Vincent and Jerome: One Entity

Jerome is presented as a valid, but through his self-imposed disability, is marked as an in-valid. Vincent is presented as an in-valid, but through his imposture, pierces through the realm of validity. Jerome, the embodiment of genetic perfection, is unable to come to grips with being second best and decides to end his life. In a cruel irony, just as he only takes second place, he fails his attempted suicide and only ends up disabling himself. Vincent, marked as an in-valid through genetic imperfection, transcends physical limitation through spiritual triumph.

Just as Vincent (figuration of spiritual triumph) impersonates Jerome (figuration of physical triumph) to assume his status as valid, so too does Jerome impersonate himself to reassert his status as valid. This scene is beautifully illustrated when he climbs up the double helix-shaped staircase. With what seems like an impossible task, Jerome restores his lost identity, reaffirming a type of dignity and triumph that is later seen with Vincent. What this indicates (reinforced in the end) is that Vincent and Jerome metaphorically become one body.

While Vincent impersonates Jerome's physical identity, Jerome impersonates Vincent's spiritual identity. By giving Vincent a piece of his hair, while earlier proclaiming that Vincent gave him his dream, Jerome's final act carries a deeper meaning. His suicide not only symbolically represents erasing the boundary of impersonation, but visually depicts the searing permanence of Jerome and Vincent as one entity.