Why We Broke Up is not a comedy of errors, but it involves multiple cases of mistaken identity. In the climactic scene where the breakup finally occurs, the florist confuses Min with Annette, and at exactly the same time, Min discovers that she has confused the identities of Lottie Carson, a dead film star, and a random old lady in town. This set of doubles (Annette/Min and Lottie/"Lottie") echo the situations of other characters that are leading secret lives. Ed is Min's boyfriend, but not, because he's cheating on her with Annette. And Al is Min's platonic best friend, but not, because he's actually in love with her. It's enough to make a girl's head spin.
Questions About Identity
- Why We Broke Up involves at least two cases of mistaken identity. Which one do you find the most surprising? Why?
- At the end of the book, Ed describes himself as two different people: the one who's with Min, and the one who's with Annette. If you could only pick one, which would you choose as the "real" Ed? Why?
- Do you think it's possible to be more than one person at the same time? Explain your answer, using the book to support your claim.
Chew on This
Why We Broke Up is rife with mistaken identities, but by the end of the book, we've sorted out who's who.
Why We Broke Up is rife with mistaken identities, but by the end of the book, the characters still seem uncertain about who they are.