Orual is the protagonist and narrator of C.S. Lewis’s novel Till We Have Faces.
Published in 1956, Till We Have Faces retells the ancient myth of Cupid and Psyche from the perspective of Psyche’s older sister. Orual is the first-person narrator, and the novel presents her as the queen of the fictional kingdom of Glome. Her account examines jealousy, love, grief, religious doubt, and the difficulty of seeing oneself honestly.
Psyche remains central to the story, which is why readers may remember her name more readily than Orual’s. However, Psyche is the mythic figure whose fate drives the plot, while Orual provides the novel’s controlling voice and psychological viewpoint. The title comes from the idea that genuine self-knowledge requires a face or identity rather than a hidden mask.
Lewis considered this novel one of his best works. Unlike the Narnia books, it is written primarily for adults and draws on classical myth without simply reproducing the ancient source. Its setting and perspective make it distinct within Lewis’s fiction.