Well, my first thought was Really? We're coming to the end? But then I looked at the book and realized, oh, we really are near the end.

Did Orual accomplish her goals that she stated in chapter one? Is her "accusation of the gods" valid and convincing? Does it convince you, or does it convict her?

She thinks she has accomplished her goal. She believes that her accusation is valid. But it doesn't convince me. I think that she thinks she is in the right, but that doesn't mean she is right.

What can you take away from this book? What did you learn about yourself? About beauty? About God? About suffering?

Well, I learned that I can read only three chapters at a time if I try. On the serious side, I don't think I exactly learned a lot, but a lot was reinforced and enhanced. It is so easy to only look at things from my own point of view. It's easy to pass judgment without really understanding what the other person is going through. It's easy to give in to my own feelings and not take the time to learn from the other side of the spectrum.

Beauty is only skin deep as the saying goes. Redival was considered a beauty, but take that beauty away and she was a conniving, scheming, gossip. Looks are not as important as words and actions. Looking good can (and does) feel nice, but it can only go so far. No relationship of any kind can be based only on looks if it is going to last. Psyche was hailed as a goddess and people begged to her for healing because of her beauty. But those same people turned against her when they believed that she caused the sickness they wanted her to cure.

It's easy to blame God for the bad things in life. It is also easy to question Him and His plan. But, like Orual, I do not know the big picture. I can't tell what is going to happen ten years from now. I can't even know exactly what is going to happen tomorrow! But God does. And that is a comforting thought.

So what do you make of Psyche's end (we haven't heard from her in a while now)? Fox's end? Bardia and Ansit's end? Redival's end? Batta's end? None of these are really tied up or pegged down. What is Lewis' intent in doing this? What is he trying to tell us?

Well, it's not really much of an end, not for Psyche anyway. The last time we actually saw her (or heard her) was when she was sent away weeping. According to the priest she performed several tasks and in the end was reunited with her husband, but Orual does not know for certain what happened. We're not really at the end for Bardia and Ansit either. Bardia is ill and Orual thinks he is only staying home because Ansit wants him too. She is being possessive and jealous again. I think Redival got what she wanted. She got to marry a handsome prince and leave Glome. I think Lewis is trying to tell us that this is not the end of the story. There is more to learn. After all,

Did Orual accomplish her goals that she stated in chapter one? Is her "accusation of the gods" valid and convincing? Does it convince you, or does it convict her?

Well, she has made out a pretty good case, but I'm not sure. In some places it seems convincing, in other places she just seems to be blaming the gods for things that are her own fault. So its hard for me to say. Sometimes I sympathize with her, sometimes I don't. She's definitely one of the most complex characters I've ever read about.

What can you take away from this book? What did you learn about yourself? About beauty? About God? About suffering?

That those you love can obstruct you even more than those you hate. That you need more than just your natural affection to really love someone. I learned that I'm to quick to judge people without hearing the full story. Beauty is both a blessing and a curse, like with Psyche. But if it is not matched by inner beauty, outer beauty is no good. But people do judge by appearance. God can't always show himself like we'd want him to. He asks us to have faith, and believe what seems to be strange, even if others call us crazy. As for suffering--like daughter of the King said, its easy to blame God for our suffering, when many of our troubles are caused by us.

There are so many loose ends to this story as is written. So what do you make of Psyche's end (we haven't heard from her in a while now)? Fox's end? Bardia and Ansit's end? Redival's end? Batta's end? None of these are really tied up or pegged down. What is Lewis' intent in doing this? What is he trying to tell us?

I'm not sure of this. I don't know why this ended where it did. All of those people (except Batta) are all (presumably) still around. Their stories aren't done yet. But I'm not really sure why. Or I can't say so without spoilers.

What can we make of Orual's last paragraph? It's so heartbreaking, and so beautiful at the same time. . . or is it? How does it end the book?

It sort of concludes her accusation to the gods. In the beginning she was accusing them, now she demands an answer.

Did Orual accomplish her goals that she stated in chapter one? Is her "accusation of the gods" valid and convincing? Does it convince you, or does it convict her?

No, I don't find her accusation convincing. As things stand now, I think it convicts her. Of course, I haven't heard the god's side of the story so I can't be sure. The book leaves me with a lot questions or at least wanting more information. I'm really having a hard time fixing the role the gods play. We have Orual's view which paints them as jealous and malicious. Psyche thinks they are good. I want to fit them into the "good" god category - like Aslan but I'm not sure they are. I don't know how much control they have over each other and the world. It is so much easier with just one god.

What can you take away from this book? What did you learn about yourself? About beauty? About God? About suffering?

I'm not sure if I have really learned anything about myself, but I did learn about Lewis and his talent. This book is so different from the other books of his I have read. I see now why people brought it up in the last reading group about whether or not Narnia was sexist. He shows a lot of understanding for females and the way their minds work. The book has really made me think. Since Orual is telling the story to accuse the gods and asking the reader to judge, I have been reading it very carefully and really evaluating what she is saying. I don't usually do that as I read or at leas not to the extent I have in this book. I usually just take things at face value.
Edit: I'll have more to say later.
Edit 2: Beauty doesn't last forever. I sort of already knew that but it seems to be stressed in the book. Redival's beauty left her after she had had several children. Psyche's beauty caused her life in Glome to be cut short. Orual's beauty only was shown when her face was covered (i.e. in her voice).

I'm not sure that I have learned anything about God. I'm still trying to figure out how the gods in the story work and if there is anything that can point us to God.

Orual's suffering is a kind I wouldn't want to go through. Not that, I really want to suffer at all but her kind seems particularly hard. She blames the gods which causes her to be bitter and to be watching over her shoulder all the time, waiting for the gods to punish her. She doesn't share her suffering with any one but bottles it up inside. Her attitude makes her suffering worse.

There are so many loose ends to this story as is written. So what do you make of Psyche's end (we haven't heard from her in a while now)? Fox's end? Bardia and Ansit's end? Redival's end? Batta's end? None of these are really tied up or pegged down. What is Lewis' intent in doing this? What is he trying to tell us?

We really don't know much about Psyche's end. All we have is a priest's story that she went through some trials and is now a goddess. I want to know what the trials were. I want to know how she felt towards her sister after everything. I hope the priest's story is true and that she was made into a goddess. Well, the Fox and Batta both are dead so I don't see that there needs to be much tying up of lose ends, although I would like to know what Batta did that deserved death. I assume that Redival is happily married. What I really want to know is more about Orual's end and Psyche's story. I'm sure Lewis had some purpose for ending the first part where he did. Not knowing what is in the second part, it is hard to say why he ended where he did. Orual seems to have brought her story up to the point in time where she is in life, since she doesn't know the future she couldn't be expected to write any more. I suppose he could be telling us that in life there are lose ends.

What can we make of Orual's last paragraph? It's so heartbreaking, and so beautiful at the same time. . . or is it? How does it end the book?

She seems to end the book much as she starts the book: by accusing the gods and in a way daring them to punish her and to answer her charges. There seems to be a bit of defiance in it. She is trying to box the gods in. The way she writes it makes it an admission of guilt on the gods' part if they harm her. Basically, it leaves the reader to judge between her and the gods. I really want to hear the gods side of the story or even hear other people's testimony about what happened. I feel like there should be a trial with a judge and a jury. (*goes into teacher mode * which I think would make a great assignment if a class were reading this book *exits teacher mode*)

Well, I learned that I can read only three chapters at a time if I try.

Me too.

Random thought:
My family and I went to see Wicked last Thursday. I kept think of Orual when I was watching it. The main character of Wicked is Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz.