I Know This Much Is True Critical Analysis Essay Example

I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE “There are two young men lost in the woods… I may never find one of the young men. He has been gone so long. But as for the other, I may have better luck.” (284-285). This statement was made by Dr. Patel, a psychologist. It shows a accurate summarization of human life. People become lost and distracted by anger. It is impossible to live a peaceful and happy life when individuals cannot forgive those who have hurt them. Forgiving others will lead to the path of happiness, but to truly be content one must forgive oneself. One has to be true and honest with oneself to be truly happy. This is the basic theme of Wally Lamb’s novel I Know This Much is True. Dominick Birdsey is a man with many issues. He is angry at the world, and refuses to forgive anyone, including himself. Thomas, his identical twin brother, is one person who has hurt him in many ways. The fact that Thomas and their mother got along well, better than he and their mother did, was very upsetting to Dominick. Dominick felt that “Ma would always love him (Thomas) more than she loved me” (763). Dominick thought his mother loved Thomas more because they were alike. “In some ways, they were more like identical twins than he and I were” (814). Dominick believed that she “loved him more” because “both of them were so goddamned powerless…. It was like they were soul mates” (815). This is shows that Dominick was mad at his twin brother, Thomas. He wanted his mother’s love and approval, but she was always seemed closer to Thomas because of their similar personalities. Thomas and his mother used to spend time together “playing nice,” where they would have tea parties and dress in women’s clothes. Dominick always felt left out when Thomas and their mother would go upstairs to “play nice.” Dominick would always be put in charge of keeping watch out for, Ray, Dominick’s stepfather, who would not approve.
This wouldn’t be any fun for you, Dominick. This is the kind of fun only your