In Ovid's Metamorphosis, Narcissus is a handsome young man who saw the reflection of his face in the waters of the Styx River. He became so captivated by his own reflection, that he sat looking at himself until he died and a small flower grew in his place. After the manufacturing and widespread existence of mirror, human have became obsessed with the reflections of themselves. Literature provided us with a unique type of mirrors. It helps us to discover the perfection of ourselves but at the same time, grab our eyes on the defectiveness as well. Just like Narcissus, we never stop seeking for self-identification and self-conscious through the way we look at our own images. An examination of the books I read, I found literature to be like a mirror to a great extent in many ways. The Secret daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda, is a book that compares the treatments of females in two different families - one in India and one in America. The book begins with the unforgettable birth of a baby girl named Usha in a remote Indian village on the eve of monsoon. In a culture where females' infanticide is rampant, Kavita, the baby's mother sent her daughter to an orphanage in order to save her life. Dr. Somer, an American woman who adopts Usha (they call her Asha) after the discovering that she can never have children of her own. .
The two women mirror each other in the sense that they both make difficult decisions to save and maintain a life. The play Hamlet by William Shakespeare demonstrates the recklessness of Hamlet is the main cause of his death. Hamlets' character flaws mirror my own. The novel Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, is based on the girl named Griet in Vermeer's painting. Griet is the protestant daughter of a tile painter Delft who has lost his sight in kiln accident. In order to make a living for her family, Griet works as a maid in a famous painter, Vermmer's house. Her only release is when Vermeer, recognizing her artistic talent, secretly takes her on as a studio assistant.
