C.S. Lewis gave the narrator of Till We Have Faces the name Orual. Orual is the eldest daughter of the King of Glome and tells the novel’s story in the first person.
Published in 1956, Till We Have Faces is Lewis’s retelling of the ancient Cupid and Psyche myth. Its first part presents Orual’s account of her family, her half-sister Psyche, and the mysterious god who appears to claim Psyche.
The novel differs from a simple retelling because it focuses on Orual’s jealousy, grief, possessiveness, and changing understanding of love. Orual’s voice shapes the reader’s knowledge of events, so her identity as narrator is central to the book’s design.
Psyche is a major character, but she is not the narrator. Ungit is the name associated with the goddess in the fictional kingdom, while Bardia is a soldier and trusted companion. These names are common sources of mix-ups.