16. Summary of the lesson, "The snake and the mirror"

"The Snake and the Mirror", written by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, is a narrative inside a narrative. In this story, the narrator tells us about a story which was told to him by a homoeopathic doctor. Despite the fact that the narrative contains a terrifying plot, the entire narration is written in a humorous manner.

 

The narrative was about a young homoeopathic doctor who, due to his low income, lived in poverty when he was young and in his early days of medical practice. Instead of making efforts to improve his condition, he was more concerned about his appearance. One summer night, while he was observing his appearance in a large mirror in his room, he took the most "earth-shaking" decisions, like growing a small moustache, keeping a constant smile, and marrying an obese, rich doctor. While he was thinking about it, he didn't notice the dangerous, repeated sound from above in his room since he assumed it was from rats. He was so proud of himself for being a doctor and a handsome person.

 

His carelessness landed him in trouble as he happened to encounter a snake that caused him to forget everything except the need to save his life and focus solely on God. A twist in the narrative occurred at that point; a large mirror in the doctor's room abruptly diverted the snake that was going to kill the doctor. And the snake moved closer to the mirror to see its own reflection. The author was able to flee his dangerous situation as a result of just that. The mirror that caused him (the doctor) had finally saved his life.

 

The story addresses themes such as carelessness, pride, excessive self-admiration, obliviousness, and desire, all of which will lead to disaster at some time.