Find a passage in A Grief Observed that seems to mark an advance in Lewis's thought. Explain it, and compare it with some earlier example of what he thought. Five or six paragraphs on your website.
"A Grief Observed" is an odd piece of writing coming from Lewis. It shows a man stumbling through his thoughts. Unlike his previous work, Lewis is more or less writing to come (hopefully) to some sort of conclusion about what he has learned from his wife's death. By collecting and then reviewing notes he has written throughout the weeks, he pieces together a kind of chronological understanding of his grief. In a sense, this isn't a work of fiction at all, as is with, say, "The Great Divorce," but a close, personal look into the thoughts and questions of a man struggling deeply.
One of the more interesting passages is found on page 667. Here, Lewis wrestles with some controversial ideas: "why should the separation (if nothing else) which so agonizes the lover who is left behind be painless to the lover who departs? 'Because she is in God's hands.' But if so, she was in God's hands all the time ... Do they suddenly become gentler to us the moment we are out of the body?" Clearly, Lewis is more pessimistic than he has been before. He alludes to the idea that God may be somewhat harsh, even in the afterlife. Or, rather, that the same grief that affects us on earth is capable of doing the same in heaven.
This is a rather different idea when compared to the writing found in "The Great Divorce." In that piece, the more righteous, honest, noble, and true people are, the more "solid" they become. It goes without saying, really, that Lewis would look at H. as honest and therefore not one of the individuals to be found on the omnibus that travels back to Hell. H. would be a more solid individual and therefore without much pain. She would guide transparent, less solid ghosts and do so courageously, as does the woman with the large following (529-532). Having said all this, when one reads the above passage from "A Grief Observed," Lewis seems to be describing someone who is more transparent than solid, more concerned with the leaving of her husband than the acceptance of meeting God.
This different kind of writing continues when Lewis admits, "I wrote that last night. It was a yell rather than a thought. Let me try it over again. Is it rational to believe in a bad God? (669). This kind of recognition of writing too hurriedly or coming up with explanations that are ultimately wrong occurs a few times throughout the writing and reveals Lewis' comfort in not being so damn right all the time. That he re-phrases questions is an indication that he is growing as an individual, that he is learning from his grief. He isn't afraid to make mistakes or act out with emotion in his writing. Here, without question, he reveals the personal nature of the piece.
This personal touch is further revealed when he mentions how the quote of "Do not mourn like those that have no hope" from C. really doesn't help him at all (667). Unlike his rather arrogant way (as detailed early in his autobiography) of placing material read on the same plain as actually experiencing things, he is quick to realize that quotes that once used to make sense to him now don't due to his immediate experience of pain and grief. In short, his grief overshadows any advice his friends or books would offer him.
Possibly the most uncomfortable part of "A Grief Observed" is how, at first, Lewis seems to be close to giving up his faith. At times, he seems to be nearly ready to cave, content with regressing to an earlier part of his life where God plays little-to-no part in it. This temporary hesitation in faith, however, marks the greatest advance in his thoughts as he is ultimately able to learn from an almost overwhelming loss. Complete fiction has given way to true, raw, immediate thoughts influenced directly by H.'s passing.