Mar. 25, 2008
Chapters 8-10
Posted in Till We Have Faces
Again, I’m sorry for posting so late! I didn’t get a chance to read the chapters till this evening.
Dicussion Notes
This is where the book really starts to get into mythology. My absolute favorite passage from the reading is definitely when Psyche tries to explain the West-Wind to Orual:
"'Oh, it was no dream. One can't dream things like that, because one's never seen things like that. He was in human shape. But you couldn't mistake him for a man. Oh, Sister, you'd understand if you'd seen! How can I make you understand? You've seen lepers?'
'Well, of course.'
'And you know how healthy people look beside a leper?'
'You mean--healthier, ruddier than ever?'
'Yes. Now we, beside the gods, are like lepers beside us.'
'Do you mean this god was so red?'
She laughed and clapped her hands. 'Oh, it's not use,' she said. 'I see I've got given you the idea at all. Never mind.'"
The reason I love this is because it makes the distinction between natural and supernatural so clear. In Miracles, C.S. Lewis writes how the natural world is like a limited version of the supernatural world. Sometimes we picture God as kind of being less real than us; you know, like a floating ghost instead of an actual reality. Lewis suggests that the supernatural is actually more real than the natural. This is the basic message that Psyche is trying to communicate to Orual. We have matter here on earth; instead of imagining heaven as being abstract, try to imagine it as being more dense, more matter-like. The matter here on this natural earth is only a shadow of the matter in the supernatural world. I'd strongly encourage all of you to read Miracles; it's my favorite out of all of Lewis's books. It made me think about things in a different light.
Discussion Questions
1. Were you surprised that Psyche was still alive?
2. Why do you think Orual wasn't able to see the castle? Why did she see Psyche wearing rags when really she was wearing fine clothing? What was it that was blinding her?
That last question is pretty hard, so I'll leave it at two. Keep reading one chapter each day! I'll do my best to post another discussion on Friday.
Regards,
Sylvia
Comments
Mar. 25, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Grace4God
1. Were you surprised that Psyche was still alive?
Yes and no. :) Yes, because you honestly had no hope for her. No, because this is a book, and things like that do happen in books. :)
2. Why do you think Orual wasn't able to see the castle? Why did she see Psyche wearing rags when really she was wearing fine clothing? What was it that was blinding her?
I think it was because she didn't believe in the "gods", and thus, couldn't see what they worked and did. Her unbelief blinded her, her obsitinate persistance in what she thought was happening blinded her, in a way, she blinded herself. I don't know if that makes sense-it's very hard to explain for me.
I think it's like us. Our human nature...our sin...our inability to view things as God does limits our view of God. He is so awesomely glorious...we can't truly grasp that while our unbelief and other things stand in the way. It hinders us from fellowship with Him...communicating with Him at all! But when we believe, we can see.
Okay, I'll stop now. ;)
In Christ,
Grace
* Permanent Link
Mar. 26, 2008 - <em>Untitled Comment</em>
Posted by Earthling
1. Well, yes and no. No, because I've read it before! Hehe! But the first time I read it...let me think...I don't know if I was or not. It's hard to accept a main character dying so near the begining of a book, so that made me a bit suspicious! I guess it was kind of surprising though....a good surprise!
2. Faith? I'm not sure, but it seems that Orual is somewhat skeptical of the gods. Now we know that they do, indeed exist, but Orual can't see the things that belong to them--Psyche's clothes, the castle, etc. Is her lack of faith preventing her from seeing these things?
Edited by Earthling on Mar. 26, 2008 at 3:39 PM
* Permanent Link
Mar. 28, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by sweetpotato
1. Kind of. I guess I had it in mind that she had to reappear later in the book. I was surprised at the way she survived though.
2. The way I see it, there are two good possibilities. One is one that a couple people have suggested. That Orual didn't actually believe, and thus she couldn't see.
The other possibility is that the gods actually DID blind her, for one reason or another. She couldn't see because they purposed it to be that way.
I guess I'd be inclined to go with the second option. I could be wrong, and perhaps more will be revealed about this later in the book.
* Permanent Link
Apr. 2, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Lillian
I'm so glad that I'm still up-to-date with everything =)
1. I wasn't too surprised just because there wouldn't really be much more to the story and there's still a lot of book to read yet.
2. Yes you were right, this was a hard one, but I have to agree with everone else, I think it was because of her lack of faith in the "gods" she didn't really like them before they took Psyche but afterwards I don't think she like them at ALL.
Well there are my answers, I hope they were sufficiant enough!
Thanks!
~Lillian
* Permanent Link
Apr. 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by PoeticMaiden
I love what you're doing here! Could I join? I got the book from the library, so I may be a little behind, but I will try to catch up to you by the time you finish this book.
~PoeticMaiden
* Permanent Link
Apr. 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by PoeticMaiden
I figured since I have read this part, I could answer the questions.
1. No, I was not surprised that Psyche was still alive. (I read the original myth, and plus, there is still the whole rest of the book!)
2. Because she didn't really believe that the gods really existed, or that they were good. It's like how most people can't see the freedom and the joy Christians have in Christ because they don't really believe that it could be real. (I have more I would like to say on this, but I don't have time.)
I love the quote that you took from the book, about the things of heaven being more real than the things of earth. It's a beautiful reality. C. S. Lewis's book, The Great Divorce, talks a lot about that. I really enjoyed reading it.
Thanks for reccomending MIRACLES. I will read it as soon as I can. :-)
* Permanent Link
Apr. 25, 2008 - ?
Posted by Grace4God
Is this the last discussion we're doing? Or, am I missing something? :)
I didn't know...
~Grace
* Permanent Link
