That Hideous Strength

Heaven is used to symbolize both the state of grace in the Christian sense and a space that includes space and all that is celestial. As such, heaven includes the celestial planets, which are characterized as angels with earthly counterparts. Heaven is symbolic of the good, the godly and the divine.

Light is used throughout the narrative as both symbol and a motif. Light symbolizes clarity and hope. It appears when Jane reaches St. Anne’s and the fog dissipates. It’s also amotif for celestial light, meaning celestial charity and hope. Angels, or celestial eldils, appear with beams of piercing, searching light. Light is also used as a motif as a foil to darkness in a duality seen throughout the novel. Merlin, seemingly dark, is a light in the darkness that is Belbury. 

The in-crowd or inner circle is a motif that affects Mark the most. The inner circle is a symbol of power, for good or ill. Mark wants this power because he wants to be accepted and useful. He goes from inner circle to inner circle his entire life, trying to fit in. Inner circles are also glimpsed at St. Anne’s, with Mark seeing Jane as being part of a circle that is on the side of the good. There are even allusions to inner circles among the celestial eldils, with the narrator describing Saturn and Glund-Oyarsa as being in a league above the other eldils.