What Do You See When You Look Into the Mirror?

[SGS]

Janet asks Queenie "What do you see, when you look in the mirror, when you think about yourself as a person?" (p. 510) Why is this such a difficult question for Queenie to answer? How would you describe her? If someone posed this question to you, how would you answer it?

[Robbin]

I think this question was extremely hard for Queenie because to a certain extent she had been emotionally abused and put down her entire childhood. During those critical years of development, she was being verbally abused by her mother's boyfriend Roy. I feel like she turned into a shell of her mother for the most part. Basically going along with the flow for a man's wants and needs while not even satisfying her own. I don't feel like she ever really got to know herself. So much of her youth she was made to feel less than her worth. I think she kind've lost herself in the process and only began to see herself in others' eyes.

If someone asked me this question I would say when I look in the mirror I see strength, loyalty, kindness, passion, and ambition.