Book Club: The Catch Second JournaL

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Book Club: The Catch Second JournaL

11/5/2025

As we enter deeper into the world lf the novel, several themes worth chasing start to emerge. For this book club journal (that takes us to roughly the 120 mark) consider one of the following two ideas and trace it in the novel so far: 1) twins and twinning or 2) attitudes and images of motherhood.

5 Comments

Alexandra O'Brien

11/5/2025 02:06:20 pm

It has been so interesting getting to know the two twins. Clara is very daring and edgy, but also super emotionally invested in her mother. Dempsy has become a favorite character of mine in her sort of solo search to find herself. From going on her retreat, to finally deciding to ask out her neighbor, and just the sort of want for independence she has. Clara, on the other hand, writes about her past, and is tied directly to it. She is so invested in it that here her "mother" is back in her life again.

These two twins are like two totally different sides of the same coin; one is rejecting their origins, and the other is frantically searching for it, arguably in other people (if the mother isn't real and Serene is an imposter). But it is also so interesting how Dempsey feels her sister's pain and sympathizes with her, even though she thinks her sister is crazy. She feels called to connect with her sister when she really needs it.

It's so interesting how they are twins because it's like the angel and the devil on one's shoulder. There's that pull of - do I have hope and believe my mother is here and alive? Or, do I make a life for myself and heal (but that healing is really avoidance in disguise, in my opinion), focusing on the now?

Side note - I find it interesting how their mother is almost creating this weird distance between them, but is also at the same time what holds them together, what made them who they are.

Not only is there a lot going on with twins and twinning but also with sisterhood. There's this element with Dempsey of comparison being the thief of joy. You can tell her sister, and her writing is a hot topic, and at times, you can tell she feels inferior or jealous, even maybe? But overall, we see that she lies to Marcus about being a writer and is not honest with herself. So interesting, how they are embedded in one another like this.

One is too hot and the other is too cold, and the missing key is the mother. So intrigued to see where this story goes.

Anna Dykhoff

11/5/2025 02:07:35 pm

Twins and twinning... the novel draws out very interesting parallels as well as differing power dynamics between the two sisters. One striking idea for me was that both of the twins, and perhaps the mother, seem to use sex or orgasm as a distraction from reality, but it truly doesn't seem to work. First Clara with Cristian, then Dempsey watching porn alone in her room, and finally Serene using the twins' father as an escape from monotony. The twins also are equally disrupted mentally, but in highly different ways. Clara seems to be completely detached from her reality, having fits and foggy episodes, while Dempsey seems almost too involved in her reality, tracking her food and breaking down every thought she has with some kind of therapeutic script. This disparity is further explored by the idea of the "chosen" twin, where Clara was hand-picked to be perfect, leaving Dempsey feeling resentful. Despite their differences they express a kind of unifying closeness, as they are repeating the same phrases in their narrations. I still have to figure out what is going on with Serene as a mother, but I do know that Claudette represents a very real life for many children of color raised by parents who seek to erase parts of their identity. Claudette emphasizes proximity to whiteness as the most important thing Clara needs to do, and Kendrick calls her out for this by calling her an "interfering white bitch" despite her being a person of color herself. I find it interesting as well that Dempsey comments on how amazing of a mother she would be, emphasizing her own desire for perfection despite hating that trait in Clara. That desire for perfection as well as each mother being glaringly flawed is an idea that I believe will likely continue to show itself throughout the novel.

Ashley Luise

11/5/2025 02:07:44 pm

Clara’s experience being mothered by both Claudette and Serene, whether she be a figment of Clara’s imagination or her real mother, is really striking to me. Claudette has taught her everything she knows so far, whether that be for good or bad, and seeing how the effects of her parenting have further divided the twins is really interesting to read. On paper, she’s the perfect mother—she teaches Clara how to assimilate into White culture by dressing correctly, behaving correctly, and acting the part. In theory, this seems perfect; however, seeing Clara still reach out to her own mother, even though it makes her act against Claudette’s teachings, emphasizes that Claudette isn’t everything a mother should be. Clara being “at once overwhelmed with the sudden need to lay [her] head on her [potential mother’s] lap” (93) shows that she still needs the comfort and emotional aspect of parenting that Claudette has not offered her. I am still uncertain if this woman is really Serene or a figment of Clara’s imagination, but either way, she represents motherhood as being to show up for your daughter and acknowledge the hard aspects of life. These are both things we learn that Claudette never did with Clara, especially regarding her book. She was there for her to support her aesthetic growth but never her personal one. Tying this into the mystery of Serene, I wonder if Clara is latching on to other people who could represent who she imagines or knows her mother to be in other people who act similarly to how they do. At this point in the novel, I am wondering if this is what Clara is doing with Serene—whoever she may be.

Glen Beaulieu

11/5/2025 02:08:56 pm

The idea of twins in this novel is so bizarre, as it is so counter to the more mainstream idea of twins being attached at the hip and in-tune with one another. I think about those stories about twins who meet for the first time after being separated at birth, only to discover that they are still super similar, because Clara and Dempsey are similar in some ways, but are also incredibly different from each other. Dempsey and Clara are so detached from each other that they are practically strangers; Dempsey even says to Clara on 106 that she wishes that they actually knew one another. They teeter between hating one another and yet really needing each other also, as even though they live different lives, they are both really struggling (in their own ways) with their need for connection and identity. I think that's why both characters talk about things being "dream like" in this novel. While I think both of their struggles manifest in different ways, the root causes are the same. I feel really bad for Clara and Dempsey, because I think a lot of what they are missing can be found in each other, but they push each other away because they have never really experienced real emotional intimacy.

I.S.

11/5/2025 02:22:10 pm

Regarding twins and twinning, Clara and Dempsey initially appear as polar opposites. Clara is in good health, was adopted by a rich family, is said to be more attractive, clearly has some sort of mood disorder, and her public persona is just a facade. Dempsey, on the other hand, has many health issues, is poor, is said to be unattractive, is very insecure, and seems more genuine and grounded in reality than Clara.

However, as the novel progresses it becomes clear that they have a lot in common. Both twins have obscured perspectives of reality and of one another. Dempsey is so insecure that she often projects this onto others, assuming they are going to see her as she sees herself. As a result, she tries to compensate for her “flaws” and is never truly genuine. She also says, “I wonder why the good things always happen to [Clara]” (86). Yet, Clara’s adopted mother, Claudette, was emotionally abusive and absent, Clara struggles with substance abuse, and she is dealing with some serious mental health issues. Her life has not been as perfect as Dempsey believes. Although I don’t think we got much of Clara’s perspective on Dempsey in this section, she seems to view Dempsey as annoying and controlling, failing to recognize Dempsey’s concern for her well-being. Nonetheless, I think Clara cares for Dempsey’s well-being as well, such as when she pays for Dempsey’s retreat (108).

The emotional baggage between them prevents them from truly connecting and understanding one another, and their attempts at connection usually push the other twin away. Clara gets frustrated by Dempsey trying to tell her that this woman is not their mother. Dempsey gets annoyed when Clara pays for her retreat. I think they are so wrapped up in their own trauma and anger that it prevents them from seeing outside themselves.

Book Club: The Catch Second JournaL

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