Comprehensive theory, key formulas, diagrams, and memory aids for The Snake and the Mirror.
"The Snake and the Mirror" is a humorous and gripping story written by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. It is narrated in the first person by a doctor who, as a young man, once stayed in a small, rundown house in a village near Trichur in Kerala. The story is a simple anecdote about a night when a snake fell onto his shoulders while he sat admiring his reflection in a mirror. Through this dramatic incident, Basheer weaves a tale of vanity, fear, humility and the fickleness of human plans.
The story is set around 1938. The young doctor had just set up practice and rented a small room that he shared with other creatures - rats, and even a sound-proof and private room which had a window with frosted glass. The doctor was vain about his handsome looks, and one night, feeling satisfied after a good meal, he made grand plans about marrying a rich doctor who had a well-equipped clinic and a large bungalow. He sat looking at himself in a mirror, admiring his face and adjusting his hair. Just then, a snake landed on his shoulder, and his world of vanity collapsed in a moment.
The story is remarkable for its blend of horror and humour. The doctor's fear, his sudden prayerful humility, and his later, light-hearted remarks about God and fate make the narration delightful. The mirror, which first reflected vanity, later reflects the snake, and finally reminds the doctor of the emptiness of pride. The chapter is a favourite for its narrative technique, its suspense, and its moral about vanity and the uncertain plans of men.
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer (1908-1994) was one of the greatest Malayalam writers of India, known for his simple, witty and humanistic stories. His works, such as "Balyakalasakhi", "Pathummayude Aadu" and "Mathilukal", celebrate the lives of ordinary people with humour and compassion. In "The Snake and the Mirror", Basheer uses his trademark style of a first-person narrator, colloquial speech and sudden comic turns, showing how a moment of terror can make a vain man humble.
The narrator, a young doctor, is telling this story to his friends. Years ago, in 1938, when he was newly qualified, he had set up practice in a village near Trichur. He rented a small, dirty, run-down room, with a narrow bed covered by a thick cotton quilt. The house was shared by rats, and the doctor had to be careful. The room had a window with frosted glass which, he claims, was the reason the snake landed on his back that night - because the glass was not transparent enough for the snake to see inside.
That night, after a tiring day, the doctor felt unwell and went to dinner, where he ate whatever the man at the next table had eaten - chapattis, dal and a dish of fried brinjal. He returned home, lit the lamp, and sat on the floor for some time. He was feeling satisfied and began to admire himself in the mirror, thinking that he was a handsome bachelor. He made grand plans: he would marry a rich doctor, and his wife would open a well-equipped clinic with her money; he would have a large bungalow and a good income. As he smiled at his reflection, a snake dropped onto his back with a thud. It coiled around his left arm, its hood spread.
The doctor, frozen with fear, could not move. He recalled that the snake was perhaps 3 feet long. In his terror, he made a vow: he would wear a salwar and a turban, shave his hair bald, surrender his mustache to the barber, apply sacred ash on his forehead, and lead the life of an ascetic. When he prayed for God's help, the snake turned its head, looked into the mirror, and then, as if it too loved its own reflection, uncoiled itself and slithered onto the floor, moved towards the mirror, and became "fascinated by its own reflection" in it. The doctor then quietly escaped from the room, ran out of the house, and went to stay with a friend.
The doctor returned the next morning with his friend and a few people, armed with sticks and lanterns, to see if the snake was still there. To his shock, they found that the snake had gone. But more shocking still, the thieves had broken in and taken everything he owned - even his doctor's bag and his other shirt and dhoti. The story ends with a comic and philosophical remark: when he thinks about the incident, he laughs and says it is God's decision, for even the snake and the mirror make man realise the vanity of his pride.
| Step | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | Young doctor sets up practice near Trichur in 1938 |
| 2 | Rents a small, dirty room shared with rats |
| 3 | After dinner he admires himself in the mirror and dreams |
| 4 | A snake falls on his shoulder and coils around his arm |
| 5 | In fear he prays and vows to become an ascetic |
| 6 | The snake looks into the mirror and is fascinated by its reflection |
| 7 | The doctor escapes to a friend's house |
| 8 | Next morning he finds his belongings stolen |
| The Doctor's Dreams | The Reality |
|---|---|
| Marry a rich doctor | Remained a poor, frightened young man |
| Have a well-equipped clinic | Lost even his doctor's bag to thieves |
| Own a large bungalow | Rented a squalid little room |
| Be a handsome, successful bachelor | His vanity was shattered by a snake |
graph TD
A["The Snake and the Mirror (Basheer)"] --> B["Doctor settles near Trichur, 1938"]
B --> C["Vain - admires himself in the mirror"]
C --> D["Makes grand plans: rich doctor wife, big bungalow"]
D --> E["Snake falls on his shoulder, coils around his arm"]
E --> F["Fear - prays, vows ascetic life"]
F --> G["Snake fascinated by its own reflection in the mirror"]
G --> H["Doctor escapes to a friend"]
H --> I["Next morning - all his belongings stolen"]
I --> J["Theme: vanity is crushed; life is uncertain"]
"The Snake and the Mirror" is a delightful blend of suspense and humour that carries a timeless moral. Basheer uses a life-threatening moment to strip a young man of his vanity and show the foolishness of human pride. The doctor's dream of wealth and beauty melts away before a three-foot snake, and even his possessions vanish by morning, leaving him to laugh at his own plans. The story teaches us to be humble, to accept the uncertainty of life, and to remember that, as the mirror shows, our greatest weakness is often our own reflection.