Mirrors are a common theme in the music videos of Eminem
The first sighting of a mirror in "Stan" is when Stan is looking in the mirror and imagining himself as Slim Shady looking back. A blurry view of Slim Shady can be seen posing back at him. This represents Marshall's initial desire to become Slim Shady, but his unclear vision as to exactly what that meant. He felt that he wanted to be something different than what he was, a stronger persona, but was still unclear as to exactly what that Slim Shady character would become.
The second sighting of a mirror in "Stan" is when Stan is driving his car and continuously looks in the rear view mirror to see his own reflection staring back at him while a picture of Slim Shady hung underneath the mirror in the window. The idea of looking into a rear view mirror and seeing himself represents the idea that when Marshall looks to the past (rear view mirrors show you where you have already been) Marshall Mathers is looking him back in the face. However, the future he is looking toward (when he looks forward out the window to what's coming he sees the picture of Slim Shady) is one dominated by Slim Shady. Because he drives his car over a bridge and kills himself and his entire family it represents that driving toward the future of becoming Slim Shady leads to destruction every time. After Stan crashes his car into the water he and his entire family are dead, but a shot of the picture still intact is shown. In order for Slim Shady to survive and keep living, Marshall needed to die. It shows that Slim Shady will ultimately win out over Marshall if that is the direction his life takes. Marshall does not stand a chance.
The final use of mirrors in "Stan" is the final scene when Slim Shady (played by Marshall Mathers) is writing back to Stan on his tour bus. He has the knowledge to help Stan and is imparting it upon him. He is very calm and seems in complete control of knowing how to live a good life. However, the final scene is a lightning strike and the reflection in the bus window is of Stan. This reflection represents that no matter how in control Marshall may think he is in of his life, the part of him that longs to be Slim Shady will always exist. He will always battle the demons of wanting to do drugs, live by impulse, forget about his family, and slip into oblivion. The reflection of Stan at the end is indicative of this idea.
In the video for, "When I'm Gone," the final scene shows Marshall looking into a mirror and seeing Slim Shady staring back at him and Marshall reaches out and breaks the glass and when he does this he is transported to a dream world where he is sober and his wife and kids are both happy. When I'm gone is the realization that in order for Marshall to survive Slim Shady must die, "Tonight it's shady rockabye baby." In breaking the mirror, Slim Shady is metaphorically killed and Marshall is able to be free of this demon and live his life. However, in the song when Slim Shady is killed, Marshal talks about it being a dream. At that point in his life, Slim Shady was not something he had completely gotten rid of as part of his personality.
The final use of mirrors in a music video is in, "Not Afraid," which came from Marshall's Recovery Album about being clean and sober. In the video Marshall is trapped in a maze of mirrors and he is surrounded by images of himself that he cannot get away from. This symbolism seems to suggest a time in Marshall's life when he was forced to look at himself in the mirror and could not run away from having to face his problems.
He finally puts his head down and dives through the mirrors and lands in the middle of a street in what seems to be a part of town he has never been to. Unlike, "When I'm gone," this breaking of a mirror has no mention of being in a dream and it seems to suggest that the identity conflict Marshall often suffered when he looked into a mirror as to whether he was Marshall Mathers or Slim Shady has been solved and is no longer an issue. Marshall also breaks the car window he initially saw his reflection in as he flies. past. This stands as the indicator that the identity issues he struggled with for a very long time are now over.
Neither Slim Shady nor Marshall Mathers has to die in this instance because he is no longer feuding with being two different sides. The shattering of a mirror represents the shattering of a need for him to reflect upon his own identity. He finally seems free to be who he is, and has found inner peace .
