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Beauty In C. S. Lewis Till We Have Faces

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Independent Composition: Till We Have Faces People view the concept of beauty in two ways: physical attractiveness and inner beauty. However, the the two intertwine. Exterior beauty, as it is often believed, stems from interior beauty, and the moral purity of a person ultimately determines their outer appearance. Orual, the princess of Glome and protagonist of C.S. Lewis’s Till We Have Faces, and her sister Psyche, epitomize this belief. Psyche is the representation of inner purity translating to outer beauty, and Orual is just the opposite, her repulsive exterior stemming from an immoral conscience. Psyche, Orual’s young stepsister, is viewed as a goddess by the rest of the kingdom, and her behavior mimics her beauty. Psyche possesses a beauty “Prettier than …show more content…

Even as a child, Psyche’s beauty rivals that of the most beautiful women of Ancient Greece - including a goddess known for her beauty. Despite almost never catching a glimpse of their princess, the people of Glome begin to worship her as Ungit, their culture’s Aphrodite. Psyche’s outward appearance stems from her inner purity. When a deadly illness spreads through the kingdom, the citizens call upon their goddess to heal them, and “Psyche went on, walking slowly and gravely, like a child going to say a lesson, right in among the foulness” (32). Despite being only mortal, and thus unable to miraculously heal her subjects, Psyche does her best to assist her kingdom. She reveals her love and willingness to sacrifice anything for her kingdom by risking her life to comfort the ill in a time of great need. Unfortunately, the people of Glome determine Psyche caused the illness which took so many lives, despite falling ill herself. She is forced to give her life to protect her kingdom from the wrath of Ungit. In conformance with her physical purity, she willingly gives herself as a sacrifice to

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