C.E., told Mark what the real business of the think tank is: human advancement through eugenics, environmental manipulation, and ultimately interplanetary travel. He invited Mark to join the N.I.C.E. to write flattering propaganda.

Jane, Mark's wife of six months, is a graduate student. She was disturbed by a nightmare of a recently executed murderer. She visited Mr. Dimble, her tutor, and his wife, and they suggested she talk to someone they knew in St. Anne's on the Hill. When she returned home, thoughts of her nightmare frightened her, and when Mark arrived, he found her sobbing at the door.

The next day, Mark drove with Lord Feverstone to Belbury, headquarters of the N.I.C.E., while Jane rode the train to St. Anne's, to meet with the Dimbles' acquaintance, Miss Ironwood.

That Hideous Strength: Chapter 2

Spoiler alert: This post is part of an in-depth discussion of That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis, which will inevitably reveal key plot points. Unless you're the sort of person who likes skipping to the last page, go read the book first.

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Mark and Jane Studdock have been married for six months and their marriage is on the rocks.

Jane Studdock is a graduate student, who was married six months ago, and the marriage was already in trouble. She struggles with her thesis, and she resents the life of a housewife. Jane was recently disturbed by a nightmare involving the disembodied head of a recently executed scientist and murderer. When she visited her tutor and his wife, they offered her the address of someone that she could talk to.

Her husband, Mark Studdock, is a Fellow at Bracton College in the University of Edgestow. Amongst the Fellows he is a member of the Progressive Element. At a College Meeting, they successfully leveraged the College's current financial difficulties to win a motion to sell Bragdon Wood, an ancient forest that legend says is the burial place of Merlin. The buyer was the National Institute of Co-Ordinated Experiments (N.I.C.E.), a scientific research institute.

The Progressive Element are:

• Curry, the sub-Warden: The leader of the clique. He enjoys playing politics and wants to be seen, along with Bracton College, as modern and progressive.
• James Busby, the College Bursar (financial administrator): He sees the sale of Bragdon Wood as a solution to the College's money problems, and allies with the other Progressives to push it through.
• Lord Feverstone: Also known as Dick Devine, he is an influential London politician. He uses his influence at the College to recruit Mark and close the sale of Bragdon Wood to the N.I.C.E.
• Mark Studdock: A Junior Fellow of Sociology, elected five years ago. He is ambitious, wanting to belong to the inner circle. He was elected over his chief rival, a man named Denniston, thanks to the influence of Lord Feverstone.