1. “Mirror Image” Lena Coakley
Elements of a Narrative Analysis

2. Plot
“Mirror Image” by Lena Coakley is a scientific allegorical tale that depicts the internal quest to find ones true self. The story takes the reader through the experience of a teenager named Alice who underwent a brain transplant into a new body as a result of a fatal accident. Alice struggles to find her true identity and what made her Alice.
Climax: Alice’s interaction with Mr. Jared allows her to develop the understanding that her identity is not linked to her physical body but to many more complex factors that are constantly changing and evolving.

3. Linear or Non-Linear?
The plot is non-linear. The author uses break lines to divide a number of segments to allow for the protagonist Alice to share her story through past memories and current experiences.
Non-Linear narratives are also known as a disjointed narrative or a disrupted narrative.
This narrative technique, is sometimes used where events are portrayed, for example out of chronological order, or in other ways where the narrative does not follow the direct causality pattern of the events featured, such as parallel distinctive plot lines, dream immersions or narrating another story inside the main plot-line.
It is often used to mimic the structure and recall of human memory, but has been applied for other reasons as well.

4. Chronological Plot Summary
A. Alice awakes in the hospital and recognizes that everything she once knew had changed. Her eyesight is much clearer and sharper without contacts, her skin has changed and even her scent was unique to her. Alice wonders if her father will appear different as well.
B. Alice had to re-learn how to move in the hospital and how to speak. It took her time to regain language, sensation, and to understand what she was seeing and hearing as her body was new to her and her brain remembered things of the past. Even her tongue seemed to be too big for her own mouth. She learns she had an accident, but she knew within herself long before she was told of the transplant that everything had changed.
C. Alice was in the hospital for months needed therapies to rehabilitate her body. During this time the outside world (including reporters) were curious about how she “felt”, and took pictures of the medical miracle. Alice learns she is the only one who had survived this surgery and was now faced with adapting to her life in someone else’s body. She see’s her reflection for the first time and realizes her eyes are not her own, and questions whose soul she is looking at as her father used to state “eyes are the mirror of the soul”. Her mom reminds her that the mind is very adaptable and that they would get through this.

5. D. Alice contemplates a reality without mirrors even though she was somewhat obsessed with her own new image. She lived in a constant state of disbelief at her own self image. She avoided bathrooms and wore sunglass to disguise herself. Her mind knew that no matter how she tried to ignore the inevitable that her image had changed. She compares herself more implicitly with the actions, and movements of her twin sister Jenny, who struggles with her sisters constant searching for acceptance of her new image.
E. The two sisters exchange interactions over a diary Jenny is writing. Alice wants to read the diary as she had done in the past but Jenny feels she does not know her sister as she once had, and states she feels the need to know her better before she shares her inner most thoughts. Jenny shares her feelings of disconnect with her sister who was in the hospital for a long time, also highlighting the difference between the two girls as they discuss their similar memories in light of her sisters changed appearance they both have memories of the same experiences. Alice states “my brain is me”.

6. F. Mrs. Jarred, was often on television, this is no different the night the twin’s mom is encouraging them to eat cake. The news is covering a story on “Girl X” who is actually Alice her name was protected as she was a minor. Alice struggles to identify with Mr. and Mrs. Jarred as it was their daughters body she had received in the transplant. The Jarred’s (at least the wife) still felt a connection to the body and claimed it was their daughter. It is in this scene that Alice’s mom makes her, her favourite chocolate mocha cake and Alice discovers that her new body’s taste buds do not enjoy the flavour. She also discusses with her mother the concept of her body potentially being older and perhaps getting her license even though she was still being treated the same as her twin sister. The sister’s discuss with their mom the concept of what makes a person a person. Jenny complains that she never hangs out with the same people and states “sometimes I think my sister is dead”. Alice feels conflicted in this moment about her mom and her sister, knowing she was not the same person they had known before.
G. Alice meets Mr. Jarred, in the middle of a street, Bedford Ave., where new concrete had just been poured. Mr. Jarred addresses Alice as Gail. Alice recognized him from the news but not in the way he was seeing her. The interaction between the two is awkward and strained. His expectations of her knowledge of him are not met and they both realize through this interaction that she is not his daughter but herself. Mr. Jarred realizes by looking into her eyes (the soul – as previously mentioned) that Alice is not Gail. Alice realizes that she is not only what is on the outside but a combination of her experiences and her actions.

7. Terminology & Literary Devices
Science Fiction: a text with futuristic technology or otherwise altered scientific principles that contribute in a significant way to the progress of the plot.
Allegory: a figurative work in which a surface narrative carried a secondary, symbolic, or metaphorical meaning
Vignettes: when the author presents the reader with one moment in time, can move forwards and backwards
Character Foil: a character who contrasts with another character (often the protagonist) in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character. A foil usually either differs drastically or is extremely similar but there is a key difference setting them apart.

8. Flashbacks (represented by the vignettes): There are many flashbacks in this story as the time frames and place jump around frequently
Imagery: "I found a new mole today on my new body“. Alice describes her new body in much detail comparing it to her old one
Simile: "Alice walked across the bedroom like a fashion model, wearing nothing but black bikini underwear" (Pg.1)
Dynamic Character: Alice proves to be a dynamic character as her opinion about her new body and who she really is changes consistently throughout the story

9. Symbolism
Sunglasses – Act as a shade, disguise, prevent access to the eyes which are discussed as “the window to the soul” within the text
Eyes - “The eyes are the mirror of the soul, he used to say.”
Concrete Initials - Alice then wrote her initials, ACS, into the sidewalk to symbolize that she is her old self and not a different person
Mirrors – Reflect exterior, a replica of ourselves, superficial nature of humanity
Drawing – A creative outlet, unique representations, does not always reflect someone the way they are seen but on other levels through emotion, experience and the relationship they have with the artist

10. Setting
Hospital - Alice feels awkward and discontented. She is very vulnerable in the hospital, as she has to learn everything again in her new body. In the hospital, Alice feels as though she is a new person.
Alice’s House - In her house, Alice felt safe and comfortable with her new body because no one can judge her in her own house. She his able to relax and become more comfortable with the changes.
Bedford Avenue - Bedford Avenue is very important to this story because it is at Bedford Avenue that Alice realizes she is the same person she was before the accident. On Bedford Avenue, Alice meets Mr. Jared, who is the father of Alice’s “new body”. Right away, Mr. Jared recognizes Alice. But when he looks into her eyes, he knows that even though his daughters’ body is standing in front of him, it is not his daughter inside that body.

11. Point of View
Third Person - This enables us to know what Alice is thinking and feeling.
Non-Linear Form – The story is delineated in to seven snapshots or vignettes. Each of these parts is used to deal with different time periods in the story. The parts are out of order forcing the reader to piece the sections together and figure out the details of the plot as the story advances.

12. Characters
Alice: protagonist; Jenny’s twin sister; was in an accident and had her brain transplanted into the body of a girl named Gail; Alice had red hair and freckles before the transplant. Alice isn’t sure of her identity since her body is new but her mind is the same as before. She can be described as artistic as she likes to draw, which was something her dad taught her. She is also insecure and uncomfortable at times during the short story.
Jenny: Alice’s twin sister. Has a difficult time accepting change much like her twin sister and insists [They] have to get to know [each other] better before Alice reads Jenny's diary.
Twins Mom: She is a caring person, widowed in the same accident that required Alice to receive a brain transplant. She aims to please which is seen when she tries to make the chocolate mocha cake for Alice, who no longer likes these flavours thanks to her new taste buds.
Mrs. Jared: the mother of Gail (Alice’s body); very stubborn
Mr. Jared: Mrs. Jared’s husband; laid back, accepting

13. Conflicts Person versus self— internal (struggle for self-acceptance)
Alice’s major conflict in this story is herself and how she will adapt to her new body. Throughout the story, Alice tries to identify with who she is or who she has become, in search for her true identity. Her body will tell her one thing, but her mind will tell her something completely different.
Person versus person – external conflict
This story could also be external conflict as Alice is struggling for other people to accept her, like her sister Jenny.

14. Theme 1. Ethics of modern medical science
2. Change in mirror image, exploring self identity and if our reflection on the exterior is a representation of our interior.