Themes

“The Twins” by Muriel Spark explores the theme of misunderstandings, illustrated through the way in which adults and children interact. Another important theme in the story is the lack of communication.

Misunderstandings

This theme becomes relevant for the short story if we take into consideration the possibility that the narrator misunderstood the intentions of the twins. If the twins are not actually as evil as the narrator wants us to believe they are, then everything that happens in the story is the cause of misunderstanding and misinterpretation.

For instance, when Marjie comes and demands money from the narrator, we might as well assume that the girl did not exactly know the reason why her mother needed the money. This way, the narrator could easily misunderstand her st...