Doug's Mirror: Poem Analysis
[Setting: Doug’s room in the hospital- a mirror]
[Doug is standing away from the mirror, muttering somewhat nonsensically]
Doug: Dunno why; I’m not a poof- why would I wanna talk about my feelings, and my repressed emotions?
[Whilst saying the two reasons in a mocking manner, Doug makes air quotations to reinforce how against the idea he is]
Doug: Bloody useless shrinks just wanna turn everyone into pussies- that’s the only reason ya stressing about a pissy little poem; don’t wanna be a wimp. Coz I’m not, but if I was, it’d be the shrinks’ fault!
[Whilst denying being a “wimp”, Doug appears somewhat pouty at the idea of being so.]
[Shaking it off, he sighs and bounces on the spot a little, almost as if he were squaring up to box an invisible opponent. After a few …show more content…
They-
[Doug halts in his steps, and stares down at his trembling hands, his mouth agape and his brow furrowed in a look something akin to physical pain]
Doug: They never loved ya. They never- they didn’t- why would they? Ya not like ya brother with his perfect life, goddamn kids, and a house, and—health! Ya not smart, or successful, or funny, or happy, or brave, or anything but a-… a screw up! And they never fucking loved you!
[While he says this, his voice grows louder and louder until it escalates to the point of shouting, hands unsettled as they continue to fidget with his lighter in an increasingly anxious manner, trembling in a seemingly uncontrollable way until he is forced to throw it in order to avoid the temptation that the fire brings.
Doug stands, breathing heavily as he stares at it. There is a pensive silence as he does so before he shakily recites the remainder of the poem, gaze locked on the lighter]
Doug: And… And the... The cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my
[Doug is standing away from the mirror, muttering somewhat nonsensically]
Doug: Dunno why; I’m not a poof- why would I wanna talk about my feelings, and my repressed emotions?
[Whilst saying the two reasons in a mocking manner, Doug makes air quotations to reinforce how against the idea he is]
Doug: Bloody useless shrinks just wanna turn everyone into pussies- that’s the only reason ya stressing about a pissy little poem; don’t wanna be a wimp. Coz I’m not, but if I was, it’d be the shrinks’ fault!
[Whilst denying being a “wimp”, Doug appears somewhat pouty at the idea of being so.]
[Shaking it off, he sighs and bounces on the spot a little, almost as if he were squaring up to box an invisible opponent. After a few …show more content…
They-
[Doug halts in his steps, and stares down at his trembling hands, his mouth agape and his brow furrowed in a look something akin to physical pain]
Doug: They never loved ya. They never- they didn’t- why would they? Ya not like ya brother with his perfect life, goddamn kids, and a house, and—health! Ya not smart, or successful, or funny, or happy, or brave, or anything but a-… a screw up! And they never fucking loved you!
[While he says this, his voice grows louder and louder until it escalates to the point of shouting, hands unsettled as they continue to fidget with his lighter in an increasingly anxious manner, trembling in a seemingly uncontrollable way until he is forced to throw it in order to avoid the temptation that the fire brings.
Doug stands, breathing heavily as he stares at it. There is a pensive silence as he does so before he shakily recites the remainder of the poem, gaze locked on the lighter]
Doug: And… And the... The cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my