Internal And External Conflicts In Jacob Have I Loved
Throughout Paterson’s novel Jacob Have I Loved, Sara Louise Bradshaw endures a long internal and external conflicts of transitioning into adulthood and separation from others. Louise’s entire life has been about her and her beautiful twin and because of this 80% (attention to her twin) -20% (attention on herself) relationship, she settled for mediocracy in life. The novel beings as Louise is living on an island where she works with her father while her twin sister is attending a better school, which shows the parallel contrast between the two sisters. Louise is constantly comparing herself to her twin sister Caroline but as the novel progresses, Louise’s character develops and the conflict she faces of the relationship between her and Caroline
begins to change as well. She begins the novel as comparing herself to Caroline, seeing herself not necessarily as the “ugly” twin, but rather the one who no one actually pays attention to but only acknowledges her presence. “She was so sure, so present, so easy, so light and gold, while I was all gray and shadow. I was not ugly or monstrous. That might have been better.” (Paterson pg. 38) As the story goes on, Louise moves away to a small town where she is a midwife nurse, and because she moved away she finally separated herself from her twin sister, therefor relieving most of her internal and external conflict. By moving away, she does not only separate herself from her sister but she takes a step towards adult life and progression of maturity. It was her perception of herself and her sister that was the main cause for her conflict, it was the way that she saw herself that separated her and her sister. When she moved away and met the widow and then delivered the set of twins, she finally found happiness within herself internal and external. She finally overcame her struggles and becomes an independent woman, living on her own, working on her own, in a serious relationship with no sister to compare herself to, this is the ultimate goal in life and a key aspect of adulthood, having all of these components and living with stability. By the end of the novel Sara Louise Bradshaw has not only developed as a character but is in full swing of adulthood and accomplished maturing.
begins to change as well. She begins the novel as comparing herself to Caroline, seeing herself not necessarily as the “ugly” twin, but rather the one who no one actually pays attention to but only acknowledges her presence. “She was so sure, so present, so easy, so light and gold, while I was all gray and shadow. I was not ugly or monstrous. That might have been better.” (Paterson pg. 38) As the story goes on, Louise moves away to a small town where she is a midwife nurse, and because she moved away she finally separated herself from her twin sister, therefor relieving most of her internal and external conflict. By moving away, she does not only separate herself from her sister but she takes a step towards adult life and progression of maturity. It was her perception of herself and her sister that was the main cause for her conflict, it was the way that she saw herself that separated her and her sister. When she moved away and met the widow and then delivered the set of twins, she finally found happiness within herself internal and external. She finally overcame her struggles and becomes an independent woman, living on her own, working on her own, in a serious relationship with no sister to compare herself to, this is the ultimate goal in life and a key aspect of adulthood, having all of these components and living with stability. By the end of the novel Sara Louise Bradshaw has not only developed as a character but is in full swing of adulthood and accomplished maturing.