Till We Have Faces Analysis

The conflicts between the gods and men are a topic which is heavily present within Till We Have Faces, but those between family members are as well. Examples include Bardia and his wife, and Orual and Redival, but the disagreements of Orual and her father, Trom, King of Glome, are particularly strengthened by their relationship as parent and offspring. The foundations of this greater argument are what is used to exploit the greater overall message conveyed about the relationship between God and man, but paralleled within a family scenario. In Till We Have Faces, by C.S. Lewis, the external conflicts between the King of Glome and Orual which are based in Glome itself, Psyche, and Ungit enhance Lewis’s support for Christianity and its comparison to other religions. The first division between father and daughter is with the kingdom of Glome itself. The King only desires a son to further his reign on the throne. This keeps his love from reaching his daughters, and ultimately is what drives him to his madness. The ever present desire for a son and a continued reign is used by Lewis to
The King believes that Ungit is powerful and should be feared with one’s life, yet he also trusts the Priest and his words of Ungit. Lewis is saying here that God should be feared, but should also be trusted and loved. This point extends into stating that sacrifice is an unnecessary act and is an example of foolishness. On the contrary, Orual realizes that Ungit is inside of her and eventually eradicates Unigt’s spiritual presence. In this example, Lewis is clearly stating that the devil is a part of man and needs to be banished before one’s true self can be found. The basis of Lewis’s Christian mindset is what really strives this point home and supports it. Therefore, Ungit’s symbolic value as both God and the devil truly connects Lewis’s topic in a cohesive