Lola in the Mirror

Content Warning: The section of the guide includes discussion of death by suicide, suicidal ideation, graphic violence, substance use, addiction, child death, and sexual violence and harassment.

The unnamed protagonist, who later calls herself Lola, grapples with The Struggle for Identity Amid Adversity due to trauma in both her past and present; this conflict manifests in the magic mirror’s reflection, a woman Lola believes is someone else but is actually her. Because she lacks knowledge of her name and history, Lola is obsessed with searching for answers. The mirror’s reflection, also named Lola, is the girl’s subconscious, for the woman’s physical state echoes Lola’s dreams, fears, and emotional state. Lola recognizes this, for she tells Danny about the woman: “She looks sophisticated. She looks tough and bright and strong. Most days. But then other days she looks hideous. Broken. Destroyed. Disintegrated” (317). These descriptors apply to the girl as well; although she is resilient and strong, there are days she feels defeated and worthless. Frequently, Lola argues with the mirror about her identity, the girl claiming she needs answers and her reflection insisting that she does not. Lola begins to realize that she and the woman are the same when she admits to Danny, “I guess she has a face like mine more than anything else” (317).