Duality

All throughout the novel, the narrator struggles with the duality of his nature, both Russian and French. Although the narrator understands that both of these lineages have made important impacts on his character, he doesn't know which nationality is his. This duality of nature is first introduced through the symbol of the two mating hawk moths at the opening of the novel. Even though he is just a boy, the narrator watches with interest as the two moths, which he initially views as one very large moth, split in two. In that moment, he realizes that they had been joined in love, or at least the act of love making, and have split into two unique, whole beings. In a way, this parallels the narrator's own making, since he considers himself to be the product of French and Russian histories that have joined in an act of love...