Photo taken by me: front cover of Madwomen by Gabriela Mistral https://allpoetry.com/The-Other-Side-Of-A-Mirror
Although written during an incredibly difficult time in history for women, Mary Elizabeth Coleridge’s The Other Side of a Mirror is still so relevant in today’s age. I found myself relating to this piece and making my own connections, as I’m sure many others have as well. Coleridge’s ambiguity surrounding the narrator’s lost hope opens the door for the narrator and her reflection to have a timeless connection with the women to come. The image of a woman facing “the self” she is suppressing (whether forced or not) forms a raw glance at the human psyche in those days and in today's. This image is powerful and almost frightening after one considers the times it was written in when emotions, such as despair and envy, in women were seen as possible signs of insanity. The reaction to threat against one’s “shade of a shadow”, which is naturally of the self, is easily seen in the descriptions Coleridge uses. The image of the narrator bleeding from the mouth in line 16 can indicate one dying; she bleeds secrecy, and this also wears a veil of ambiguity that many can find relatable, as secrecy can lead to an endless supply of subjects and scenarios. This secrecy or “speechlessness” may be a result of the suppression the narrator is experiencing; unable to freely express her true thoughts and feelings about situations she is faced with, such as family conflict or the unfair treatment she has to endure overall. I connected this piece with Carl Jung’s slightly more contemporary structure of the mind. Although Coleridge wrote this in reflection of the oppression women were facing and the impact it had on the psyche, this piece transcends through those times into ours as a result of the ambiguity she sprinkles throughout it. I personally resonate with Jung’s structure of the mind, which includes the ego (consciousness), the self (personal unconscious), and the shadow (collective unconsciousness). The shadow/the collective unconscious is composed of weaknesses, desires, and instincts and is known to contain all the things that are considered unacceptable in society’s eyes and in our own. It can also represent wildness and chaos and many tend to deny its existence in their own psyche. The image of one looking at their own reflection to face what is suppressed (the shadow) is what resonated with me when I read this. I think women especially tend to internalize their sufferings. And as a result, the suffering tends to grow so much more intense, resulting in what can feel like madness.
1 Comment
Mackenzie Eckley
5/16/2020 03:55:38 pm
I did my blog on The Other Side of A Mirror and I found some similarities in the ways that we interpreted the poem. To me, I also believed that it related to todays society but obviously in a different way. Women now are still struggling to be heard but their has been progress made since this era of the poem. The author allows the readers to see into her soul and her thoughts and that to me made the poem chiiling but in a good way. I enjoyed the imagery you shared through your reflection, and the connections you made between the texts, well done!
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Welcome!My name is Yasel and this website will be filled with my analysis on the British texts I'll be reading in class. I enjoy reading poetry and fiction and I occasionally write my own poetry. I welcome all comments with open arms so long as they pertain to the literature. Archives |