Revered as the culmination of all his work, C.S. Lewis’ Till We Have Faces is the recipient of scholars’ praise and the author’s favoritism. Scholars praise Lewis for his ability to transform a narrow classical myth into a universally applicable story. While this universality owes itself to the fictitious nature of the novel, it is also rooted in the theme of love. In order to fully elucidate the concept of love as he understood it, Lewis published The Four Loves. He first distinguishes between two base forms of love: need-love and gift-love. The former, as the name suggests, is that which perpetuates life. The latter, which is more understood as typical “love”, is that which enriches life. Gift-Love, for those of the Christian faith, encapsulates
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Psyche’s understand of agape love does not come into fruition until she receives it from the god of the mountain: “[having a husband] makes me love more – why, it makes me love everyone and everything – more” (TWHF, 159). The god of the mountain completes gift-love in Psyche: “divine gift-love in the man enables him to love what is naturally not lovable” (TFL, 128). Psyche receives a full understanding of love when she gives love as well as receives it; in order to have the proper understanding of love, one must first recognize his need to receive. Orual’s pride prevent her from recognizing her own need, thus her love, as it has no reference to Divine love, is perverted. She manipulates her sister’s love to accomplish her goal of seeing her sister choose her over her husband; yet, “this act of psychological manipulation goes against the deepest nature of philia” (Enright. 19). Orual’s manipulation stems from her jealousy; the satisfaction of her jealousy is more important than Psyche’s well-being. Thus, Orual kills the relationship between her and Psyche since she “considers her loves in terms of what they contribute to her, not what she should contribute to them” (Schakel, 54). Psyche faces physical exile due to Orual, while Orual experiences emotional exile brought on by her choice to wear the …show more content…
Divine forgiveness is only due to pure agape love and this love is wholly transformative as it is wholly foreign to depraved humanity: “in charity we are loved, not because we are lovable, but because love Himself is in those who love us” (Okita, 72). Thus, Lewis presents agape as the only acceptable Gift-Love as Need-Love as it is boundless and unwearied in giving” (FL, 8). The gift of agape is not cause for pride, but for humility in that it highlights an utter inability of the self and reliance on another. Only in accepting perfect love is one able to infuse it among other
Psyche’s understand of agape love does not come into fruition until she receives it from the god of the mountain: “[having a husband] makes me love more – why, it makes me love everyone and everything – more” (TWHF, 159). The god of the mountain completes gift-love in Psyche: “divine gift-love in the man enables him to love what is naturally not lovable” (TFL, 128). Psyche receives a full understanding of love when she gives love as well as receives it; in order to have the proper understanding of love, one must first recognize his need to receive. Orual’s pride prevent her from recognizing her own need, thus her love, as it has no reference to Divine love, is perverted. She manipulates her sister’s love to accomplish her goal of seeing her sister choose her over her husband; yet, “this act of psychological manipulation goes against the deepest nature of philia” (Enright. 19). Orual’s manipulation stems from her jealousy; the satisfaction of her jealousy is more important than Psyche’s well-being. Thus, Orual kills the relationship between her and Psyche since she “considers her loves in terms of what they contribute to her, not what she should contribute to them” (Schakel, 54). Psyche faces physical exile due to Orual, while Orual experiences emotional exile brought on by her choice to wear the …show more content…
Divine forgiveness is only due to pure agape love and this love is wholly transformative as it is wholly foreign to depraved humanity: “in charity we are loved, not because we are lovable, but because love Himself is in those who love us” (Okita, 72). Thus, Lewis presents agape as the only acceptable Gift-Love as Need-Love as it is boundless and unwearied in giving” (FL, 8). The gift of agape is not cause for pride, but for humility in that it highlights an utter inability of the self and reliance on another. Only in accepting perfect love is one able to infuse it among other