The season of the Gemini, between May 21st and June 21st, has arrived. The Gemini zodiac is represented through the image of twins to embody the dual nature associated with the sign. The constellation is identified through the two brightest stars known as Castor and Pollux. In The Odyssey and Hesiod, Castor, and Pollux are demigod half twins; Castor is the son of King Tyndarus and Pollux is the son of Zeus. Visually indistinguishable and inseparable, the two twins had individual strengths with Castor being a remarkable horseman and Pollux a renowned fighter. When Castor is killed in battle, Pollux pleads with his father to bring him back from the dead. Zeus agrees to immortalize them both in the sky if they agree to spend half their time on Earth and half their time amongst the stars. Subsequently, the Gemini twins and corresponding traits of Gemini duality become ingrained in our literature.
Half on the earth, half up in the sky, the Gemini is known for its adaptability, quick wit, curiosity, and contrasting personalities. They can be simultaneously introverted and extroverted, serious and lighthearted, logical and emotionally intuitive. In literature, we see this duality attributed to Geminis manifests itself in literature through the use of twins. Two halves of a whole that may be distinct, but ultimately come together to form one unit. Greek mythology is ripe with twins: the aforementioned Castor and Pollux, Artemis and Apollo, Romulus and Remus, and more. Shakespeare had Viola and Sebastian in Twelfth Night, Dickens had Charles and Ned Cheeryble in Nicholas Nickleby, and Lewis Carroll had Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb in Through the Looking Glass. Let’s take a look at some more modern-day iterations of twins in literature.
Castor and Pollux from Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Collins’ Gemini twins are meant to represent their namesake from Greek Mythology. Introduced in the final book of The Hunger Games Trilogy, Castor and Pollux are twin brothers and cameramen working on documenting the uprising alongside Katniss and her team. Pollux was enslaved by the capitol and had his tongue taken, making him an Avox, until his brother Castor rescued him. Their fates closely align with their Greek brethren; Castor, the mortal brother in mythology, dies protecting his family and friends, while Pollux, the immortal brother, survives to honor and mourn his other half. Characterized by their bravery and sacrifice, these twins are a modern-day reimagining of their ancient namesakes.
Camilla and Charles from The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The two twins from Virginia, Camilla and Charles, are key members of the Classics group in The Secret History and are involved in the murders of the man in the Vermont woods and their classmate, and friend, Bunny. The first section of Tartt’s novel sees these characters as one entity. They move in tangent with one another; Camilla frequently dresses in Charles’ clothes, they live together, are hardly ever seen apart, and confide in each other for everything. We see certain glimpses of their personality: Charles is more extroverted whereas Camilla is more introverted, Charles is a heavy drinker and Camilla is more reserved, however, their differences become more apparent following their reactions to the death of Bunny.
Camilla handles the death better than the rest of her Greek group whereas Charles goes on a downward spiral fueled by drinking which ends in him physically abusing his sister. This crack in their relationship allows Richard, the protagonist, to peer inside and discover its true incestuous nature. These twins represent a darker side of the Gemini twin mythology: their connection has bound them in all ways, even forbidden ones.
Sam and Eric from Lord of The Flies by William Golding
The twin brothers Sam and Eric are loyal followers of Ralph for the majority of The Lord of The Flies. The twins are described as easily excitable, as is often attributed to Geminis, so tuned into each other that they can finish each other’s sentences, and, as the story progresses, are often regarded as one being: Samneric. The most common theme of twin representation in literature is the idea of two parts as one whole. Golding elevates this ideal by literally melding the twins’ names together thus giving them this otherworldly connection. Sam and Eric’s eventual betrayal of Ralph after their steadfast loyalty suggests that Golding may have taken more than the ideal of the twin from Gemini’s astrology. Their sudden change in loyalty coincides with the flighty nature Geminis are often associated with ー I think we’ll let it slide this time though in the context of their stressful circumstances.
Cersei and Jaime from A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin
Perhaps the most famous incestual twins of all time, Cersei and Jaime Lannister from the A Song of Ice and Fire Series and Game of Thrones television adaptation are a perfect example of the contrasting personalities custom to Geminis. Cersei is known to possess a ruthless ambition, is a master of manipulation, and has a fierce protective instinct over her children. Jaime, following one of the best character arcs of the series, at his core is an honorable man though would forsake that honor on behalf of Cersei, a skilled warrior, and governs himself with his own sense of morality (which often can lead him astray). Cersei is a plotter and Jaime is impulsive — she moves in the shadows, and he acts brashly. Towards the end of the series, she is a force of evil where he is a force of good. Custom to twins, they are displayed as two halves of a whole rather than just siblings; a sentiment that Cersei uses to justify their romantic relationship:
“Jaime and I are more than brother and sister. We shared a womb. We came into this world together, we belong together.”
– Game of Thrones
Laurie and Lia in Stranger With My Face by Lois Duncan
Another classic twin trope is the idea of the evil twin. Duncan gives us a soap-opera-esque plot to sink our teeth into with Stranger With My Face when sixteen-year-old Laurie Stratton’s perfect life begins to unravel. It begins with Laurie’s boyfriend insisting he saw her out with another guy when she had been at home sick all day. The truth soon reveals itself in the shape of a long-lost twin sister who has been harboring resentment and hate for Laurie for years. Committed to haunting Laurie, Lia wants to take over her sister’s life. Rather than two halves of a whole, we see two sides of a coin with one twin living life in the shadows and lacking a moral compass.
Not all twins are Geminis, however, in literature, we often see twin characters closely align with the attributes associated with the astrology of the Gemini. The deep-rooted mythology of the twin has made its way into our skies, textbooks, and literature. Duality, contradiction, multifacetedness, two halves of a whole, two sides of the same coin: the Gemini twin has many faces in literature.
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