The Concept of Duality in Through the Looking-Glass: Analyzing the Mirror as a Symbol of Contrast and Reflection in Carroll’s Second Book

Through the Looking-Glass is a novel filled with symbols of duality, with the most prominent being the mirror itself. The novel begins with Alice stepping through a mirror, entering a world that is the opposite or reflection of her own. This concept of duality is central to the story, where everything seems reversed, from the order of events to the relationships Alice encounters.

The mirror serves as both a physical and metaphorical boundary between the two worlds, symbolizing the contrast between opposites—left and right, good and evil, reality and fantasy. The mirror also represents self-reflection, as Alice grapples with understanding her own identity in a world that doesn’t conform to traditional rules.

Through this concept of duality, Carroll examines the fluid nature of reality and identity, suggesting that everything is a reflection of something else, and that the world is not always as it seems. Through the Looking-Glass challenges readers to consider the multiple layers of meaning and the complex interplay between opposites.