What Lies Between Us

“There is just one lesson I have learned from the life we share. And it is this: everything that is wrong with me is wrong with you too. We are one and the same.”

In the prologue, Nina reflects on her relationship with Maggie. She concludes that they share many characteristics, including their faults. In many ways, Maggie is the doting and protective mother that Nina longs to be, and Nina fails to realize that Maggie’s actions are motivated by parental concern.

On one hand, Nina is overstating her similarity to Maggie, not recognizing her own flaws and violent tendences. On the other, her statement foreshadows a fundamental way they are alike: For much of the novel, both blame others for being dissatisfied with life.

“I don’t think you can ever be normal again after losing something you were so looking forward to loving.”

Here, Maggie is referring to a neighbor whose pregnancy ended in miscarriage, but her words also provide context for Nina’s behavior, as Nina suffers significant losses that leave her feeling as though she has been cheated of opportunities in life. Nina’s neediness and possessiveness can be seen, at least partially, as a response to the losses she has sustained.

“When you get older you’ll understand that sometimes appearances can be deceptive […] You can never really know a person, no matter how much you love them.”

Maggie responds to Nina’s questioning about Alistair’s disappearance, hinting that she learned something about Alistair that drove them apart. Her point about not knowing others—while meant to apply to Alistair—aptly describes her relationship with Nina. Despite living together for years, they continue to surprise and annoy one another.