Companionship, Support, and Independence Theme Analysis

The Vanishing Half highlights the human tendency to yearn for support and companionship. As identical twins, Desiree and Stella are used to depending on each other, especially in the aftermath of their father’s murder. However, the novel suggests that companionship shouldn’t be taken for granted. Desiree learns this difficult lesson when Stella leaves her to start a new life passing as a white woman, cutting all ties and, therefore, putting an end to their system of mutual support. Before Stella ran away, Desiree always thought of herself as the bold, independent sister who made the important decisions and motivated Stella to take chances. She drew meaning from this personal narrative—or, as the novel puts it, “This was the story Desiree needed to tell herself and Stella allowed her to. They both felt safe inside it.” The word “needed” is significant here, implying that Desiree depended on her relationship with Stella to affirm her own sense of self. The novel is particularly interested in looking at imbalanced relationships in which one character wants companionship and support but doesn’t fully receive it from the other person—like, for instance, the relationship between Kennedy and Stella. Kennedy wants to connect with her mother by learning about her past, but Stella keeps her at an arm’s length because she can’t let herself rehash those memories. In a way, then, the novel suggests that emotional support between two people can really only happen when both people are willing to open themselves up to each other.

The book implies that relationship dynamics aren’t always as cut-and-dry as they seem. Although everyone sees Desiree as the more adventurous and independent twin, she herself knows—on a certain level—that she needs Stella. Desiree is the one who wants to go to New Orleans, which makes her seem like she’s courageous. In reality, though, she would never venture off on such a daring journey without Stella, since they’ve never been apart. Desiree isn’t sure she “could even survive the separation.” It’s clear, then, that Desiree depends on Stella to make her feel safe. Anything that would require true independence scares her, so she rules out the idea of striking out on her own, which is exactly what Stella ends up doing when she decides to run away to begin a new life as a white woman. Until this point, Stella and Desiree have lived as if they’re a single person, and Stella has always “allowed” Desiree to think of her as meek and dependent. In reality, though, she’s strong-willed and willing to break out on her own—and, in doing so, leave behind the constant companionship and support of her sister. In turn, her sudden independence reveals that mutual support and companionship shouldn’t be taken for granted, regardless of how close two people might seem.

Similar to how Stella keeps her ambitions secret from Desiree, she refuses to open up to Kennedy about her past, thus straining her ability to act as a supportive mother. In fact, even after Kennedy finds out about her mother’s past, Stella lies to her and won’t be forthright about the fact that she’s from Mallard and that she’s Black. Of course, it’s her choice whether or not she wants to keep her personal history a secret, but it’s worth noting that her past does have implications for Kennedy, who suddenly finds herself grappling with her own racial identity. At the same time, though, the reason Stella doesn’t want to tell Kennedy that she’s Black is because she wants Kennedy to have the opportunities and privileges that come along with being white in the United States. She has made an effort to raise Kennedy as a white person so that Kennedy doesn’t face the same racist challenges that Stella herself faced when she was growing up. Her good intentions, however, don’t change the fact that her dishonesty interferes with her ability to provide Kennedy with a more immediate kind of motherly support. When Kennedy pursues acting, for example, Stella can’t bring herself to encourage her daughter—after all, Stella gave up so much to give Kennedy a life in which she could attend college, so it’s painful for Stella to see Kennedy drop out of college to chase an unstable acting career. The problem, however, is that Kennedy doesn’t know the underlying reasons driving her mother’s disapproval, leaving her to assume that Stella is simply uncaring and unsupportive. In other words, Stella’s unwillingness to open up to her daughter undermines her broader attempt to support her.

To that end, the healthiest relationships in the novel are the ones in which people are open with each other and give each other equal amounts of support. Jude and Reese, for example, are honest with each other about who they are, how they feel, and what they want. Reese doesn’t keep his identity as a trans man a secret from Jude, and his openness makes it possible for Jude to support him by helping him save for gender-affirming surgery. In turn, Jude is open with Reese about her family’s turbulent past and her desire to track down Stella, and he supports her while also protectively urging her not to become too invested in establishing a relationship with Stella, which he thinks might end up hurting Jude. Their willingness to share with each other and turn to one another for help is, it seems, a good illustration of what healthy companionship can look like, making it quite clear that successful relationships require honesty and mutual support.