CS Lewis Lewis, Till We

CS Lewis

Lewis, Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold (pp.130-225)

Lewis' Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold retells the story of Cupid and Psyche (or Eros). It adopts the Roman version of the tale from a classical novel called the Golden ass. However, Lewis writes from an explicitly Christian perspective, and he uses this myth to discuss the unknowability of God and the need to take things on faith. Words inserted in the mouths of pagan characters such as: "I perceived now that there is a love deeper than theirs who seek only the happiness of their beloved," echo the Christian understanding of God's love for humankind and human love as merely an imperfect simulation of the divine relationships between the soul and the creator (138). References are made to Zeus the savior, and to libations made with a cup that are anachronistic in a pagan context (140).

What is so effective (or ineffective) in using the Cupid and Psyche myth from the pagan era to illuminate Christian truths?

What alteration does Lewis make from the original myth (from what you know of it) in the characters, such as the intentions of Psyche's sisters?

Thesis II

The reason I cannot look at him...is that he has forbidden me" (162) Psyche is willing to take the truth of her husband's beauty and existence on faith, initially. This is a metaphor for what all human beings must do in regards to God, as few people on earth are granted physical proof of God's existence, with the exception perhaps of the saints. Psyche, the bride of what she thinks is a nature-god initially accepts his goodness as a fact, until she is dissuaded. This is a metaphor for how life causes people to lose their first faith in God and mistrust their heart.

Is Psyche's trust in her husband's command noble or foolish? She accuses her sister of being foolish. Is Psyche being childlike, or is her sister being deceitful when she urges Psyche to challenge her husband with a trick?

Thesis III