I was rather fascinated by the twins that Clara gave birth too. For one they were sent away to a boarding school run by the gringos. I wanted to see if that major influence early in their life would be enough to break them free of the cycle of self destruction in this family. And we were soon informed by Allende that these were some very interesting children. And although not necessarily normal, they didn't really seem much like the family.
If one of the brothers fit into the family it would probably be Nicholas. He has trouble controlling his impulses and is sort of a free spirit that refuses to be contained. He also has trouble sticking to things and taking responsibility for his actions. At first he is obsessed with women. Then he wants to get rich quick. Then to settle down and marry his girlfriend. The only thing in common with all his goals is that he gives up short of achieving them.
Jaime is Nicholas' opposite to a fault. He has no desire to sleep with every woman he sees. He couldn't care less about getting rich or having money. Jaime is so willing to take responsibility that he even takes it for others actions. His only desire is to help those less fortunate than him and he would be the first to give his all when the need arises.
I have to wonder when I look at the two brothers if they wouldn't both have been more mild had it not been for the other. Take Nicholas for example. Whenever he got into trouble for bedding a girl, or picking fights at school. Jaime would always be there for him to run and hide. So as he grew older he was completely accustomed to not taking responsibility for his actions and ding whatever he wanted. And the inverse is true for Jaime. He always fought for things that his brother did wrong so he just kind of began shouldering everyone's problems as a force of habit. And as Jaime saw the hurt that Nicholas was besetting the girls he used and tossed aside, it made him shy from relationships and love. So perhaps these two characters interfered constructively to magnify some of their certain characteristics.
I also thought the twins were very interesting. Their strange personalities and manners made them fit into the family extremely well. I think both of them had problems with love, like the rest of the Truebas. I totally agree with you about the twins shaping each other just by what they did. I feel like they would probably be quite a bit different if they had not grown up together. Nicholas would've been forced to shoulder his own actions and Jaime may have been able to worry more about himself instead of others so much.
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