The Lady in the Looking Glass

It can be argued that the narrator is one of the story’s characters. How is the narrator a character? How does the narrator’s perspective shape the story? How would the story be different if the narrator were different?

Woolf’s trademark narrative style, stream of consciousness, is used to tell the story. How does stream of consciousness contribute to the story’s core theme of perception versus reality? How would the story be different if the narrative style was different?

Much of Isabella’s material belongings are given humanlike characteristics through personification throughout the story. How does the use of personification speak to the theme of materialism and how it relates to characterization and maintaining appearances? Why is it important that the narrator chooses to personify the furnishings in the drawing room?

Both the opening and ending sentences of the story repeat the same warning against hanging looking glasses. What tone does the opening sentence set for the story, and how does the mood change by the time the reader reaches the final sentence? How can the same warning be understood differently once the reader reaches the conclusion?

The climax of the story is when Isabella’s face finally comes into view. It seems to the narrator that this mundane, empty perspective of Isabella is the more accurate one. Is this clarity also handed over to the reader, or is it unclear whether or not Isabella is full of depth or emptiness? What moments in the story contribute to each perception?

Most of the story dives deeply into perceptions about Isabella. Are there any clear facts given about Isabella? How does the narrator indicate that something is a fact about Isabella? Is nothing a fact in this story, and all perception?

Isabella’s letters serve as a symbol of her internal life. They are “graven tablets” that could reveal some hidden truth about both Isabella and the world. How are letters of correspondence important in finding out more about a person? As the narrator suggests, how much can “prizing open” one of Isabella’s letters tell the reader about her? Is it the equivalent of “prizing” her open?

The tone of the story is dark, gloomy, and menacing. How does this tone build throughout the story? Does it change? What contributes to this change? What aspects of the story contribute to the tone and mood?