Before Adam · Theme

Duality of Self

How Before Adam develops Duality of Self.

The protagonist experiences a split personality between his modern waking self and his prehistoric dream self, illustrating the coexistence of ancient instincts within a contemporary human consciousness.

Where it surfaces

I
The narrator experiences a split between his waking life and dream life, referring to it as a 'semi-disassociation of personality.'
XI
The narrator explicitly discusses the dual personality of his modern self and his prehistoric ancestor Big-Tooth, experiencing dreams as both actor and spectator.
XVIII
The narrator reflects on his dual identity as both modern man and primitive Big-Tooth, with inherited memories bridging the two.