Same Same but Different

...

words, it was a sibling relationship, as you usually know , it was conflicting but they loved each other.

The story is written in first person with a limited point of view from the narrator. The story starts in media res, as the text begins with telling about a date between the narrator and an Australian man. Furthermore the text contains many flashbacks to the memories TMC had with his sister which means we jumps between the present and then.

This continues in the middle of the story. The reader gets an insight into how present events remind the narrator of her sister. It is also here that we find out that the narrator left Dublin to be away from her sister’s memory “The recession was my official excuse for leaving but mostly I was trying to get away from my parents. I couldn’t stand their sadness anymore [...]” .

At the end TMC reaches a stage of acceptance, she has now found herself again and accepted that her sister is gone. She has realized that she cannot escape Molly’s death and memory, she decides to return to her original look and she talks about moving back to Ireland. “I text Luke back instead, warn him I’m no longer a blonde. “Same same but different,” he replies.”

The acceptance is crystal clear in the very last line where it says: “Well, I had a twin sister,” I tell him. “But she passed away.”

I think there are two main themes: grief and identity/individuality.

The story shows how difficult it is for TMC to deal with the loss of her twin and how that makes her question her identity. Hayden’s message with the story is that denial and trying to run away from your problems are never a solution. Fino!

As mentioned the grief is obvious. Our MC has moved all the way from Europe to Australia and changed her appearance to the complete opposite. Down there she has the opportunity to start over, but nevertheless she cannot even talk about her sister. This leads us to the second theme identity and individuality because on the last half page she becomes more open. She decides to grow her hair again, dye it back to its original color and not inconsiderable she tells Luke about Molly. That is the decisive moment and the turning point,moment where she found herself. The whole story is her journey to find an identity without her sister, but she understands that Molly, dead or alive, always will be a part of her.

Finally: The title “Same Same but Different” is an allusion to a New York bar where they sang karaoke. But also it is what Luke told her when she dyed her hair the second time. It is a symbol telling her that no matter how much she changes on the outside, she is still the same person, and again: Molly will always be in her heart - no matter what.