The Midnight Library

While experiencing different versions of her life, Nora learns a valuable lesson: Perception is powerful, and the way Nora views her life determines how much value she will place on different tasks while living her best life. The Midnight Library allows Nora to visit and explore an infinite number of lives. Despite the possibilities, Nora eventually feels numb because she cannot perceive of herself as the “Nora” in these different situations. She begins to feel that she’s taking someone else’s place—as if she’s living someone else’s life despite their all being versions of her root life. Mrs. Elm tells Nora that she has lost her sense of self, meaning she has a problem with perception.

There are two significant moments in the narrative when Nora queries the power of perception, and both moments help Nora to get back on track regarding her sense of self and the power of perception. One significant moment takes place in Chapter 52, when Nora learns how depression operates. Nora changes her perspective on life after experiencing so much of it: “It was as though she had reached some state of acceptance about life—that if there was a bad experience, there wouldn’t only be bad experiences” (215). This monumental shift in perception allows Nora to reassess her root life. When she wanted to die, Nora believed that there wasn’t a way to stop being miserable. This conviction doomed her thoughts, causing her to perceive that her root life was meaningless. Nora eventually learns that there is a distinct difference between fear and despair, and both influence how one handles depression. Fear is present when Nora feels miserable, but despair arises when Nora perceives no way out of a miserable life. The difference is in perception. The narrative describes fear as walking into a room and wondering whether the door will close; despair is when the door closes and there is no way out. By experiencing different lives, Nora begins perceiving herself as someone capable of doing different things, so the “metaphorical door” widens with each experience (215).

A second significant moment takes place in Chapter 53, when Nora and Mrs. Elm discuss Thoreau’s concept of perception. When Nora loses her way, Mrs. Elm instructs her by quoting Thoreau, saying, “We only know what we perceive. Everything we experience is ultimately just our perception of it. ‘It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see’” (219). By applying Thoreau’s words to her own life, Nora embraces the power of perception, asking herself why she perceives Mrs. Elm as her guide. The answer is that Nora loves kindness, and Mrs. Elm had always been kind. Nora next chooses a transformative life with Ash because Ash, too, was kind to her when she needed kindness. Ultimately, Nora fights to live in her root life because she knows she wants to envision her life as a gift, and perception will help her to remain strong during the highs and lows.