Beyond Lust: The Illusive Dream of Perfection and the Tragic Beauty of Chasing Illusions
I love C. S. Lewis’s description of lust in The Great Divorce where he said, “Lust is a poor, weak, whimpering, whispering thing compared with that richness and energy of desire which will arise when lust has been killed.” Generally, we think of lust primarily pertaining to an intense desire for sexual pleasure, whereas the other deadly sin of greed involves an insatiable craving for material wealth, and the deadly sin of envy is characterized by longing for what others possess. Each of these vices targets different aspects of human fulfillment—physical, material, or social—though they all stem from a similar underlying struggle with self-control and moderation.
I do believe lust goes beyond just sexual pleasure. An example of this can be found in Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia) where the Telmarines, who have overtaken Narnia, often display a lust for power and status, which could be seen as a form of luxuria, an overreach or excessive desire beyond reasonable bounds. Lewis’s focus in the story tends to emphasize virtues like humility, bravery, and faith instead of indulgence or lust. Lust encompasses a strong yearning for any pleasurable experience or material gain. In many contexts, lust can refer to an insatiable desire for wealth, power, or other worldly pleasures beyond what is necessary or moderate.
As I write this fifth post inspired by Deadlands’ great collection of songs dealing with the seven deadly sins I am pondering the lines, “Infatuated with the fantasy; A vital sign that I refuse to see.” These lines from Deadlands’ great song, “Limbo,” actually remind me of Daisy Buchanan, the central character in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby. Daisy is portrayed as a beautiful, charming, yet somewhat superficial woman who comes to symbolize elegance, wealth, and the elusive nature of the American Dream.
Daisy is beautiful and desirable but ultimately hollow and unfulfilled, reflecting the novel’s critique of the pursuit of happiness through material success. Similar to what Kasey Karlsen wrote and sings in “Limbo”, when she says “Taste of illusion that I can’t ignore,” Fitzgerald’s Daisy character highlights themes of illusion versus reality. Both the song and the novel explore how longing for an elusive perfection can compel individuals to pursue illusions at the expense of reality. This is lust at its worst.
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