Mother and Twin Brothers Eli Essay

In The Droughtlanders, by Carrie Mac, Twin brothers Eli and Seth, both Keylanders, live inside a privileged and protected city surrounded by huge walls to protect them from the filthy, sick Droughlanders. Eli’s mother teaches him to view Droughtlanders sympathetically and Eli changes his opinion about them. As a result Eli joins a rebellion group against the Keylands. Initially Seth is furious about Eli’s decision and attempts to hunt Eli and kill him but ultimately realizes the truth and joins his brother. At the beginning Eli and Seth have a bitter hate for each other which intensifies due to their different view points regarding the Droughtlanders. In the end, they make up and the hate they had between them fades away. Right from the start Eli and Seth do not get along, this relationship soon turns into hate and distrust between them. Near the end Seth also changes his mind about Droughtlanders and they get along. From the beginning Eli and Seth dislike each other because of Seth’s constant harassment. Seth is constantly making harsh jokes about Eli’s bladder problem, â€Å"do you have to sit down like a girl?† (36). This quote shows how Seth bullies Eli. Seth and Eli get in a lot of fights and Seth says mean thinks like â€Å"If father wasn’t in the room I’d kick your face in† (44). Seth bullies Eli because he thinks that he is weak and pathetic. After getting in yet another fight Seth says to Eli â€Å"You really are a baby. Get a diaper, Eliza† (55). Eli hates Seth’s bullying and they never get along. They have always had a poor relationship, but it becomes worse once Eli sympathizes with the Droughtlanders. Seth and Eli’s relationship and distrust gets even worse. When the explosion goes off where their mother is, Eli cries â€Å"Maman. She was in there, Seth† (45). Eli had a very strong connection with his mom, but Seth not so much. Eli tells Seth how their father killed their mother and Seth whispers into his ear â€Å"Say that one more time, or to anyone else, ever, and I will kill you† (54). This quote demonstrates how seriously angry they are with each other. Eli tries to tell Seth that their mother was a rebel but Seth responds â€Å"That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard you say† (56). This quote illustrates how much distrust they have between them. When Eli secretly leaves to look for the Droughtlander rebels, Seth views him as a traitor and this betrayal leads to Seth hunting Eli. When Seth finally catches up with Eli, he tells Seth the truth about their mother’s death and how their father was responsible. Seth also comes to accept the Droughtlanders for the decent and ill-treated people they are. Eli and Seth find each other in a forest. â€Å"When Eli heard the name he’s not been called in so long, he felt some thing snap with a sharp, invigorating pain. Keenly aware of his intentions, he brought out his own knife and in one fluid motion flicked the wider blade open, turned and plunged the knife through Seth’s pants and as deep as it would go† (300). It is this moment that Seth gains respect for Eli and starts to question his own beliefs. After Seth is captured he does his sin inventory and comes to realize how horrible of a person he was. Although Eli is still very angry with Seth, Seth says, â€Å"I’m sorry, Eli, for being such a terrible brother† (317). This is the start to their relationship reuniting. They discuss and finally agree about the tragic events that lead to their mother’s death. Sabine, their triplet sister, is also there and for the first time they all connect peacefully. During the circus they all collapse and are sent to the infirmary. â€Å"They speculated on why only now they felt a connection† (323). They figured it was because this was the first time they were all happy together. In the end, Seth and Eli are no longer enemies and can be happy. The relationship between Seth and Eli started with mutual hostility and ended in admiration. It is a unique relationship between Seth and Eli in search of the truth. Eli pursues the truth of his mothers legacy as Seth searches for the truth about Eli’s defection.