Elwin Ransom

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Elwin Ransom is the prominent character from C. S. Lewis's Space Trilogy series. He is the main character in the books Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra, which are told almost entirely from his point of view. He is also a major character in the third book, That Hideous Strength, in which he plays a prominent role as the Director of an organization resisting the demonic take-over of the world. He is a philologist by profession, which gives him a unique aptitude for learning languages. He speculates that this ability is the reason that he is 'chosen' for his role in the first and second books, although he notes in Perelandra that it might as well have been anyone else. He receives a permanent wound on his heel resulting from a physical battle with Professor Weston in Perelandra. This wound is a possible reference to the unhealing wound of Anfortas, the ailing Grail King of Arthurian legend, which was a major theme in some of Charles William's works, a major influence to the Space Trilogy. As is true with most of Lewis' writing, the Space Trilogy has religious symbolism in which Ransom takes on the role of a prophet preparing for the end times by resisting demonic forces on Earth and Perelandra. Even his last name is meant to be reminiscent of the sacrifice of Jesus.

Elwin Ransom may be based on C. S. Lewis' friend J. R. R. Tolkien ("Elwin" means "Elf friend" in Anglo Saxon), though he seems to have autobiographical elements. In the final chapter of the first book, the author flatly states that "Elwin Ransom" is a pseudonym; however, in the second book, great significance is attached to his surname (with a divine voice saying "It is not for nothing that you are named Ransom"), indicating that this is in fact the character's real name. The inconsistency is never explained.