At the heart of C.S. Lewis's Till We Have Faces lies a retelling of the classic myth of Cupid and Psyche, originally chronicled by Lucius Apuleius in The Golden Ass. Lewis's rendition transforms the tale into a profound exploration of beauty, love, and divinity, told through the eyes of Psyche's sister, Orual. This narrative shift invites readers to ponder themes of jealousy, perception, and the quest for truth amidst the veil of myth.

The Myth Retold

In Apuleius's version, the story unfolds around a king's three daughters, with Psyche, the youngest, possessing an unparalleled beauty that rivals Venus herself. This divine comparison incites Venus’s jealousy, leading her to instruct Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with a vile creature. Contrary to his mother’s wishes, Cupid becomes enamored of Psyche and spirits her away to be his bride. However, he visits her only under the cloak of darkness, forbidding her from seeing his face. Psyche’s envious sisters, driven by their own desires, persuade her to light a lamp while Cupid sleeps. This act of defiance results in Cupid awakening, and Psyche's subsequent expulsion and punishment by Venus, who eventually forgives her, reuniting the lovers.

A Fresh Perspective

While Apuleius's story dwells on divine and allegorical elements, Lewis reimagines it as a grounded narrative, presenting it through Orual, the "ugly" sister whose viewpoint diverges starkly from the traditional "Cinderella" theme. Unlike the beautiful Psyche, Orual is portrayed as profoundly unattractive, leading her to live behind a veil, unmarried and isolated. Despite her appearance, Orual's love for Psyche is sincere and deep, untainted by pure jealousy. Her narrative serves as a personal account, a rebuttal to the version told by Apuleius, and is driven by the belief that Psyche's fate was not the result of her actions, but rather the whims of the gods.

The Tale from Orual's Eyes

Orual recounts her life in a remote, insignificant barbarian kingdom, where her younger sister, Psyche, is born to their father’s second wife. Psyche’s almost divine beauty engenders both love and danger, particularly from their other sister, Redival, who spreads tales of Psyche’s adoration among the locals to the priesthood of Ungit. This leads to the priesthood’s demand for Psyche’s sacrifice to end a drought and plague, a decree her cowardly father consents to. Believing her sister dead, Orual ventures into the wilderness to retrieve Psyche's body, only to find her alive and claiming to live in a grand palace. To Orual's dismay, Psyche's reality appears delusional, seeing her in rags, eating wild berries. Convinced Psyche is mad, Orual provides her with a lamp, inadvertently leading to disaster as the truth of the divine presence is revealed.

A Journey of Leadership and Regret

Separated from Psyche forever, Orual ascends to the throne, ruling with prowess yet haunted by the image of her sister's exile. Her narrative grapples with questions of fault and divine injustice. Orual challenges the gods for their cruelty: Why was she denied the vision granted to Psyche? How could benevolent intentions be misconstrued as envy and spite? The latter part of her book unfolds with Orual’s confrontation with these celestial forces, ultimately offering her a moment of understanding and grace. Her introspective journey touches on broader philosophical inquiries, including the nature and existence of deities in a rational, post-Darwinian world.