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Copywork
About This Passage
Here Screwtape lets slip the devils' real secret: simply feeling afraid is not the sin — what matters is the act, whether a person gives in or does the right thing anyway. Copying this whole sentence helps a child see that being brave does not mean never feeling scared; it means doing what is right in spite of fear.
For remember, the act of cowardice is all that matters; the emotion of fear is, in itself, no sin and, though we enjoy it, does us no good,
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Tell the story of Screwtape's twenty-ninth letter to Wormwood in your own words. Why does Screwtape say the devils cannot make the man brave? And what does he say matters most — the scared feeling itself, or what a person actually does when they are afraid?
Discussion Questions
- Screwtape says 'the emotion of fear is, in itself, no sin.' If someone feels scared but still does the right thing, is that person brave, or not? Which detail in the letter to Wormwood helps you decide?
- Screwtape says 'Pilate was merciful till it became risky.' Is it fair to call someone kind if they stop being kind the moment it gets dangerous? Name the detail in the letter to Wormwood that helps you decide.
+ 2 more questions in the complete study guide
Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
Doing what is right even when you feel afraid.
Item 2
A person who gives in to fear and fails to do the right thing.
Item 3
The scared feeling you get when danger seems near.
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Critical Thinking
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