Theme
The literal object in the story's title that represents self reflection and identity
Mirror
The rebellious teenage protagonist who narrates the story
Stevie
This extreme action by Stevie serves as the catalyst that gets her sent away
Running away from home
Stevie discovers it is surprisingly easy to fake this behavioral state to blend in
Madness
Stevie's peers in the facility who are also pretending to be disturbed
The other patients
Stevie behaves this way intentionally at the start of her stay to keep people at a distance.
Being rebellious
This is the underlying psychological reason Stevie acts out and runs away from home.
Hiding her true self
The medical staff members Stevie actively tries to deceive with her behavior.
The counselor Hennessey
The shocking realization Stevie has after observing the other teenagers in the facility.
Everyone else is also faking it
Stevie realizes her peers are doing this, causing them to completely lose their true identities.
Faking their illnesses
These individuals sent Stevie away after growing exhausted by her rebellious behavior and running away.
Her parents
This is the ultimate danger or consequence the characters face by pretending to be crazy for too long.
Actually becoming stuck in that persona
The core message of the story warns against doing this to your true self just to cope with external pressure.
Loosing or erasing your identity