Through the Looking Glass

The first time I read The Lady's Dressing Room I was reminded of one of my favorite Flintstones episodes when Dino falls in love with Sassie, a female dinosaur on a television program that is a spoof of Lassie. Dino wins a contest and has a shot at TV stardom opposite the actress of his dreams in "The Adventures of Sassie." After a day of filming , Dino goes to visit Sassie in her dressing room and soon discovers her lips are painted on, she has false eyelashes, false teeth, wears a wig, and even smokes - not exactly the small-screen queen he had yearned to meet. The look of shock and disappointment on Dino's face was priceless as he tip toed away before Sassie noticed him. Swift's Strephon was probably just as shocked as poor Dino once he snooped around Celia's dressing room.

Strephon is shocked by what he finds in Celia's dressing room but he had no business being in there in the first place. Celia is a slob but she is only human and has bodily functions that must be attended to - did Strephon think she was above all that? I feel sorry for the servants that have to clean up behind her.

Swift's poem reveals the artificial beauty of Celia to Strephon but also makes a comment on human imperfections in general. People are good at putting on a pleasant face but oft times the true person underneath is very unpleasant. Swift once again chooses to shock his audience by this time writing on very private aspects of a person's life and placing them in a public forum.