C.S. Lewis’s A Grief Observed (1898-1963) as a Literary Example of Grief

Julia Topór

DOI: https://doi.org/10.58324/s.497

Abstract

This paper aims to analyse C.S. Lewis’s seminal work, A Grief Observed, in which the author describes his bout of grief following the loss of his wife Helen Joy Davidman Gresham and an ensuing wavering of faith. The work is analysed in terms of language and the author’s personal experience. The study of the work is preceded by a brief overview of the main issues surrounding the theme of bereavement relevant to the analysis. Referring to the results of this research, the paper posits that literature rejects the once popular approach to bereavement of dividing it into stages. The analysis presented shows that literary works recognise the diversity and uniqueness of individual responses to loss and view the experience itself as a spectrum rather than a sequence of stages.

Keywords:

C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed, death, mourning, loss, faith, mourning literature

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Topór, J. (2026). C.S. Lewis’s A Grief Observed (1898-1963) as a Literary Example of Grief. Społeczeństwo, 36(1), 53–65. https://doi.org/10.58324/s.497

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