Twins

This section continues to explore The Evolution of Sibling Relationships; Maureen and Fran are still going through tumultuous times, but as Curtis points out, these tough times are temporary, and the girls will always remain sisters. Fran’s betrayal of Maureen’s secret is an emotional reaction that reflects her envy of her sister and her anger over her fears of being perceived as “the dumb one” (160). This moment reveals that just like Maureen, Fran is also battling with her own lack of self-confidence and is intimidated by the fact that Maureen is always winning awards and is commonly thought of as “the smart one” (160). These hard feelings widen the rift between the girls, almost to the point that Maureen no longer feels like Fran is her sister, just as she suspects that Monique isn’t her friend. However, when Curtis reassures her that her connections with her sister and her friend will endure, this moment injects a “reality check” into the girls’ ongoing drama, emphasizing the lifelong continuity of sibling relationships despite occasional conflicts. The scene implies that in many cases, sibling relationships are like built-in friendships because siblings are often encouraged to remain close for life.

While the dialogue adequately introduces the heart of the conflict between the two girls, the illustrations emphasize the tension and provide subtler visual cues about the reasons for this new distance in Maureen and Fran’s sibling relationship. The benefits of the graphic novel format become clear as the illustrations add meaning that transcends the effect of mere words. For example, while Maureen and Fran are arguing about the vandalized campaign poster, Maureen receives a call from Amber, and she answers the phone to say that she “wasn’t doing anything important” (177). On their own, these words show that Maureen is deliberately offending her sister by claiming that Fran is not important. However, the illustration adds to this because Fran is shown in the corner of the panel, looking away from Maureen with a sad expression. Additionally, her corner of the room is shaded in a different, darker color than the bright yellow surrounding Maureen’s background. This artistic choice conveys the depths of Fran’s hurt feelings despite the lack of corresponding narration. Together, the text and illustrations create a more complex narrative than either the words or the illustrations would convey individually.

As the conflict escalates, Maureen’s character continues to develop, emphasizing her version of The Search for Personal Identity. This pattern becomes clear when Maureen doesn’t want Fran to quit the election and give her an automatic win, for she reasons that this would prevent Maureen from discovering anything new about herself. While the girls’ actions are still often motivated by pettier emotions like jealousy, this moment also shows that Maureen is dedicated to improving herself and does not simply want a false victory. Her decision reflects a more mature way to approach the search for her own personal identity, and it gives Fran a chance to continue her own development as well.

In this section, the author uses foreshadowing to increase the novel’s suspense and narrative tension. For example, Amber says that when Maureen wins, she can still implement Fran’s idea of “Showcase Days” and have clubs collaborate with each other. Although Maureen does not win, the opposite scenario does come to pass, for when Fran wins, she implements Maureen’s buddy system idea. This development will eventually create a symmetrical arc, because the author and illustrator insert clues throughout the novel that lead up to this conclusion. Additionally, Amber says that no matter who wins the election, each twin would be happy for the other’s victory, and despite Maureen’s current skepticism, this assertion foreshadows the novel’s positive conclusion, for Maureen is happy for Fran when she wins. Thus, Amber’s words provide guidance and positive advice for Maureen, reminding her that she should continue to value her connection with her sister even if she loses the election.

As the girls navigate the ups and downs of their conflict, the illustrator uses wordless illustrations to emphasize the emotional weight of certain scenes, especially when the characters are unsure how to adequately address the situation. For example, when Mom and Dad find out about the vandalism of Maureen’s campaign poster and leave the dining room to discuss the problem in private, Fran, Maureen, and Curtis feel so tense that they say nothing while they wait for their parents to return (163). Curtis attempts to break the tension by taking some food off of Dad’s plate, but this attempt falls flat because their parents’ absence is so strong that it overshadows the kids’ actions. The tension of the parents’ absence is mirrored by the absence of words, an artistic choices that is doubly conspicuous because most panels do include words. Thus, by deliberately altering the usual narrative patterns of the graphic novel, the author and illustrator make use of readers’ expectations to create certain emotional effects.