The Identicals

Tabitha Frost, the novel’s co-protagonist, is a dynamic and round character who initially embodies the structured, high-society world of Nantucket. Her identity is a construct, carefully managed to meet the impossibly high standards of her mother, Eleanor, and to stand in stark opposition to her twin, Harper. Described by her ex-boyfriend, Ramsay, as “egregiously snobby” and “uptight” (32), Tabitha’s controlled exterior serves as a sophisticated defense mechanism. It protects her from vulnerability rooted in two defining traumas: losing the game of rock, paper, scissors that sent her to live with Eleanor, and the death of her infant son, Julian.

Tabitha’s life is governed by a deep-seated resentment toward Harper, whom she blames not only for Julian’s death but also for winning the perceived prize of their father, Billy. This blame is a shield against her own grief and guilt, which has left her emotionally paralyzed. The consequences of this paralysis are most evident in her strained relationship with her daughter, Ainsley. Ramsay’s accusation that she is a “piss-poor mother” (32) forces Tabitha to acknowledge that her unresolved sorrow has rendered her incapable of effective parenting, leading her to either micro-manage or completely abdicate her maternal duties.

Forced to return to Martha’s Vineyard, the island she associates with her father and Harper, Tabitha begins the difficult process of shedding her Nantucket armor. Her narrative arc centers on her need to dismantle the rigid narrative she’s created about herself and her sister by stepping into her sister’s life on Martha’s Vineyard, highlighting The Role of Empathy in Reconciliation. By literally renovating Billy’s derelict house, she symbolically rebuilds her own life, discovering a sense of purpose and a capacity for love she thought was lost forever. Her relationship with Franklin, a man who understands loss, provides a pathway toward emotional honesty. Tabitha’s transformation is a journey toward forgiveness, particularly of Harper and, most importantly, of herself. During her attempt to seduce Reed by impersonating her sister, Tabitha experiences a moment of self-awareness, realizing “that the person she is ultimately betraying is herself” (379). In letting go of the past, she can reclaim her identity not as Eleanor’s proxy or Harper’s resentful twin, but as a whole and healing individual.

Ainsley Cruise, daughter of Tabitha, is a dynamic and round character whose defiant behavior masks a deep-seated loneliness and need for affection. A product of her mother’s emotionally distant and controlling parenting style, Ainsley acts out in a desperate search for connection and autonomy. Her transgressions, from taking her mother’s car for a joyride to hosting a party that results in damage to a “twenty thousand dollar” (50) table, are cries for attention from a mother paralyzed by her own grief. Though she often presents as a “privileged, entitled snot” (50), Ainsley possesses a sharp emotional intelligence and a perceptive understanding of her family’s dysfunction.

Ainsley’s core motivation is her yearning for a complete and functional family unit, as evidenced by her fascination with old photo albums depicting her grandparents as a happy couple and her instant, powerful connection to her aunt, Harper. She intuits that Harper offers a warmth and authenticity that has been absent from her life with her grieving mother and grandmother. By engineering the initial contact that brings Harper to Nantucket, Ainsley actively works to mend the 14-year rift between the sisters. She recognizes the toxicity of their estrangement and, in her own way, pushes them toward reconciliation.

Throughout the novel, Ainsley evolves from a self-absorbed teenager into a more empathetic and accountable young woman. The consequences of her poor choices, particularly the suspension from school and the temporary loss of her friends, force her to look beyond her own desires and consider the impact of her actions on others. Her relationships with Harper and Caylee provide her with the stable, nurturing female guidance she has lacked, allowing her to mature. By the end of the narrative, Ainsley is no longer simply reacting to her mother’s neglect but is actively forging her own identity, one based on honesty and genuine connection rather than rebellion.

Eleanor, the family matriarch, functions as both an antagonist and a foil to her daughters. She is a round but largely static character whose primary motivations are control and the preservation of her public image, which is inextricably linked to her fashion brand. Her influence is a palpable force throughout the novel, symbolized by the iconic Roxie dress, a garment representing a “classic timelessness” (35) that she imposes on her family. Her decision to separate the twins after her divorce from Billy sets the entire narrative in motion. While she frames this choice as a matter of propriety, claiming the idea of the girls traveling between households was “unseemly” (20), it is later revealed to be a desperate act born from a deep-seated fear of being alone.

Eleanor’s character is defined by a fundamental contradiction: She craves familial connection, but her controlling and critical nature consistently pushes her loved ones away. She rules over Tabitha’s life, molding her into a subordinate version of herself, while simultaneously confessing that she has secretly “longed for” (88) Harper, the daughter who escaped her grasp. This admission highlights her inability to appreciate what she has, a flaw that has defined her life and fractured her family. Despite her cold and formidable exterior, moments of vulnerability emerge, particularly when she recalls her passionate love for Billy. Her final, stunning confession that she holds herself responsible for Julian’s premature birth serves as the key that unlocks the possibility of healing for her daughters. Although this act is redemptive, Eleanor herself does not fundamentally change; her actions, even the well-intentioned ones, remain centered on her own emotional needs.

Billy Frost’s death serves as the novel’s inciting incident, and though he is deceased, his presence as a round, static character permeates the narrative. He functions as a direct foil to his ex-wife, Eleanor. Where Eleanor is a “secret snob” (19) obsessed with status and control, Billy is an easygoing, working-class electrician beloved for his warmth and authenticity. His character is aligned with the more laid-back culture of Martha’s Vineyard, symbolizing one side of the novel’s exploration of The Power of Place in Shaping Identity. He is remembered fondly by the island community as a “rapscallion” (80) and a loyal friend.

To his daughter Harper, Billy is a hero and her “unfailing ally” (15). Their close bond defines Harper’s identity for the first part of the novel. However, Billy’s character is not without its flaws. His relaxed nature borders on passivity, particularly concerning his fractured family. He allows the bitter feud between his daughters to continue for 14 years, offering only the empty platitude that “[f]amily is family” (12) instead of taking decisive action to heal the rift. This avoidance is also reflected in his secret, long-standing affair with Eleanor, a relationship he keeps hidden from his daughters. Billy’s treasured gold Omega watch symbolizes a legacy of connection and history that he is ultimately unable to pass down to a unified family, leaving it to his daughters to piece the family back together after his death.

Dr. Reed Zimmer serves as a catalyst for Harper’s personal crisis. As Billy’s physician, he is initially presented as an idealized figure, a doctor who is “thoughtful, consistent, kind, clear” (17). This professional and compassionate exterior, however, masks a deep dissatisfaction with his own life, particularly his marriage to his wife, Sadie. His affair with Harper is born of this unhappiness and a mutual need for connection. He becomes a central figure in Harper’s struggle with her reputation in a small community. Throughout their affair, Reed feels unable to commit to Harper or definitively end his marriage, and when their affair becomes public, he chooses to flee rather than face the consequences. His actions leave Harper to deal with the fallout alone, forcing her to finally confront her pattern of seeking validation in destructive relationships.

Hilderbrand provides additional insight into Reed’s character by switching to his perspective in Chapter 32, nuancing his character and creating an arc toward growth and understanding that paves the way for his happy ending with Harper. The narrator notes, “Reed fell out of love with Sadie all at once, a year and a half earlier: it was as if someone had thrown a switch from IN LOVE to NOT IN LOVE” (364). The image of a switch being flipped conveys a sense of finality, framing his subsequent affair with Harper as the result of a definitive internal event and providing psychological context for his choices and mistakes.

Franklin is a round character who functions as a romantic interest and a moral compass for Tabitha. A well-liked musician and carpenter on Martha’s Vineyard, he embodies an authenticity and emotional depth that contrasts sharply with the other men in the novel. His backstory, marked by the tragic suicide of his girlfriend, has endowed him with a nuanced understanding of grief and loss. This makes him uniquely capable of connecting with Tabitha, who has been emotionally paralyzed since the death of her son. Unlike Ramsay, who urged Tabitha to simply “move on” (43), Franklin possesses the empathy to see past her defensive exterior to the vulnerable woman beneath. Their relationship becomes a vehicle for Tabitha’s emotional healing. His loyalty to his sister, Sadie, creates the central conflict of their romance, forcing him to choose between his family and his feelings for Tabitha, thereby mirroring the novel’s larger themes of family obligation and reconciliation.

Ramsay, Tabitha’s ex-boyfriend, represents the stable, socially approved life of the Nantucket elite that Tabitha always imagined for herself. His work in his family’s insurance business and his membership at the Nantucket Yacht Club make him an ideal partner in Eleanor’s eyes. However, his emotional limitations are what ultimately make him unsuitable for Tabitha. His suggestion that they have a baby to help her “put your sadness behind you” (31) reveals a profound inability to grasp the depth of her trauma surrounding her son’s death. He serves primarily as a foil to Franklin Phelps, highlighting the difference between a life that looks right and one that feels right. His brief, awkward interactions with Harper, whom he mistakes for Tabitha, reinforce the novel’s recurring motif of mistaken identity and underscore how superficially the outside world views the twins.