Mirror Image

Mirror Image by Lena Coakley is an allegorical tale that depicts the internal quest to find ones true self. The story takes us through the experiences of a teenager named Alice who underwent a brain transplant into a new body. Alice struggled to find her true identity and what it was that made her Alice. The story also shows a striking resemblance to the children's tale Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Both stories are allegorical in nature and contain a similar theme. They each describe the protagonist on their journey within themselves. Alice in Mirror Image must discover what it is that defines her, and similarly Alice In Wonderland must find her way "home." This journey through Wonderland is symbolic of the internal quest Alice faces. The allegorical pursuit to find ones true self is developed in both stories by the protagonists own self-reflection, and symbolic elements throughout both stories.
In Mirror Image Alice undergoes deep introspection to find her true identity. She must discover what it is that defines her. As Alice reflects on her situation she becomes only more and more confused. She still has her mind but not her body, "These weren't her hands. This wasn't her breath." pg 13. Alice questions whether she is still truly herself. Alice begins to explore the other elements of her defining features, her mind and her soul. Because she can no longer take refuge in her body she begins to identify herself by her mind. As Alice tells her twin sister Jenny "My brain is me." pg 13. This does not seem to be enough to convince others however. Jenny remains skeptical of her sister by refusing to let Alice read her diary and by her statement at their birthday party "Sometimes I think my sister is dead" pg 17. Alice then turns to memories of her father for comfort. She felt that he would "just look into [her] eyes and know who was in [there]." pg 18. Her father used to tell her that the "eyes were the mirror to the soul" pg 14. At the end of the story when