Identity Across Temporal and Parallel Selves in The Dead Cat Tail Assassins

The Thematic Claim: Identity as a Relational Bond Across Selves

In The Dead Cat Tail Assassins, P. Djèlí Clark interrogates the notion of a singular, continuous self by presenting a protagonist who encounters a younger version of herself pulled from another time—and possibly another world. The novel’s central claim is that identity is not an immutable essence but a dynamic relationship between versions of a self, and that this relationship carries an ethical obligation that transcends temporal and world boundaries. Eveen, an undead assassin stripped of her memories, discovers that her past self, Sky, is both a separate person and an inseparable part of her own being. Through their journey, the novel argues that personhood persists across these divisions, and that one version owes another a duty of care—a duty that ultimately defines what it means to remain human.

The Memory That Breaks the Rules

The first rupture occurs when Eveen, sent to kill a sleeping girl, recognizes the girl’s face as her own reflection. This recognition is impossible: the magic that resurrected Eveen was designed to sever all ties to her past life, leaving her with no memories. Yet the sight of Sky triggers a vivid memory of staring into a mirror, and Eveen concludes, “You’re me.” This moment challenges the guild’s foundational premise that the dead are empty vessels. The memory is not a mere flashback but a visceral connection to a self she thought was erased. It forces Eveen to confront the possibility that her identity was never fully obliterated—only buried. The recognition also introduces the central ethical dilemma: if Sky is her, then killing her would be a form of self-destruction, a severing of the last thread linking Eveen to her humanity.

Thaumaturgical Proof: Auras and the Merging Self

The second part of the plot solidifies the connection through thaumaturgical evidence. At the School of Thaumaturgy, Ennis uses a device to manifest and link the auras of Eveen and Sky. The experiment reveals that their auras are identical—an impossibility for two separate individuals—and that the patterns actively reach toward each other, attempting to merge. Ennis is forced to shut down the device to prevent them from collapsing into a single body. This scene provides a scientific (or magical) confirmation of their shared essence, but it also introduces a complication: the merging tendency suggests that their identities are not merely parallel but fundamentally intertwined. The experience also allows them to share memories: Sky sees Eveen’s seven years of killing and emptiness, while Eveen experiences Sky’s childhood and youth. This mutual access to each other’s inner lives transforms their relationship from a shocking revelation to a lived, empathetic bond. The novel uses this scene to argue that identity is not just a label but a shared history, even when that history is fragmented across time.

The Shimmer: Divergent Worlds and Shared Stories

The third distinct part of the plot occurs in the Shimmer, a magical zone left by the Clockwork King’s destruction. Eveen, Sky, and Mael enter this chaotic space to use resonance tuners to send Sky back to her own time. Inside, the two versions of the same person notice a crucial discrepancy: in their respective versions of the founding legend, the clockwork giants face opposite directions. This detail suggests that Sky may not simply be Eveen’s past self but a version from a parallel world—a world where the legend unfolded differently. The Shimmer itself is a symbol of temporal and spatial instability, a place where the boundaries between worlds blur. The fact that the two women see different versions of the same story underscores the novel’s exploration of parallel selves: they are the same person, yet their worlds have diverged. This complicates the earlier assumption that Sky is simply a younger Eveen. Instead, the novel hints at a multiverse where multiple versions of a person can exist simultaneously, each shaped by different circumstances. The Shimmer also becomes a site of violence and sacrifice: Mael is killed, and Eveen is wounded in a way that prevents her undead healing, forcing her to rely on Sky’s help. This shared danger reinforces their interdependence, even as it raises the question of whether they are truly one or two.

The Goddesses and the Reconfiguration of Identity

The climax of the novel brings the theme to a head. When Aeril, the goddess of assassins, demands that Eveen complete her contract and kill Sky, Eveen argues that Sky is not her but a version from another world, hoping to escape the goddess’s jurisdiction. Aeril acknowledges Sky’s otherworldly origin but claims jurisdiction anyway. Sky then invokes a second goddess—a mirror image of Aeril with variations—who recognizes Sky as a future acolyte. The appearance of two goddesses, each claiming Sky, literalizes the idea of parallel selves: even the divine is not singular. The two goddesses prepare to fight, but Eveen intervenes with a story about Asheel the Maniac Hunter, persuading them that they are being manipulated. This intervention is crucial: Eveen uses narrative to reframe the conflict, suggesting that identity is not a fixed category but a story that can be retold. The goddesses dissolve the contract, and Sky hires the Dead Cat Tails to contract Pol Oranus, the man who orchestrated the assassination plot. In the final scene, Eveen and Sky perform surgery on Pol Oranus together, with Sky making the first cut. This act of shared violence is also an act of shared agency: they are no longer two versions of one person but two partners in a joint endeavor. Sky’s choice to become an acolyte of Aeril—a future self that Eveen never became—implies that their paths have diverged, yet they remain connected through their shared history and their decision to act together.

Complexity and Contradiction: Obligations Across Selves

The novel does not offer a simple resolution to the question of identity. It presents several contradictions: Eveen initially believes Sky is her past self, but later argues she is from another world; the goddesses are both singular and multiple; and the Shimmer suggests both temporal and parallel displacement. Yet the ethical obligation remains constant. Eveen’s decision to spare Sky is not based on a clear metaphysical answer but on a visceral recognition that killing Sky would destroy something essential in herself. As she reflects, “taking her life would sever the thin thread that connected her to her humanity.” This suggests that identity is not about sameness but about relationship—the obligation one version owes another is rooted in the shared essence that makes them “the same” in a meaningful way, even if they are not identical. The novel also explores the idea that this obligation can be exploited: Pol Oranus hires Eveen to kill her past self, using a loophole in the goddess’s law that forbids harming the assassin but not her other versions. This loophole reveals the fragility of identity-based protections, but it also highlights the importance of recognizing and honoring these connections.

Study Questions

1. How does Eveen’s memory of her own reflection challenge the guild’s rule that the dead have no memories? What does this suggest about the persistence of identity?

Answer: The memory breaks the rule because it is a direct link to her past life, which the resurrection magic was supposed to erase. It suggests that identity is not entirely erased by death or magic; some core aspect of the self remains, even if buried. This challenges the guild’s premise that assassins are empty vessels, and it sets up the central conflict of the novel.

1. In the aura-sharing experiment, what does the identical nature of Eveen’s and Sky’s auras reveal about their relationship? Why does Ennis fear they might merge?

Answer: The identical auras prove that they share the same soul or essence, making them the same person in a metaphysical sense. The merging tendency indicates that their identities are not fully separate; they could collapse into one being, which would erase one of them. This highlights the tension between unity and multiplicity in the novel’s conception of identity.

1. How does the Shimmer’s depiction of the clockwork giants facing opposite directions complicate the idea that Sky is simply Eveen’s past self?

Answer: The opposite directions suggest that their worlds have diverged, meaning Sky may be from a parallel world rather than a direct past. This complicates the temporal explanation and introduces the possibility of multiple timelines or worlds, where the same person can exist in different forms with different histories.

1. What role do the two goddesses play in redefining identity? How does Eveen’s story about Asheel the Maniac Hunter resolve the conflict?

Answer: The two goddesses, both claiming Sky, literalize the idea of parallel selves even at the divine level. Eveen’s story reframes the conflict as manipulation, suggesting that identity is not a fixed category but a narrative that can be reinterpreted. This allows the goddesses to dissolve the contract and accept a new outcome, showing that identity is flexible and subject to negotiation.

1. In the final scene, why does Eveen let Sky make the first cut on Pol Oranus? What does this act signify about their relationship?

Answer: By letting Sky make the first cut, Eveen acknowledges Sky as an equal partner rather than a subordinate version of herself. It signifies that they have moved from a relationship of confusion and obligation to one of shared agency and mutual choice. This act cements their bond and suggests that identity is not about being the same but about choosing to act together.