Veil
The Veil is an important element in the story because it is connected with the female characters and with the way they are generally perceived by those around them. The veil is used here to conceal their faces and the characters are even pressured to wear the veil to hide themselves. Thus, here, the veil is used as a metaphor to suggest the oppression that women had to suffer in the society where Orual was living.
Without clothes
An important moment in the novel is when the King got married and then the weeding rituals began. The new Queen was taken to the King’s bedroom, stripped naked and then made to lie on the bed. The girls were then able to see just how scared the new Queen was and how things became even worst after she was told to get naked. Thus, her lack of clothes are used here as a metaphor for vulnerability.
Offerings
The King offers sacrifices to the Goddess frequently as a way of getting in her good graces and as a way of trying to be more accepted and have a better chance of being blessed by her. But there are similarities between the offerings given when someone is born and the offerings given at one’s funeral. In fact, the two are so similar that Orual is unable to tell wheatear the new Queen died during childbirth or if the Kingdom was celebrating the birth of a new Prince. This shows just how similar the two were and how hard it was to differentiate between the two.
Psyche and Ungit
Psyche is worshiped by many for her beauty and when Orual sees this, she compares her sister to Ungit. This comparison has the purpose of showing just how beautiful Psyche was and how her beauty influenced those around her.
Mirror
Another important element in the novel is the mirror and the mirror has a metaphorical value here and it stands for a person’s true self. Orual is made to look in the mirror twice by the King and every time he points out different flaws he noticed about her. Thus, the mirror in this case is used as a metaphor for the cruel truth that many may be inclined to deny.
