Orual's Bitter Accusation

Orual, the eldest daughter of the King of Glome, begins her story in old age, free from fear of gods or men. She sets out to accuse the gods, especially the god of the Grey Mountain, for the suffering and loss in her life. She writes in Greek, hoping her words will reach a fair judge. Orual's bitterness is rooted in her sense of injustice and the pain she has endured, particularly regarding her beloved half-sister Psyche. She frames her narrative as a legal case, determined to lay out her grievances and demand an answer from the gods who, she feels, have only ever responded with silence and suffering.

Sisters and the Fox

Orual and her younger sister Redival grow up in the shadow of their father's cruelty and the loss of their mother. Their lives change with the arrival of the Fox, a Greek slave who becomes their teacher and surrogate parent. The Fox's wisdom and affection provide Orual with her first taste of love and learning, contrasting with the harshness of palace life. Redival, less interested in study, grows jealous and restless. The Fox's rational, philosophical worldview shapes Orual's mind, but his skepticism about the gods will later clash with the dark, superstitious world of Glome.

The Birth of Psyche

After the death of their stepmother in childbirth, Orual and Redival gain a new half-sister, Istra—nicknamed Psyche. Orual, already starved for love, becomes fiercely devoted to the beautiful, gentle child. Psyche's beauty is extraordinary, and she becomes the center of Orual's world, filling her with joy and purpose. The Fox, too, adores Psyche, and together the three form a close-knit family. Redival, increasingly sidelined, grows resentful. The seeds of future jealousy and tragedy are sown in these early years of happiness and innocent love.

Beauty and Jealousy

As Psyche grows, her beauty becomes legendary, drawing the adoration of the people and the suspicion of the priests. The people begin to worship Psyche as a goddess, believing her touch can heal. Orual is both proud and fearful, sensing the gods' jealousy. Redival's envy festers, and she begins to spread rumors and seek attention elsewhere. The Fox dismisses the people's superstitions, but Orual feels the shadow of Ungit, the local goddess, looming over them. The family's unity is threatened by forces both within and beyond their control.

The People's Goddess

When plague and famine strike Glome, the people's adoration of Psyche turns to suspicion. They blame her for their misfortunes, calling her the Accursed. The King, desperate and manipulated by the Priest of Ungit, is convinced that a great sacrifice is needed to appease the gods. The Fox and Orual are powerless to stop the rising tide of fear and religious fervor. Psyche, once beloved, becomes a scapegoat. Orual's love turns to desperation as she realizes she may lose her sister to the will of the gods and the madness of the crowd.

The Great Offering

The Priest of Ungit declares that the gods demand a Great Offering: a perfect victim to be given to the Brute, the son of Ungit, on the Grey Mountain. The lots fall on Psyche. The King, relieved that the curse is not on him, agrees to the sacrifice. Orual pleads, bargains, and even offers herself in Psyche's place, but is rejected and humiliated. The Fox, powerless, can only offer philosophical comfort. Orual's world collapses as she is forced to watch her beloved sister prepared for a ritual death she cannot prevent.

The Sacrifice on the Mountain

On the day of the sacrifice, Psyche is dressed as a bride and led in a grim procession to the holy Tree on the Grey Mountain. Orual, bruised and desperate, manages to spend one last night with Psyche in her prison. Their farewell is filled with love, pain, and misunderstanding. Psyche faces her fate with a strange mixture of fear and acceptance, speaking of longing for the Mountain and the god who may await her. Orual is left behind, shattered by grief and guilt, as Psyche is bound to the Tree and abandoned to the Brute.

Orual's Grief and Recovery

After Psyche's sacrifice, Orual falls into a feverish illness, haunted by dreams of betrayal and loss. The city is saved—rain returns, the plague ends—but Orual finds no comfort in these "gifts" from the gods. The Fox tries to console her with reason, but Orual's pain is too deep. Eventually, she resolves to recover Psyche's remains from the Mountain, seeking closure and a way to honor her sister. This quest marks the beginning of Orual's transformation from a grieving girl to a woman hardened by suffering and responsibility.

The Search for Psyche

Orual, accompanied by Bardia, travels to the site of Psyche's sacrifice. They find no trace of her body—no bones, no blood, only a single ruby. As they search further, they stumble into a hidden valley of extraordinary beauty, where Orual is stunned to find Psyche alive, healthy, and radiant. Psyche claims to live in a palace, married to a god, but Orual sees only wilderness. The sisters' reunion is joyful but quickly turns to confusion and conflict as Orual cannot see what Psyche sees.

The Palace Unseen

Psyche insists she lives in a magnificent palace and is the bride of a god who visits her only in darkness. Orual, unable to see or believe, fears for Psyche's sanity and safety. The sisters' bond is tested as Orual tries to convince Psyche to leave, but Psyche refuses, bound by love and obedience to her mysterious husband. Orual's inability to share Psyche's vision becomes a source of anguish and alienation. The gods' riddle—what is real, what is madness—torments Orual, who feels utterly alone and powerless.

The Riddle of the Gods

Orual, convinced that Psyche is either deluded or the victim of a monster, seeks counsel from Bardia and the Fox. Both offer rational explanations, but neither can resolve the mystery. Orual returns to the valley, determined to save Psyche by force if necessary. She confronts her sister, demanding proof of the god's identity. In a moment of desperation, Orual wounds herself and coerces Psyche into swearing to betray her husband by looking upon his face with a lamp. The sisters part in bitterness and sorrow, their love poisoned by doubt and fear.

The Lamp and the Ruin

Orual waits through a stormy night, watching for the signal that Psyche has obeyed her command. When the moment comes, disaster follows: Psyche's act of disobedience destroys her happiness. The god appears, majestic and terrible, and banishes Psyche to wander the earth in exile and suffering. Orual, confronted by the god's overwhelming presence, is told, "You also shall be Psyche." Wracked by guilt and loss, Orual returns to Glome, veiling herself and burying her pain beneath the duties of queenship.

The Veiled Queen

Orual becomes Queen of Glome, ruling with wisdom and strength but hiding her face and her heart. She builds a new life, reforms the kingdom, and earns the loyalty of her people. Yet she is haunted by the memory of Psyche and the knowledge that her love was possessive and destructive. Orual's relationships—with Bardia, the Fox, and others—are marked by the same hunger for love and the same inability to give it freely. She becomes a figure of mystery and power, but her soul remains restless and wounded.

The Queen's Reign

As the years pass, Orual's reign is marked by success and sorrow. She wins wars, reforms laws, and brings prosperity to Glome, but her personal life is empty. The Fox dies, Bardia dies, and Orual is left to confront the truth about her own nature. Encounters with others—her sister Redival, Bardia's wife Ansit—force Orual to see the ways she has consumed and hurt those she loved. The gods remain silent, and Orual's bitterness deepens. She is driven to write her complaint, seeking justice or at least understanding.

The Tale Retold

On a journey, Orual hears her story retold as a popular myth: Psyche's sisters, jealous of her happiness, betray her and cause her ruin. The tale is twisted, the truth lost. Orual is enraged by the injustice of the gods, who have not only punished her but also rewritten her story. She resolves to set down her own account, to accuse the gods and demand an answer. The act of writing becomes a final, desperate attempt to make sense of her life and suffering.

The Final Complaint

As Orual nears death, she is visited by visions and dreams. She sees herself as Ungit, the devouring goddess, and recognizes the ugliness of her own soul. In a final vision, she is brought before a divine court to read her complaint. As she reads, she realizes the true nature of her accusation: it is a confession of possessive, devouring love. The gods do not answer her with words; instead, she is shown the truth of her life and the suffering she has caused. The complaint itself is the answer.

The Gods' Answer

In the end, Orual is granted a vision of Psyche's true journey and the meaning of her own suffering. She sees that love must be given freely, not hoarded or demanded. The gods, once silent and cruel, are revealed as the source of all beauty and longing. Orual's face, once hidden, is finally made whole. She understands that the gods themselves are the answer to her complaint, and that only in their presence can all questions and wounds be healed. Orual dies at peace, her story complete.

Characters

Orual

Orual is the narrator and protagonist, the eldest daughter of the King of Glome. Marked by physical ugliness and emotional hunger, she is fiercely devoted to her half-sister Psyche, whom she loves with a possessive, almost maternal passion. Orual's journey is one of self-discovery: from a neglected, unloved girl to a powerful, veiled queen, and finally to a soul stripped bare before the gods. Her love, though deep, is also devouring and jealous, leading her to betray Psyche in the name of protection. Orual's psychological arc is a struggle between love and control, reason and faith, self-justification and self-knowledge. Her relationships—with Psyche, the Fox, Bardia, and others—reveal her longing for connection and her fear of abandonment. In the end, Orual's greatest enemy is herself, and her redemption comes through the painful recognition of her own flaws and the acceptance of divine mystery.

Psyche (Istra)

Psyche, Orual's half-sister, is the embodiment of beauty, innocence, and spiritual longing. Adored by all, she becomes the focus of both worship and jealousy. Psyche's journey is one of suffering and transformation: offered as a sacrifice, she endures exile, impossible tasks, and the loss of all she loves. Her faith and resilience set her apart, and she becomes a Christ-like figure, bearing the burdens of others and ultimately achieving union with the divine. Psyche's love is generous and selfless, in contrast to Orual's possessive love. Her story is both a retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth and a meditation on the nature of true love, faith, and the soul's longing for the divine.

The Fox (Lysias)

The Fox is a Greek slave who becomes the teacher and surrogate father to Orual and Psyche. He represents reason, philosophy, and the virtues of the Greek world—skeptical of the gods, valuing logic and self-control. The Fox's love for his charges is deep and genuine, but his rationalism is ultimately limited in the face of the mysteries and terrors of Glome. He is both a source of comfort and a symbol of the inadequacy of reason alone. The Fox's own regrets and confessions, especially in the afterlife, reveal his awareness of the limits of his wisdom and the need for something greater than philosophy.

Bardia

Bardia is the captain of the guard, a soldier of integrity and kindness. He teaches Orual the arts of war and becomes her most trusted companion. Bardia's loyalty is unwavering, but his devotion to duty and family creates tensions, especially with his wife Ansit and with Orual's unspoken love for him. Bardia's death, hastened by years of service to Orual, forces her to confront the costs of her possessiveness and the ways she has consumed those she loves. Bardia represents the virtues of courage, loyalty, and the quiet heroism of ordinary men.

Redival

Redival is Orual's younger sister, overshadowed by both Orual and Psyche. Her longing for attention and love leads her to acts of betrayal, including informing the priests about Psyche's worship. Redival's character is shaped by neglect and resentment, and she becomes a catalyst for much of the tragedy in the story. Her later life, marked by marriage and children, is a pale echo of the happiness she sought. Redival embodies the dangers of overlooked and unloved souls, and the ways in which pain can breed malice.

The King of Glome

Orual's father is a tyrant, ruling through fear and violence. His inability to love or be loved leaves his daughters emotionally starved. The King's actions—his marriages, his treatment of his children, his willingness to sacrifice Psyche—set the stage for the novel's central conflicts. In old age, he becomes a pathetic figure, haunted by his own failures. The King represents the destructive power of pride, insecurity, and the refusal to face one's own weakness.

The Priest of Ungit

The Priest of Ungit is the embodiment of the old religion: dark, bloody, and inscrutable. He wields immense influence over the people and the King, interpreting the will of the gods and demanding sacrifice. The Priest's presence is both holy and horrifying, a reminder of the power of the sacred and the terror it can inspire. He is a foil to the Fox, representing faith without reason, and his pronouncements drive the plot toward its tragic climax.

Ansit

Ansit is a minor but psychologically important character. Her jealousy of Orual and her grief over Bardia's death force Orual to confront the ways she has consumed and hurt others. Ansit's pride and pain mirror Orual's own, and their confrontation is a moment of mutual recognition and forgiveness. Ansit represents the costs of love and the pain of being second in someone's heart.

Trunia

Trunia is a prince of Phars who seeks refuge in Glome and becomes a catalyst for Orual's rise to power. His presence brings political intrigue and the opportunity for Orual to prove herself as a warrior and queen. Trunia's marriage to Redival is a pragmatic alliance, and his character highlights the interplay of personal and political motives in the world of Glome.

Ungit

Ungit is both a literal idol and a symbol of the dark, devouring aspects of the divine. She represents the mystery, terror, and ambiguity of the gods—at once mother and monster, source of life and death. Orual's identification with Ungit is a key moment in her psychological journey, forcing her to confront the ugliness and hunger within herself. Ungit is the shadow side of love, the consuming force that must be transformed for true beauty and reconciliation to emerge.

Plot Devices

Retelling of Myth

The novel is a retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth from the perspective of the "ugly sister," Orual. By shifting the focus from the traditional heroine to the jealous, wounded observer, Lewis explores the psychological and emotional depths of the story. The mythic structure provides a framework for examining themes of love, faith, and the limits of human understanding.

Unreliable Narrator

The entire narrative is filtered through Orual's voice, colored by her pain, bitterness, and self-justification. Her account is both confession and accusation, and the reader is invited to question her motives and perceptions. The act of writing becomes a form of self-examination, leading Orual to deeper truths about herself and the gods.

Invisible Reality

A central device is the invisible palace: Psyche's reality is inaccessible to Orual, who can only see wilderness where her sister sees splendor. This motif dramatizes the conflict between faith and skepticism, the limits of reason, and the possibility of realities beyond human perception. The gods' refusal to answer directly, their use of riddles and signs, reinforces the theme of mystery and the inadequacy of human knowledge.

Psychological Doubling

The relationship between Orual and Psyche is marked by doubling and inversion: love and jealousy, faith and doubt, beauty and ugliness. Orual's journey is, in a sense, a shadow version of Psyche's mythic quest. The gods' pronouncement—"You also shall be Psyche"—underscores the deep connection and the necessity of transformation.

Foreshadowing and Recurrence

The novel is rich in foreshadowing: dreams, prophecies, and repeated images (the veil, the well, the chains, the lamp) signal future events and deeper meanings. Orual's visions and dreams, especially in the second part, serve as both psychological revelations and supernatural interventions, guiding her toward self-knowledge and reconciliation.

Frame Narrative and Metafiction

The act of writing—Orual's "book against the gods"—is both the structure and the subject of the novel. The narrative is self-conscious, with Orual reflecting on her motives, her reliability, and the meaning of her story. The second part, in which Orual revises her account and confronts the gods in a visionary trial, blurs the line between fiction and confession, myth and memoir.

Analysis

C.S. Lewis's Till We Have Faces is a profound meditation on the nature of love, faith, and the limits of human understanding. By retelling the myth of Cupid and Psyche from the perspective of the jealous sister, Lewis explores the destructive power of possessive love and the pain of spiritual longing. Orual's journey—from accusation to confession, from self-justification to self-knowledge—mirrors the soul's struggle to move beyond pride, fear, and the hunger to possess. The gods' silence, their refusal to answer in human terms, becomes a metaphor for the mystery at the heart of existence: the divine is both beautiful and terrible, hidden and revealed, demanding and giving. The novel challenges modern readers to consider the ways in which our own wounds, desires, and limited perspectives shape our experience of reality and the divine. Ultimately, Lewis suggests that true vision, true "face," comes only through suffering, humility, and the willingness to let go of our demands for justice and understanding. The gods are the answer, not because they explain or justify, but because in their presence all questions fall away. The lesson is both deeply Christian and universally human: love must be transformed from possession to gift, and only in surrender can we find our true selves.

Last updated: January 12, 2026