Beck 2

Averi Beck
Mrs.Rutan
AP Literature and Composition
19 September 2016
580

Fighting our Reflection

Sylvia Plaths poem Mirror explores a tricky and dark concept while toying with the ideal
vanity and the pain that it can bring. She shows that our biggest critic isn't someone around us. People
aren't victims of a cruel society that is tearing them down; they are only subject to the amount of
emotional

torment that they put upon ourselves.

Mirror is an seemingly innocent poem that deals with the life of a perfectly plain inanimate
object- a mirror. The mirror does not objectify those who gaze into its silvery surface, nor does it project
any new fabrications of the picture that it perceives. The mirror simply returns the image of the onlooker;
many times to their dismay. At the beginning of the poem, the personified mirror says that it has no
preconceptions (Plath, 1). This would suggest that anything we see in the mirror is what is truly there.
The mirror does not tell you what it thinks. It simply tells you what is is there to see whether you like it
or not. The mirror does not call you ugly. The mirror does not call you old, or fat, or unimportant. Any
negative connotation that goes along with looking in the mirror is not fulfilled by the mirror itself -- it is
demonstrated by the self hostility of our own minds.
After the mirror explains that it only shows what is truly there, Plath introduces us to a woman.
Not only does she check the mirror ritualistically, but she also struggles deeply with the reflection that she
is always met with. This woman searches . for what she really is in the depths of the depths of the

mirror (11). Even though the mirror only shows her superficial attributes, she still sees the need to search
it daily. Her physical appearance has so much value to her that she torments herself over it day after day.
That pain is not brought about by the mirror. It is not brought about by her friends or coworkers. The only
one bringing that pain into her life, is herself.
The tone of this poem is innocent in the beginning, however the ending portion begins to show
feelings of manipulation and deceit. The mirror almost takes on the role of an abuser, making the woman
feel as if she is only as good as the reflection that she sees. At one point, the mirror discusses the
importance that it possesses for the woman. It even says I am important to her (15). It is as though this
woman needs this mirror. It is apart of her being.
The mirror has power over her. It has a distinct effect on her personality and how she views her
life and herself. As a result, she is in a mental war with her own reflection.
Plath show us the damage that can be done through self hate and the obsession of appearances.
This woman represents all of us at one point in our lives or another. Every morning we check the mirror
to make sure that our hair is parted the right direction, or to see if there is anything in our teeth. We
ritualistically check on our looks as though they are the only redeeming factor left in our arsenal to battle
against life. But what if these extra trips to the bathroom mirror are actually holding us back? Afterall, it
is just a mirror why should it have so much power over our lives?