Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

The term “doppelganger” describes a mysterious double or duplicate of a person and is often connected to works featuring the supernatural, such as Stranger With My Face (1981), a young adult novel by Lois Duncan where the protagonist’s twin uses astral projection, or the video game Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987), where the hero has to fight his shadow self in the final challenge. The term comes from the German words doppel (double) and ganger (goer), meaning “double walker,” and originally referred to an apparition or shadow self that mirrors an individual. In folklore, encountering a doppelganger is often considered a bad omen, signifying death and misfortune.

The concept of the doppelganger has evolved into a literary and psychological concept that explores identity, duality, and the uncanny nature of the self. The doppelganger can represent an alternate self, a repressed part of the psyche, or an external force threatening to consume or replace one’s original identity.

One of the most well-known literary depictions of the doppelganger appears in Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “William Wilson” (1839). The tale follows a narrator, William Wilson, who encounters another man named William Wilson, who is identical in both appearance and voice. This mysterious double consistently thwarts the narrator’s immoral actions, acting as a relentless moral conscience. Unlike a traditional ghostly apparition, Wilson’s double is both literal and psychological, reflecting his inner conflict. When Wilson finally attacks his double, he realizes too late that he has destroyed himself. The story suggests that it is impossible for people to fully suppress their darkest impulses; instead, they must confront and reconcile with them.

Another literary exploration of the doppelganger appears in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel The Double (1846). The protagonist, Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin, is a low-level government clerk who encounters his identical counterpart—known as Golyadkin Jr.—on the way home from a party. Unlike in “William Wilson,” where the double acts as a moral force, Golyadkin Jr. is a more socially adept and confident version of the protagonist. The new Golyadkin quickly integrates himself into society, overshadowing and undermining the protagonist. As the double gains power and social standing, the original Golyadkin spirals into paranoia, illustrating the fragility of personal identity.

A more modern take on the doppelganger appears in Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Talented Mr. Ripley (1955). Unlike the supernatural doubles in Poe’s and Dostoevsky’s works, Tom Ripley’s transformation is entirely self-manufactured. Ripley becomes obsessed with wealthy and charismatic Dickie Greenleaf, mimicking his mannerisms before eventually assuming his identity through deception and murder. Ripley’s transformation into Dickie is not driven by supernatural forces but by ambition and a deep-seated desire to escape his own unremarkable existence. The doppelganger becomes a tool of reinvention, raising questions about whether identity and morality are fixed or fluid.

The Business Trip integrates aspects of these doppelganger stories into the modern world. As in Poe’s short story and Dostoevsky’s novel, Jasmine’s attempts to destroy her double, Stephanie, ultimately result in her own destruction, suggesting that both women have fragile identities. Like Ripley in The Talented Mr. Ripley, Jasmine goes after her doppelganger in order to change her social class and escape the difficulties of her personal life.