Analysis: I chose to base my Reading Week Creative Project on the two types of narcissism in Paradise Lost: Satan's futile one and God's fruitful advancement, specifically through Eve's journey of escaping selfish and prideful narcissism (tempted by Satan) and her reflection through Adam. I began the photograph by staring into the mirror as Eve, representing Eve's first vain encounter with her own reflection: "There I had fixed mine eyes till now and pined with vain desire" (4.465-466). This was also the first time God reminded her of her role in choosing the right kind of narcissism: “What Thou seest , What Thoust seest, fair creature, is thyself / with thee it came and goes..But follow me..To him shall bear multitudes like thyself and / thence be called the Mother of human race." (4.467-469, .474). God introduces Adam as her other half, as he's her superior and her temperance, where together, they will carry out God's productive narcissism. This contrasts against Satan's narcissism, as his stubborness against God's authority creates a cyclical trap that just results in increasing misery: “how dearly I abide that boast so vain / Under what torments inwardly I groan / while they adore me on the throne of Hell” (4.087-89). However, he never repents and instead continues to ignore his guilt until he's in too deep to go back: “For never can true reconcilement grow where wounds of deadly hate have already pierced so deep / Farewell remorse!” (4.098-99, 109). Similarly, Eve falls into this trap of Satan's selfish pride where she allows herself to be tempted and falls by eating the apple, represented by the layered mirrors growing darker and duller. The infinity mirror effect (which I created through layering and editing the same picture on PicsArt) represents her fall into Satan's destructive narcissism, where she splits from Adam (as her partner in God's glory) and eats the apple in an attempt to increase her own vain knowledge to be more on par with Adam's: "in female sex, the more to draw his love / and render me more equal / for inferior who is free?" (9.822-23, .825). As represented by the darkening reflections of only Eve's image (on the left), her fall heavily revolved around her own selfish vanity, which is unfruitful (as why the infinity mirror's reflections are a static repetition only of her) like Satan's narcissism (darkening, static, never ending cyclical trap). However, Eve, unlike Satan, is able to escape this trap before it becomes too late because Adam, as her reflection, is able to help remind her of their free will in returning back to God's image of them through repentance :“self destruction therefore sought refutes / That excellence thought in thee” (10.1016-1017). Ultimately, it's their reflection as God's image of each other that allows them escape Satan's narcissistic "infinite mirror". This is why Adam's reflection staring back at Eve in the photograph stops the infinite mirror from darkening and continuing any longer. The bright colors of Adam also starkly contrast against the dull mirror frames, as God's will and grace always overpowers any of Satan's tactics, guiding Eve back on track. Eve no longer only sees herself, but God's fruitful and productive narcissism through Adam. The bright lens flare that emits a rainbow tint around Eve is also supposed to represent God's guidance and will throughout, as even through mankind's fall, God is able to bring greater grace and advancement. After all, this event is what allowed Him to bestow the greatest gift of all: Jesus Christ, represented by the rainbows coming out of the infinity mirror. The dullest and darkest colors within Satan's trap in the infinity mirror are also meant to represent the contrast of Satan's narcissism even further, as following him blinds you to the color around you until you're able to finally notice it when you break free. Though this adaptation doesn't represent Eve's narcissistic journey with Adam fully (as Adam also chose to fall into narcissism), the overall extent of Eve's role in Paradise Lost is now better able to be understood through this photograph.
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