Identity and Misperception
What This Theme Explores: Rock Paper Scissors delves into the complex interplay between identity and misperception, suggesting that identity is not a stable truth but a shifting construct shaped by secrets and lies. The novel questions the reliability of perception, both of ourselves and others, and explores how easily identities can be fabricated or distorted. Through characters who deceive and are deceived, Feeney examines whether true understanding is ever possible, or if we are all ultimately unknowable, even to ourselves.
Development of the Theme
The theme of Identity and Misperception is introduced immediately and intensifies as the narrative unfolds. Initially, the reader is presented with Adam Wright's prosopagnosia (face blindness) as a literal manifestation of misperception, with Amelia Wright stating, "My husband doesn’t recognise my face." This establishes a foundation of visual misidentification, which is then mirrored by deeper emotional and psychological deceptions.
As Adam and Amelia retreat to the isolated chapel, the setting itself amplifies the theme. Unexplained occurrences, such as doors opening and faces appearing in windows, create an atmosphere of uncertainty and paranoia. This sense of unease is compounded by the discovery of Henry Winter's secret study, which shatters Adam's perception of his first marriage to Robin. The revelation that Robin is the mysterious woman in the cottage further complicates the characters' identities, blurring the lines between victim and perpetrator.
The climax delivers a series of shocking twists that completely dismantle the characters' perceived identities. Amelia is revealed to be responsible for Adam's Mother's death, Robin is exposed as Henry Winter's daughter and the ghostwriter of his recent novels, and Adam is revealed to be the driver of the car that killed his mother. The narrative culminates in Adam writing the final letter as Robin, solidifying his choice to inhabit a fabricated identity.
Key Examples
Several narrative devices and moments highlight the theme of Identity and Misperception.
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Adam's Prosopagnosia: Adam's condition is a powerful symbol of the novel's central theme. His inability to recognize faces is not merely a physical ailment but a metaphor for his blindness to the true nature of those around him.
Just because I can’t recognise my wife’s face, it doesn’t mean I don’t know who she is.
This statement, made early in the book, becomes deeply ironic as the story unfolds, proving that Adam knows almost nothing about the true identity of the woman he married. His inability to see faces physically mirrors his emotional and psychological blindness to the deceptions surrounding him.
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The Anniversary Letters: Initially presented as Amelia's private thoughts, the anniversary letters offer an intimate but skewed perspective on her marriage. The revelation that they were written by Robin completely reframes the narrative, exposing the identity of the narrator as a lie. The final letter, supposedly from Robin but actually penned by Adam, is the ultimate expression of this theme, showing identity being actively constructed through the act of Truth, Fiction, and Storytelling.
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Revelation of True Identities: The novel's conclusion is a cascade of identity revelations that subvert all prior assumptions.
- Amelia's Past: Her identity as a caring, long-suffering wife is a meticulously crafted facade to hide her past as a juvenile delinquent responsible for the death of Adam's mother.
- Robin's Parentage: Her identity as the vengeful ex-wife is complicated by the reveal that she is Henry Winter's daughter, living in the shadow of his legacy and eventually co-opting his literary identity.
- Adam's Guilt: The final twist shatters Adam's self-perception as a tragic victim. He is revealed to be the perpetrator of the central trauma of his life, a truth he has repressed for decades. This forces a complete re-reading of his character from a victim to the architect of his own misery.
Character Connections
Each character is intricately linked to the theme, either as a perpetrator or a victim of deception, or often both.
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Adam Wright: Adam is the epicenter of the theme. His prosopagnosia makes him an unreliable observer of others, but more importantly, he is an unreliable narrator of his own life. He misperceives Amelia's intentions and Robin's motivations, but his greatest misperception is of himself, having buried the truth of his role in his mother's death.
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Amelia Wright: Amelia embodies a fabricated identity. She changes her name, appearance, and personality to infiltrate Adam's life. Her character demonstrates that identity can be a performance, a role played so convincingly that it becomes indistinguishable from reality for those watching.
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Robin: Robin's identity is defined by its hidden nature. She is the secret daughter, the ghostwriter, and the architect of the weekend's psychological torment. Her actions are driven by a desire to reclaim her own identity from the shadows of her father and her failed marriage, as detailed in the Character Overview.
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Henry Winter: Henry's public identity as a reclusive genius masks his private reality as a controlling and emotionally distant father. After his death, his literary identity is stolen and continued by Robin, making his very legacy a misperception.
Symbolism
Feeney employs powerful symbols to reinforce the theme of Identity and Misperception.
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The Wall of Mirrors: In the chapel's boot room, a wall covered in small, mismatched mirrors reflects fragmented images of the characters. This symbolizes their fractured identities and the multiple, distorted versions of themselves they present to the world and to each other.
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The Chapel: A building traditionally associated with truth, sanctuary, and clarity becomes a space of confusion, danger, and dark secrets. Its history of witch trials and its current state of decay mirror the corrupted and hidden truths within the characters' lives.
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Writing and Storytelling: The very act of writing—from Adam's screenplays to Robin's novels and the anniversary letters—is used as a tool to create, manipulate, and obscure identity. The story itself becomes a testament to how narrative can be used to construct a version of reality that is entirely false.
Author's Message
Through the theme of Identity and Misperception, Alice Feeney conveys a deeply unsettling message about the fragility of truth and the elusive nature of identity. The author suggests that who we are is not a fixed point, but a narrative we construct from memory, desire, and deception. The novel serves as a cautionary tale, implying that we can never fully know the people we are closest to, as their true selves may be buried under layers of secrets and lies. Ultimately, Feeney posits that the most dangerous misperceptions are the ones we have about ourselves, as the truths we hide from our own consciousness have the greatest power to destroy us.
Contemporary Relevance
The theme of Identity and Misperception is exceptionally relevant in the modern world. In an era dominated by social media, individuals meticulously curate online personas that often bear little resemblance to their real lives, creating a culture of performative identity. The novel's exploration of deep-seated deception resonates with contemporary anxieties about "catfishing" and the difficulty of verifying identity in a digital age. Furthermore, the story's focus on the unreliability of memory and the manipulation of personal narratives speaks to a "post-truth" society, where objective facts are often challenged by subjective interpretation and outright fiction. Feeney's work reminds us that the struggle to distinguish the real from the fabricated is not just a feature of thrillers, but a fundamental challenge of modern life.