Lewis knew early on and deep in his imaginative bones that defeat is no refutation. Defeat, death, loss, poverty, weakness, powerlessness of any kind – these things are not to be simply equated with moral failure. They may be symptoms of moral failure. They may represent the fruits of laziness, cowardice, ineptitude, and so on, but not necessarily. There is such a thing as innocent suffering, honourable defeat; it is possible to die a good death.
