Monday Musings: My Literary Twin(s)

I recently knitted a pair of arm warmers designed to look like Gandalf's in the Middle-earth movies. In the conversations that followed my sharing about this on Facebook, Mirriam mentioned that Gandalf was her literary twin. Several other friends joined the conversation, offering up their own literary twins -- the characters with whom they most identified. I was surprised so many people had given this matter some thought, and confessed that I did not know who my literary twin would be (I do however have a birthday twin who is a wonderful human being).

So I thought about it. And thought about it. And thought about it some more.

And here we are, with me still not having a single fictional character who is my "twin."

I have many.

Hear me out, though. I have dozens, if not hundreds, of favorite characters -- characters I enjoy watching or reading, characters I would want as friends, characters I identify with in small and large ways. But very few of those come close enough to me (or how I see myself, which may or may not be the same thing) to be called my twin. Other people have suggested (at various points) that I am like Samwise Gamgee, Frodo Baggins, Bilbo Baggins, Reepicheep, Alphonse Elric, and Alyosha Karamazov (I still need to read that book). But these characters aren't always how I see myself (though I do identify with a couple of them, as you'll see).

Shasta (The Horse and His Boy)

One of the reasons The Horse and His Boy is my favorite Narnia book is that Shasta is the Narnian character with whom I identify the most. His encounter with Aslan and the revelation that his life has been guided from beginning to end (even when he had no idea who Aslan was) is the most comforting scene in Narnia for me. Shasta has a strong moral center, and when he's put to the test he drops all self-concern in order to bring the news of Rabadash's attack to Archenland and Narnia.

Steve Rogers/Captain America (Marvel comics and films)

According to the Myers-Briggs personality types, Steve Rogers is an ESFJ (like me) and he's pretty much the pinnacle of what I aspire to be: someone who stands by his morals no matter what. He protects those around him and stands up for those who are weaker. He doesn't give up on his friends no matter what.

Alphonse Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)

When a college  friend of mine first told me that I reminded him of Alphonse, I hadn't seen a single episode of the Fullmetal Alchemist franchise. Years later, I've seen both anime adaptations and read the manga, and I feel honored by the comparison. Al is a caring brother who does what's right even when it holds him back from what he wants most. He doesn't give up easily and he

Samwise Gamgee (The Lord of the Rings)

This one shouldn't be any surprise, either, as Sam is tied with Gandalf for my favorite character in The Lord of the Rings. He's stouthearted, loyal, and (along with Bilbo) another ESFJ character. He's not afraid of adventure if his road takes him there, but his heart belongs in the Shire. Don't come between him and the places and people he loves, and don't underestimate him because he seems small and simple.

Merlin Pendragon (Albion Academy)

Of all my invented characters, Merlin is the one who carries the most of me in him -- at least outwardly. He has the curly hair I wore long in college, wears flannel shirts even in the South, and generally wants to help and protect people, even if he isn't a physically imposing person. He's grown into his own self over the years, but he'll always be one of those characters I identify strongly with because he carried so much of me in him at the start.


What about you? Are there any characters you identify with in fiction? Do you have one literary twin or lots of them? Let me know in the comments!



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