Personification In Sylvia Plath's Mirror For Aging Women

Plath uses personification to convey a mirror defending itself against an aging woman’s conclusion that the mirror is making her appear old and ugly. The mirror reflects what stands by it precisely like it is without any alteration. The mirror exhibits exact reflections of how something appears in reality. The mirror has “no preconceptions” towards the image; it cannot be prejudice against the image, since it is incapable of emotions. In addition, the mirror “swallows” what it sees, and reflects that image back. The mirror is “unmisted”; clearly reflecting the image in its truest form. The mirror recognizes human emotions, yet it is unresponsive; it understands that when humans “love” something, it becomes more appealing, and when we “dislike” something, it seems repulsive. However, this mist of love or dislike does not impair the mirrors crystal clear reflections. Furthermore,
Society’s obsession with eternal youth devalues aging women’s’ self-esteem. Society’s negative attitude towards aging causes aging women to be insecure about their wrinkles and fine lines.
Plath personifies a mirror to defend itself against an aging woman’s criticism to portray the effects of society’s standards of youth and beauty on women. In the second stanza, the mirror becomes a lake. The lake describes the feelings of the aging woman. The focus of the second stanza is about what the aging woman sees and how she reacts to her reflection in the lake. The mirror says, “Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness. / In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman / Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish” (16 – 18).