Mirrors, Mirrors All Over

Have you ever thought about what your mirror says of you? Or what could it say about you if it would vocalize? The wicked stepmother and Alice both did. Songsters and songwriters have also mused over the idea. But why mirrors? Mirrors come in all shapes, ranges and tints. modern mirrors come with frames, some with polka-dots, some triangular and some are decorated to resemble art work. Mirrors in film, folklore, music and literature have always played an important role in their respective stories. There is a creepy quality looking glasses possess.

In the song “O’Malley’s Bar”, Australian vocalist Nick Cave roars, “Well I caught my eye in the mirror and gave it a long and loving inspection. There stands some kind of man I roared and there it did in the reflection.” Only the reflection thought he was handsome, looking like a strong raven, so he decided to take down a whole bar full of neighbors.

Lewis Carroll’s novel of little Alice that was written for a 9 year-old little girl is quite different in its portrayal of looking into a looking glass; it is written from a woman’s perspective. Alice awoke to a mad world of disappearing cats and giant caterpillars after falling through her looking glass. She had to eat sweets to make her one size or another, if only it were that painless. Yet, she managed to get back home but only after the mean queen of hearts tried to take her head. Again, another story about reflections and death. 

“Mirror, mirror on the wall who’s the fairest of them all”; who can ever disregard those sounds? The story takes an awful turn towards tracking down the fair girl’s heart, after the reflection reveals the truth. The fact that the little stepdaughter is more beautiful than her, the sinister stepmonster can’t stand it. How silly to be jealous of adolescence, but no matter how many round wall mirrors there are, the truth will always appear. 

Is this what we fear about reflections? We see it all when we are standing there in front of a row of modern mirrors with the lights fully on no matter what is occurring in life. Our lost hopes, our wrinkles, our fears and our flaws. This is what fables have taught adolescent girls that have turned into unsure women. Let’s take it back.

Beautify your place with modern mirrors. Garnish a complete hallway with mirrors on both walls. Place a mirror above your bed just for the utter absurdness of it. Race to the bathroom mirror for the truth that you are you and no one else can ever be, jumping out of bed and taking back that stupid panic!