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Comprehension Exercise
The Doppelgänger
The Doppelgänger, or mythical “double”, has since been explained by science.
However, it remains a subject of fascination for many. In this open ended
comprehension, we look at the history of this folkloric (and neurological)
phenomenon (Suggested for Primary 6).
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The word “doppelgänger” is German for “double walker”. In the distant past, a
doppelgänger was believed to be the supernatural twin of a person.
The doppelgänger was a “copy” of a particular person. It would have the same height,
skin tone, hair, and so forth. The only difference would be the doppelgänger’s
personality.
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Doppelgängers, it was believed, would act in a manner inconsistent with the people
they copied. For example, they may not like the same foods, may be ruder or more
prone to laughter, or may not even speak.
In Europe and many parts of the Middle East, it was considered bad luck to see your
doppelgänger. Such sights were accompanied by premonitions, usually of death or
illness in the near future.
In a 13th century manuscript from Italy, an unidentified scholar wrote that there was
only meant to be one of any person in the world. A doppelgänger was a “mistake”, in
which two children were born with similar characteristics.
The manuscript added that the universe would rectify the error, by killing off either the
doppelgänger, or the original, as soon as possible.
(Today, we know that the scholar was writing about identical twins, albeit with factual
errors).
Nonetheless, folklore and superstition maintain that doppelgängers are dark omens.
The most famous case involves Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United
States.
This account was told to a man named Noah Brooks, by Abraham Lincoln himself, on
9th November 1864. The story was also affirmed by Lincoln’s wife and secretary.
Lincoln claims that he saw a doppelgänger of himself, when he was resting on a
lounge at home. At the time, he was facing a cabinet with a mirror, in which he
glimpsed someone next to him.
Startled, he sat up, and realized he could see not one, but two Lincolns in the mirror.
He also noticed that his twin, although similar looking, was much paler.
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Despite checking the mirror from multiple angles, Lincoln could find no sign that it was
a trick of the light. The doppelgänger disappeared soon after, and left Lincoln with a
sense of discomfort.
When Lincoln told the story to his wife, she thought it was a sign: she predicted
Lincoln would be re-elected as President, but that he would not live to see the end of
his Presidency.
She proved to be right when Lincoln was assassinated on April 15th, 1865.
So are doppelgängers truly supernatural omens?
Science suggests otherwise. Tests have shown that seeing and sensing a
“doppelgänger” is due to electrical impulses in the brain. In particular, an electrical
charge to an area called the left temporoparietal junction.
However, folklore is not entirely wrong: repeated glimpses of a doppelgänger might
mean damage to certain parts of the brain, and this might be accompanied by
sickness or death.
As such, the doppelgänger is not pure superstition, but also ancient recognition of a
medical symptom.
Questions:
1) In the past, why could identical twins be mistaken for doppelgängers?
2) To Europeans and Middle Easterners in the past, what were doppelgängers a
sign of?
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3) According to the passage, what caused Abraham Lincoln’s wife to predict his
death?
4) According to the passage, are doppelgängers truly supernatural omens of
death and sickness?
5) In the fourth paragraph, the passage mentions “premonitions”. What is the
meaning of the word “premonitions”?
6) According to the passage, what does a doppelgänger look like?
7) How do we know about Abraham Lincoln’s encounter with a doppelgänger?
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Answers:
1) (This is an inference-based question, which may be expressed differently) In the
past, identical twins could be mistaken for doppelgängers as they are physically
similar to each other.
2) To Europeans and Middle-Easterners in the past, glimpsing a doppelgänger was a
sign of bad luck, and a premonition of sickness or death.
3) According to the passage, Abraham Lincoln’s wife predicted his death when Lincoln
saw a pale doppelgänger of himself in a cabinet mirror.
4) According to the passage, a doppelgänger is not pure superstition, but ancient
recognition of a medical symptom. Repeatedly seeing a doppelgänger might indicate
damage to certain parts of the brain, which could lead to sickness and death.
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5) In this context, a premonition is a feeling or prediction of illness and death in the
near future.
6) According to the passage, the doppelgänger is a “copy” of a particular person, with
the same height, skin tone, hair, and so forth. The only difference is that the
doppelgänger’s personality is inconsistent with the original person.
7) Abraham Lincoln’s account of his doppelgänger was told to Noah Brooks, on 9th
November 1864. The story was also affirmed by his wife and secretary.
Word Bank
Inconsistent - Not staying the same. With regard to people, refers to acting in ways
that contradict with past behaviour. For example: Luke’s exam results are inconsistent;
he sometimes scores distinctions, but sometimes fails.
Premonition / Premonitions - A feeling of something unpleasant, which has yet to
happen. For example: I was late for school, and had a premonition of doom when I
saw the head prefect at the gate.
Rectify - To make corrections. For example: I tried to rectify the errors in my essay.
Albeit - A conjunction, with the same meaning as “although”. For example: Paul was
making his way to the finish line, albeit slowly and with difficulty.
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Omen / Omens - A prophetic sign, which suggests something good or evil in the
future. For example: In many stories, storm clouds are an omen of troubles to come.
Affirm / Affirmed - To state as fact, or to declare your support for something. For
example: Jane said Peter stole her watch, and the other students affirmed it.
Symptom - A sign that reveals another underlying condition (usually undesirable). For
example: Sneezing is a common symptom of the flu, or Toothaches are a symptom of
poor dental hygiene.
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