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Theme Of Identity In Audrey Niffeneger's Fearful Symmetry

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Theme Of Identity In Audrey Niffeneger's Fearful Symmetry
When the inherent dualistic nature of man can no longer be extinguished or suppressed, the parallels between separate identities, the id and superego, become blurred. This notion is explored in Audrey Niffeneger’s ‘Her Fearful Symmetry’, through the characters of Elspeth and Edie, as well as their perception of one another; both of which become a pastiche to Robert Louis Stevenson’s original gothic novella, ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’. Although the initial outlook for the other is hatred, their inextricable connection compels for an acceptance; which is elucidated when Elspeth remarks “But I never hated Edie; that would be like hating myself”. This coincides with the gothic concept presented in Stevenson’s novella; Jekyll is
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