As Close as Hands

• Other Authors: Rosenblum, Sophie (authoraut)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: Literature
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-9441

As Close As Hands focuses on the lives of twin sisters, Beth and Rachel Berkowitz. After years of being teased by classmates about their Jewish noses, they hatch a plan to raise money to have them altered. Once in college, with jobs outside school, they save enough to go through with the procedures. Unfortunately for Rachel, only Beth's nose job goes on as planned, causing them to refer to themselves from that day on as "Sisters, not twins." This separation forces Rachel to begin to question her identity, and it causes her to feel intensely isolated. The sisters, who have grown apart since Beth altered her appearance, are reunited when their mother learns she has cancer. When the sisters reunite, they begin to reexamine their relationship, and through confronting one another, they are forced to explore their pasts and consider how their lives may have been different had both of them gone ahead with the surgery. === A Dissertation submitted to the Department of English in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. === Spring Semester, 2015. === March 20, 2015. === Creative Writing, Fiction === Includes bibliographical references. === Robert Olen Butler, Professor Directing Dissertation; Don Latham, University Representative; Diane Roberts, Committee Member; Barbara Hamby, Committee Member.