In Katherine Paterson's Jacob Have I Loved, there is a strong feeling of jealousy between the main character, Louise and her younger twin sister, Caroline. Louise knew that like Esau in the Bible, she was the deprived twin, robbed of everything by her twin sister Caroline, who everyone loved. From the day of their birth, Louise had been envious of all the attention her sister had gotten. Sara Louise first becomes jealous because Caroline, her sister, deprives her of essential love which results in Sara's insecurity and eventual hatred.
Caroline deprives Sara of love, and of her dreams, which leads to Sara's feeling of jealousy. From the first day, Caroline deprived Sara Louise of the love of those she cared for: "Caroline was so tiny, so fragile, she must be given every chance of life my mother went eight or ten times each day to the hospital to nurse Caroline, believing that the milk of a loving mother would supply a healing power that even doctors could not" (19). Everyone loved Caroline, and her interests and needs were always put before those of Louise from the day they were born. In addition, Caroline deprives Sara Louise of her dream of going to boarding school and continuing her education inland: "There will be enough money for Caroline to go to Baltimore and continue her music I sat there as stunned as though he had thrown a rock in my face. Caroline" (176). Louise had always wanted to go to boarding school, and when the opportunity came, Caroline was chosen to go. Furthermore, Sara's self-confidence is deprived when she sees Caroline always being the centre of attention. Sara says, "Oh, Caroline. Caroline's different. Everything's always been for Caroline. Caroline the delicate, the gifted, the beautiful. Of course, we must all sacrifice our lives to give her greatness to the world" (227). Sara Louise is deprived of her self-confidence to the point where she gives all credit to her sister, believing that she has no importance to anyone.
