Twins

“Francine and I are identical twins. There are, like, a thousand differences between us…not that anyone notices.”

This quote emphasizes The Search for Personal Identity. Ironically, Maureen’s visual list of differences between the two twins are quite minuscule, such as Francine having pierced ears and Maureen’s hair being ¼ inch shorter. This list makes it seem as though there is not much difference between the two characters. In reality, there are significant differences, but most of them go beyond mere physical differences.

“‘It’s just… everything is different. Harder. But everyone seems to be doing fine. Except me.’

‘Yesterday wasn’t great for me, either. My voice cracked three times in chorus. Bobby and his friends laughed…It’s like every other kid has either taken private lessons or is a natural-born singer.’

‘You just need to practice. And wear the red.’

‘Things will get better for us both. Try sitting with some of the Cadet Corps kids at lunch.’”

This passage emphasizes The Challenges of Adolescence and Middle School, which range from academic challenges and bullying to shifting social dynamics that cause Maureen to be lonely. For Maureen, one of the greatest challenges is feeling alone in her struggle, for she mistakenly believes that nobody else is having issues adjusting to middle school. However, Francine reassures her that she is also struggling, albeit in different ways. The conversation reflects the fact that big transitions, like the shift from elementary to middle school, are difficult for most people, even if they don’t show it.

“Dad called Monique the fifth gear. The one who made our ‘friendship-mobile’ run smoothly…But would our friendship still work if we were missing a piece?”

This quote alludes to one of The Challenges of Adolescence and Middle School, namely the shifting social dynamics. For Maureen, the fact that one of her best friends is her twin sister makes this process even more complicated to navigate, because when Fran starts to withdraw from the friend group, Maureen worries that her own friendships will change as well.

“From what I can tell, you have buckets of integrity and discipline, and you seem to be a positive influence on others. But you are sorely lacking in self-confidence. And an essay won’t do anything to improve that. When your parents inquired about YCC, I promised I’d do everything I could to boost your self-confidence…Student council applications are due tomorrow. I’ll give you extra credit if you run. Even more if you win.”

This quote spearheads the plot because Maureen’s decision to run for student council president is informed by her desire to earn straight A’s like she has always done in the past. Master Sergeant plants a seed that causes tension between Maureen and Fran. Also, by revealing that Maureen’s parents intentionally placed her in Cadet Corps, this conversation creates tension between Maureen and her parents as well. All of these issues escalate until the family dynamics are thrown out of balance, but they discover a “new normal” (241) by the novel’s end.

“‘Aren’t you tired of being THE CARTER TWINS? Don’t you want to be your own person?’

‘I know who I am. I don’t care if people get us confused. Why should you?’

‘It’s not that we just look alike. Everyone thinks we’re interchangeable. Like it doesn’t matter if it’s you or me.’”

This passage develops The Search for Personal Identity, which is something that many adolescents and middle-schoolers experience. However, this dynamic is exacerbated for Fran because of her frustration that no one can physically tell the difference between her and her sister. Because of this frustration, Fran feels an increased desire to discover and assert her own identity, even if it means creating distance and upsetting Maureen.

.“‘We were wondering if you had this—’

‘I’ll help you in a second.’

[Shop attendant to white customer:] ‘Hiiiii. Welcome to Mercy Danger. How can I help you?’

[White customer:] ‘Um, I believe those girls were here before me.’

‘I’m sure they’ll wait. Probably just window-shopping or something.’”

‘Probably? That girl was trying to ask you a question and you ignored her. Why?’

‘I’m sorry. It’s just that, typically, you know—’

‘Typically? What do you mean typically?…I’m getting the sudden urge to spend my money elsewhere. Girls, I suggest you do the same.’”

This passage illustrates the racism that exists among certain townspeople. The shop attendant at a store in the mall doesn’t want to help Maureen and her friends, who are Black, and instead jumps at the chance to help a white customer because she assumes that the Black girls won’t actually buy anything. Rather than allowing this to occur, the white customer comes up with a solution and leaves the store without spending her money there. The novel implies that this strategy catches on as word of the incident spreads, because later in the novel, the same store is shown going out of business. This outcome suggests that if citizens take a stand against racism, sometimes real change will occur as a result.

“This is interesting. We only have two students running for President. Fran Carter…And Maureen Carter! This is a first for O’Connor Middle School. Twin against twin! May the best woman win!”

This quote marks a low point in The Evolution of Sibling Relationships because the twins are pitted against each other for the student council election. The accompanying illustration of the girls holding hands, then letting go when the advisor announces both their names, illustrates how this type of competition creates distance between them and temporarily damages their relationship.

“‘I think it’s awesome that you’re running. I’m happy to help with posters or anything else.’

‘What—you’re getting extra credit, too?’

‘No! I just like helping my friends.’

‘We’re…friends?...Cool!’”

This passage develops The Search for Personal Identity because it depicts Maureen making friends of her own, without Fran’s help or influence. Although she seems surprised that Richard considers her a friend, she is also delighted by this, and it helps to develop her self-confidence, which is one of the aspects of personal identity that she has been trying to cultivate.

“We only wanted the bears…It took a while, but Dad eventually figured out how to win. We named them Venus and Serena. Since then, they’ve traveled everywhere with us.

‘Thinking about taking Serena?’

‘No, I think they’ll be lonely without each other.’”

The girls name their matching teddy bears Venus and Serena after Venus and Serena Williams, the famous Black twin tennis players. This choice emphasizes their own identities as Black twin girls. The bears therefore symbolize Maureen and Fran’s unique closeness as twins. When Maureen moves into Curtis’s bedroom but leaves her bear behind, this moment illustrates that she still feels uniquely close to Fran despite the current distance between them.

“‘What if you and Fran come up with the same platform?!’

‘I don’t think that will happen.’

‘But don't you guys share the same thoughts? You know, like twin psychic powers? It’s not funny! I swear, I saw it on TV!’

‘All joking aside, Richard does bring up a good point. We need a way to make you stand out from Fran. Kids have to know they’re voting for you, not her…Nothing gets votes like a girl in uniform!’”

This passage illustrates the fact that many of Maureen and Fran’s peers think that twins really do have a shared identity. This passage also emphasizes The Search for Personal Identity because Maureen wants to differentiate herself from Fran. This is accomplished through the motif of clothing, which is used to indicate personal identity for both twins as the story progresses.

“I never told any of my friends what happened. I didn’t tell a teacher, either. Or our parents. I was too embarrassed. We promised to keep it a secret. Francine promised. As soon as I saw Francine, I knew. And I knew she knew. Richard was right. Sometimes we could read each other’s minds.”

In this passage, Maureen doubts whether “Fran” is the same person as “Francine.” In the past, Francine promised to keep a secret for Maureen, but now, Fran has violated this promise, suggesting that she has become a different person and that her loyalties have shifted.

“‘Why would you do that to me?!’

‘Do you know what they were saying? That if you’re the smart one, the one with all the awards, then I must be the dumb one!’”

This passage illuminates the degree of competition that Francine feels with Maureen. Although the fact that Maureen is successful and has won awards, this does not mean that Francine cannot also be successful and smart. Francine’s perception of the issue occurs because she tends to compare herself to Maureen and believes that only one of them can be the best.

“With Francine out, I was guaranteed a win. No more posters or platforms. Maybe I wouldn’t even have to give a speech. That felt like cheating. And most of the students wouldn’t know I won. A vote for me would be like a vote for her. It would be like voting for the same person. Francine didn’t want me to live in her shadow anymore. I didn’t want to live there, either.

‘I don’t want Francine to drop out…If she doesn’t run I’ll never know…I’ll never know if I was good enough to win on my own.’”

This passage develops The Search for Personal Identity because it suggests that identity cannot be stolen and that cheating is not a viable way to find one’s true identity. Maureen wants to win fair and square or not at all, and this stance illustrates her commitment to finding out who she truly is instead of having things handed to her, which would feel disingenuous.

“‘Is school getting any better? Want to talk about it?’

‘Things are good. I have a lot of friends. Well, two—Amber and Richard. And I guess Bryce is my friend, too.’

‘What about Nikki, Tasha, and Monique?’

‘Nikki and Tasha have been hanging with their band friends lately. And Monique is Francine’s campaign manager, so…’

‘Monique is still your friend. And Francine is still your sister.’

‘They have a funny way of showing it.’”

In this passage, Maureen describes some of The Challenges of Adolescence and Middle School, notably the shifting friendships and social dynamics. At this point, she still believes that people can only have a limited number of friends. She therefore assumes that since Nikki and Tasha have friends from band, they can no longer be her friends. Later, she realizes that people can have multiple friend groups and that two or more friend groups can even join together to form one larger group, without sacrificing former friendships. However, she doesn’t realize this immediately and there are growing pains as her friendships transition to middle-school life.

“Guys, I know things are difficult right now. Just don’t forget, y’all are sisters.”

This quote develops The Evolution of Sibling Relationships. Although all sibling relationships change over time, Curtis points out that Maureen and Fran are still sisters. The conversation implies that sibling relationships are unique because they cannot be undone the same way that friendships can. The girls will always technically be sisters regardless of how they treat each other. Although not all siblings remain loyal and loving for life, Maureen and Fran have the potential to do so, and Curtis’s statement is intended to readjust their perspective on the issue.

“Hey, Amber. Yeah, now’s a good time to talk. I wasn’t doing anything important.”

Here, Maureen brushes Fran off because she was just speaking to Fran, but she interrupts their conversation to talk to Amber on the phone and claims Fran isn’t “important.” The accompanying illustration shows Fran in the corner, which is a different, darker color than the rest of the panel. In the image, Fran averts her eyes and looks disappointed, suggesting the extent to which Maureen’s short comment has hurt her.

“Most kids didn’t really care about the election…But some kids did care. And those kids seemed to really like my idea for a school buddy system…Of course, my idea wasn’t the only good one. Francine’s platform was all about more interaction between clubs at school. Like asking the chorus to sing while the orchestra accompanied them. Or having the drama club perform skits at halftime during the basketball games. She even suggested ‘Showcase Days’ where clubs could perform during lunch.

[…]

‘Can’t you do that program after you win? Your sister wouldn’t mind, right?’

‘Not sure, I’ll have to ask her.’

Once I start talking to her.”

This passage illustrates that both twins have good ideas for how to improve the school, even though only one of them can win the election. This quote contains foreshadowing because although Maureen doesn’t win and cannot implement Fran’s idea, the opposite will prove to be true. When Fran wins at the end of the novel, she implements Maureen’s idea, and her choice demonstrates the fact that teamwork is a more effective leadership strategy.

“‘Richard’s afraid that I’ll be mean to him if I’m in charge. But that’s silly. We’d be friends like before. I mean, it’s not like you and Fran will stop being sisters once you win the election. She’d probably even be happy for you if you won. And you’d be happy for her. Right?’

‘Yeah, I’d be happy.’

Wouldn’t I?”

This passage develops The Evolution of Sibling Relationships. Even though Maureen doubts whether she would be happy if Fran won the election, she is ultimately happy for her sister. Amber also echoes Curtis’s earlier words by pointing out that Maureen and Fran will remain sisters no matter what happens. Even though their relationship will change over time, it won’t disappear.

“For the next couple days, Francine and I did our best to steer clear of each other. Dad said that things would return to normal once the election was over. But that seemed impossible.”

This passage further develops The Evolution of Sibling Relationships. Maureen currently thinks that the election has changed her relationship with Fran forever and that it will never go back to being “normal.” She is partially right, because their relationship has changed and will continue to change throughout their lives. Later, however, she reflects that they eventually reach a “new normal,” and although their relationship may go through tumultuous times, it will find a new form of equilibrium. This suggests that the constant changes in sibling relationships can be a good thing because any fights or discomfort are only temporary.

“Maureen, remember how Dad used to say that you were the thinker and I was the talker? I wanted to be the thinker, too! I wanted to come up with good ideas, not just blab about them later. But the worst was when everyone thought it was you who gave that speech for Earth Day. There I was, finally good at something. And they didn’t even know it was me.”

This quote complicates The Search for Personal Identity. As a twin, Fran tends to compare herself to Maureen and sometimes wants to be more like Maureen because she admires her traits. Part of the twins’ search for identity involves embracing their own positive qualities instead of striving to cultivate the other one’s qualities. By owning their true selves and supporting each other, both girls can shine brighter.

“‘We should both stay in. May the best woman win.’

‘Sounds good…if you’re okay calling me President Carter.’

‘Maybe you’ll be the one calling me president.’

‘Just as long as I don’t have to call you FRAN.’

[…]

‘For you, I’ll always be Francine.’”

This quote develops The Evolution of Sibling Relationships. Even though Fran has adopted a new nickname to emphasize her individuality, by stating that she’ll always be “Francine” to her sister, she clarifies that her new identity does not negate her loyalty towards Maureen.

“My turn.

‘Hello, my name is Maureen Carter…’

Why did you say that?! They know who you are. Mr. Wilson just said your name!

‘And I’m running for…for…’

Don’t tell them you’re running for president, you idiot! They know that, too!

‘I’m…I’m…’

Where are Amber and Richard?!

‘I’m here to tell you…to talk about…’

They said they’d be in the front!!!

[Francine:] ‘Hey! MAUREEN! You got this.’

‘I’m Maureen and I’m here to talk to you about the sixth-grade buddy system. Because let’s be honest. Everyone needs a buddy!’”

This passage juxtaposes Maureen’s words to the audience with her internal thoughts directed at herself, which emphasizes the extent of anxiety she feels about public speaking. She immediately second-guesses herself after almost every phrase she utters, even though she doesn't do this when she’s not speaking to a crowd. The only thing that breaks her out of this feedback loop is Fran’s simple declaration of encouragement. In this moment, Fran demonstrates the importance of sisterhood even while the twins are technically competing against each other.

“It took a few weeks, but things eventually did return to normal…Or rather, the new normal…I ended up staying in Curtis’s room. Now it’s all mine.”

Maureen becomes more comfortable with her new identity, which is symbolized in part by her permanent move into a separate bedroom from Fran. The phrase “the new normal” complicates her dad’s earlier claim that things will eventually return to “normal.” Things are not exactly like they used to be, but things are peaceful and the twins are happy with their relationship even though it has changed.