The Identicals

“Think of the two islands as you would a set of twins. Outwardly, we look alike, but beneath the surface…we are individuals.”

This quote from the novel’s introductory chapter uses direct address to establish the central simile linking the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard to the identical twin protagonists. The metaphor introduces Hilderbrand’s thematic exploration of The Power of Place in Shaping Identity by suggesting that, like the islands, the sisters have distinct characters despite their shared origins. The ellipsis creates a pause that emphasizes the hidden, complex differences the narrative will explore.

“[T]he girls—just short of coming to actual blows—decided to settle the dispute the way they had been settling disputes for seventeen and a half years: by shooting rock, paper, scissors.”

The use of the game rock, paper, scissors, an act of chance, functions as a symbol for the arbitrary yet definitive nature of the choice that fractured the twins’ lives. By reducing a life-altering decision to a children’s game, the narrative underscores how a single, seemingly trivial moment sets the foundation for decades of resentment and hurt.

“This guy, Captain Peter, isn’t the kind of guy Tabitha would ever hook up with. He’s the kind of guy…Harper would hook up with! Harper has no standards. Harper’s bar—for everything in life—isn’t just low; it’s lying on the ground.”

Through Tabitha’s internal monologue, Hilderbrand offers insight into her class-consciousness and her tendency to define herself in opposition to her sister despite a 14-year estrangement. The hyperbole in the final sentence (“it’s lying on the ground”) emphasizes the sense of superiority Tabitha feels, which masks her own insecurities and unhappiness.