Recently in Sunday School, we've been studying the creation and the story of Adam and Eve. Reading about this in the scriptures has caused me to reflect on a book called Perelandra by, C.S. Lewis. It's a science fiction novel that takes place on another planet where there is an "Eve-like" woman, an "Adam-like" man, and a "Satan-like" character.
I've been thinking a lot about this encounter between the Eve character (The Lady) and this Satan character (The Unman). C.S. Lewis' story here is very fascinating to me, especially with the way the Unman tries to lure away the Lady through vanity, by handing her a mirror and telling her grand stories of beautiful and heroic women from his own planet, encouraging her to use her imagination to become self absorbed.
The Unman had just fashioned a robe of feathers for the Lady when he presented her with the mirror. The Lady is noticeably frightened by her reflection and jumps back in fear. The Unman attempts to sooth her, "But there is no cause for fear in this little thing: rather for joy. What is fearful in it?”
“Things being two when they are one,” replied the Lady decisively. "That thing" (she pointed at the mirror) "is me and not me."
“But if you do not look you will never know how beautiful you are.”
“It comes into my mind, Stranger,” she answered, “that a fruit does not eat itself, and a man cannot be together with himself.”
“A fruit cannot do that because it is only a fruit,” said the Un-man. “But we can do it. We call this thing a mirror. A man can love himself, and be together with himself. That is what it means to be a man or a woman—to walk alongside oneself as if one were a second person and to delight in one’s own beauty. Mirrors were made to teach this art.”
She took the mirror, timidly but firmly, from the Un-man and looked into it in silence for the better part of a minute. Then she let it sink and stood holding it at her side.
“It is very strange,” she said at last.
“It is very beautiful,” said the Un-man. “Do you not think so?”
“Yes. “
“But you have not yet found what you set out to find.”
“What was that? I have forgotten.”
“Whether the robe of feathers made you more beautiful or less."
“I saw only a face.”
“Hold it further away and you will see the whole of the alongside woman—the other who is yourself. Or no—I will hold it.”
The commonplace suggestions of the scene became grotesque at this stage. She looked at herself first with the robe, then without it, then with it again; finally she decided against it and threw it away.
Interesting how the Unman calls the Lady's reflection "the alongside woman" and when the Lady sees it she says, "It's me and not me." This perceived image sounds like a ball-and-chain.
The first time I read this encounter, I was struck because it reminded me of a dream I had recorded in my journal years ago. https://theplaceofbecoming.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-vain-things-of-this-world.html
Today, we don't need hand-mirrors, wall-mirrors, or vanities... we have ways of presenting ourselves with the "alongside woman" or "alongside man" everywhere in social media. We live in a society entrenched with self-absorption. We lose our identity when the "reflection" becomes who we are, when our time is focused on self, consumed by our stats, our number of friends, followers, likes, views, comments, etc. It becomes a ball-and-chain not only to ourselves but robs of of becoming who we are TRULY meant to be.
Our true identity is found in Christ. The Savior taught that when we lose ourself, we'll find our self. I can testify in my own life that I have never felt more FREE, more on top of the world, than when I have been able to completely forget about me and just genuinely do good for the right reasons, out of pure love for God. AND the times when I have felt the most confused, frustrated, upset, or defeated have been when I've gotten wrapped up in myself, caught up in worry or concern of what others might see think or feel about me.
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