Creation, Identity and Reflection

• Author: Alina Chesca
• Pages: 658-663

Globalization and Cultural Diversity

658

Creation, Identity and Reflection

Alina Beatrice Cheşcă1

Abstract: The paper “Creation, Identity and Reflection” approaches the identificatio n in the

“mirror” of reality with creation, in other words seeking the authors’ identity in the reflected

images. Reflection means attempting to find oneself, the mirror being the main princip le of

creation. Many characters become interesti ng only when they step into the world beyond the

mirror, when their faces are doubled by the other self or when their selves are returned by other

characters. The narcissistic concept of the mirror, i.e. the reflection in the mirror and the

representation of the mirror itself, is a recurrent one in literature, but the reflection of the self

which is not the self (as it is a reflection) does not necessarily appear in a mirror or in a photograph

or portrait. Sometimes, t he not-self is retur ned to the self by another person or character. As far as

Oscar Wilde’s theories are concerned, the main idea is that people are interesting for their masks,

not for their inner nature. What Wilde calls “inner nature” is the ch aracters’ un-reflected self and

the mask is the reflection, the self in the mirror. Some characters ’ relationships develop within a

fiction that the y dramatically try to preserve and protect with the risk of suffering. They refuse to

take off the masks which defi ne them in the others’ minds and hearts; the narcissistic individuals

(both artists and characters) seek and love their own image which they pr oject upon facts, thus

creating a fictive realm.

Keywords: creation; Narcissus; mirror; reflection; identity; mask; self

Motto: “Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.”

(Oscar Wilde)

In Subjective Mythologies, a fascinating book on the mythical symbols of antiquity, Octavian Paler

stated: “Before blaming Narcissus, we should probably understand more thoroughly what he saw in

the water he mirrored himself in. By talking about him we are actually interested in what is happening

to us. And nobody is forced to break one’s own heart to see what is hidden inside, but if one does it, he

must not cheat.” (Paler, 1975, p. 117)

As writing means looking into one’s inner self, it should be concluded that writing is a narcissistic act.

Tudor Vianu is known to have used the term reflexive in order to mention that in the language with a

stylistic function the writer communicates and communicates himself, which actually represents the

narcissistic nature of art. It must be added that also Jacques Lacan advanced a theory of language

based on Narcissus complex (Lacan, 1978).

1 Associate Professor, PhD, Faculty of Communication and International Relations, Danubius University of Galati, Romania.

Address: 3 Galati Blvd, Galati 800654, Romania, Tel.: +40372 361 102, Fax: +40372 361 290. Corresponding author:

alina.chesca@univ-danubius.ro.