Atwood's tips with mirrors as a declaration of female independenceRelationships are complex things, with constantly changing dynamics. Some traditional roles are still played in the constant search for a balance between giving and receiving in relationships. Women have historically and stereotypically played the role of “giver” in male-female romantic unions. In recent years, gender laws in relationships have changed and evolved, but even recently, in the 1970s and 1980s, women were limited to the role of complacent givers in their relationships. However, their freedom of thought and even their private speech have been impossible to suppress, and by expanding this communication, things have been forced to change. A perfect example of this form of communication as an attempt to change role-playing in relationships is Margaret Atwood's 1974 poem, "Tricks With Mirrors." Through the use of poetic devices such as metaphor and tone in “Tricks with Mirrors,” Atwood attempts to explain and break free from the restrictions of these traditional dynamics in relationships. In the first part of the poem, Atwood uses a seemingly vague introduction to the subject, but gets straight to the point. In five lines, she distinctly identifies her role as a mirror by saying, “I enter with you / and I become a mirror” (lines 4-5). She gives the impression that she is just an object in this relationship – she is a mirror through which her self-centered lover can see himself. “Mirrors / are the perfect lovers,” she declares (lines 6-7). They demonstrate constant and loyal thoughtfulness to anyone who stands before them. She objectifies herself by telling her lover to carefully carry her up the stairs and up...... middle of paper...... She uses her tone of voice and the metaphors of mirrors and swimming pools to assert his point of view. for freedom. Atwood's speaker is just an object trapped in a relationship in which she only serves to mirror her lover for himself—and she no longer wishes to remain that way. She always seems patient in her efforts and continues to give throughout her silent rebellion. All her lover does is take from her what pleases him - a true reflection of what he wishes to see in himself. Atwood defines these traditional roles in relationships while opposing the nature of these unfair dynamics. “Tricks with Mirrors” is almost an anthem for the oppressed woman – a statement that calmly explains a situation that needs to be changed. A deeper message can be found in the poem, however, as she expresses her detached unhappiness: don't become a mirror, she tells us..