Letter 17 talks about gluttony and it's different appearances. Screwtape talks about a need for perfection being just as awful as a desire for excess. Once can fool themselves into believing that they are doing well by restricting themselves from certain desires...Screwtape gives the example of the woman who has a disdain for too much food on her plate. This obsession with perfection and the desire for a certain state can be just as debilitating as indulging. A person becomes engrossed in the state of desire for a certain outcome and cannot break themselves from it. It can be unhealthy physically and spiritually.
This state of mind, of craving perfection may seem harmless to an individual, but in reality, it can be disastrous. What comes to mind for me is the idea of the perfect body image and eating disorders. The need for an excessively skinny body becomes a psychological problem, resulting in health dangers. A psychologically sick person isn't necessarily taking care of themselves as well as they should, and in turn, this person as one of God's creations is being hurt. So, I think that gluttony can exist in two forms excess desires for indulgence and excess desires for perfection.
1 comment:
I really enjoyed your description of this letter. I agree with your statement that the sin of gluttony is unhealthy both physically and spiritually. I also feel that many people have this state of mind and need for perfection throughout different aspects of their lives. That is why I can see what Screwtape is conveying when he is explaining this particular letter.
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