Regarding Angelica’s mirror:

I was at my local nursery recently and noticed they have gazing balls, which are basically convex mirrors completed as a sphere. They are used in a beautiful, well-proportioned garden to allow the viewer to sit in one spot and see the whole garden all at once. The gazing ball allows you to see more of the scene than even your peripheral vision would normally allow. Similarly, convex mirrors were used in Victorian times to appreciate a beautiful, well-proportioned and well-designed room, allowing one to take in the whole view all at once.

Convex mirrors are also currently used as rear-view mirrors and side-mirrors in cars, to give a wider-than-normal view. Yes, “objects are closer than they appear,” but the ability to see those objects may save your life.

I suggest that the purpose of giving the convex mirror to Angelica is to encourage her to see, not just herself, but the world and the people around her. The point is not that the vision is distorted, but that the mirror gives a very wide angle view of the world.
 
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