Myth and archetype as meaning in C. S. Lewis's Till We Have Faces.

From his early youth, C. S. Lewis was interested in pagan mythologies; he credits them with preparing the way for him to embrace Christianity as an adult, which was vitally important to him in his adult life. In Till We Have Faces, a retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth, Lewis brings together the two worlds of pagan mythology and Christianity, illustrating that the modern world can learn much from the ancient pagan world. Furthermore, in writing Till We Have Faces Lewis moves beyond writing about myth and creates an entirely new myth. A predominant characteristic of mythology is the presence of archetypes. In this new myth, Lewis elevates the story to a universal level through the use of archetypal characters, places, and experiences. The central archetype in Till We Have Faces is Orual's process of transformation. She undertakes a rigorous self-examination which leads to discovery of herself, her motivations, her relationships with other people, and most importantly, her relationship with the god. The reader is subtly encouraged to undertake a similar process of examination of self, motivations, and relationships.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Grantor

Baylor University.

Year dc:date.issued

1993

Author dc:creator

• Tarrant, Melissa P.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Wortman, W. R., Jr.

• Lewis, C. S. (Clive Staples), 1898-1963. Till we have faces.
• Lewis, C. S. (Clive Staples), 1898-1963 -- Criticism and interpretation.

Statement dc:rights

• Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2104/14477

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/14477