Friday, January 30, 2009

Accidental Incest - "Inevitable Attraction"

A couple's marriage in England was immediately annulled (pronounced illegitimate) after a disturbing discovery: they were twins.

How might this happen, you may ask? These siblings were separated at birth in closed adoptions, raised completely separately without knowing of each other's existence. Meeting later in life, they felt an immediate attraction to one another and later decided to wed.

It makes sense why they might feel that pull towards one another --that's human nature, as the article describes. People are attracted to people like themselves... but this is another story. Can you imagine finding out AFTER you've married to someone for a few weeks that you are, in fact, siblings? and TWINS! How traumatizing would that be?

Here's the story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7182817.stm

One more interesting point that the article makes... Should adoption agencies take more precautions to help unite biological siblings and/or press open adoptions? Confidentiality in this, as well as in sperm and egg donations, could cause more accidental incest in the future.

Apparently Oedipus and Jocasta are not the only ones to make this mistake, as rare as the incident may be.


Here are some questions to explore (you are free to ask your own questions as well):


  • What do you think about this story?

  • What does it say about the concept of fate and destiny?

  • How does this situation relate to the conflict in Oedipus Rex?
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23 comments:

  1. Ms. BiondiFebruary 3, 2009 at 3:24 PM

    I was appalled when I first read this--it raised many of the same questions you guys have asked in class: How could this happen? Didn't they TALK to each other and discover they had the same birthday and were both adopted? Weren't they suspicious? Of course, it is possible one or both of them was ignorant of the story of his/her background--they might not have known the truth. I wonder how they discovered it?

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  2. KatieFebruary 9, 2009 at 9:35 AM

    I think that this is crazy. If you are going to marry someone you would want to know everything about them. Yow would think if they did talk that they would put two and two together. I guess this could say that even if separated from family you are always destined to find them even in insane situations. This relates to Oedipus Rex because Oedipus married his mom and didn't know it and these people married their twin and didn't know it until after being married.

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  3. BrookeFebruary 9, 2009 at 9:51 AM

    Wow, I think it's kinda weird. I mean, really?His twin sister?? That's crazy. If it were me I would have at least gone and tried to learn about him. Like where he came he from and what not. Like if he was adopted or not. I don't really know how she would have found that out or not but she could have at least made an attempt. This relates to Oedipus Rex because Oedipis married his mother and didn't know it was his mother after they got married and had four kids together.

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  4. brett laneFebruary 9, 2009 at 9:52 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. Kelsey'zPageFebruary 9, 2009 at 9:53 AM

    I think that this is sick, twisted, and terribly unfortunate. I would feel ill, embarrassed, and utterly disgusted if that happened to me. It reminds me of Oedipus Rex due to Oedipus feeling that "inevitable attraction" when he met Jocasta, who, little did he know, was also his mother. I guess that is just another way life teaches you the lesson that one day, somehow or another, you WILL learn about who you truly are.

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  6. TimFebruary 9, 2009 at 9:53 AM

    I think this story is completely wack, its really weird that these two people met, even when they were seperated at birth.
    It was a quincidental meeting that these two met.
    It releated to oedipus becuase these two were brother and sister, and in oedipus it was mother and son. Either way it is family

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  7. brett laneFebruary 9, 2009 at 9:54 AM

    i think the story is completley insane and was not suppose to happen

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  8. JametruisFebruary 9, 2009 at 9:56 AM

    This is crazy. Its kinda hard to beleive that they couldnt put peices together and just think that maybe they were siblings. In a way it was destiny because their personality's matched and they probaly didnt think about them being adopted. This is similar to the story of Oediupus because he ended up marring his mom, and never suspected it.

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  9. AnonymousFebruary 9, 2009 at 9:56 AM

    I think that it raises many questions as to why neither of them tried to find out more about their biological family. I think that it is quite a similarity to "Oedipus Rex" because of the bizarreness of them ending up married after not knowing anything about their ancestry. I will, however, say that they should have talked about being adopted efore marriage. I have to say this was a very BIZARRE story!
    Tim H.

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  10. brett laneFebruary 9, 2009 at 9:57 AM

    i think the concept of of fate and destiney truly came out in this story because they were seperated so its crazy that they met because it was tryed to be prevented

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  11. FredFebruary 9, 2009 at 9:58 AM

    i think its crazy... dat u will find ur way to the person that u really love.. ironically<-- idk what that means! this relates to Oedipus cuz he married his mom and thats nasty and he didnt know it wauz her so yea!!

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  12. AnonymousFebruary 9, 2009 at 9:58 AM

    I think that this story is very strange especilly how they found out they were twins when they were already married. That means that well family is always suppose to be together no matter what but it may be misunderstood. This story relates to Oedipus Rex because they both got married to a family member in some way Oedipus married his mother and they were siblings. Also in both situations they didn't know that they were related.

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  13. Bobby FoustFebruary 9, 2009 at 9:58 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  14. BreannaNicoleFebruary 9, 2009 at 9:58 AM

    It relates to Oedipus because he married his mother && had 4 kids.i think that it is crazy. i mean you would think that you would know that the person you are being married to looks just like you. i mean come on.....its just kinda weird to me.

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  15. brett laneFebruary 9, 2009 at 9:59 AM

    when edopis was born he was sent away from his home to die because what an oracal told his parents but ait still ended up happening he killed his father and married his mother

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  16. zackFebruary 9, 2009 at 9:59 AM

    this is rleated to the story of oedipus in many ways because oedipus was never raised by his real parents and neither were they
    they ended up marrying each other just like oedipus married his mom and they went a long time without ever finding out

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  17. Bobby FoustFebruary 9, 2009 at 10:00 AM

    I think that it is disqusting.I would be really surprised if I found out that I had married my sibling.This was related to Oedipus by Oedipus marrying his mother, Jocaste.
    Bobby

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  18. RenaFebruary 10, 2009 at 7:14 PM

    I think that this story is sad that they did not find out that they were twins. I wud be very ashamed if i married someone from da same family as me and would think it was weird. What this says about fate and destiny is that some people dont find out things in the world until later on life and then have to deal with it for the rest of their lives. This relates to the story Oedipus Rex because Oedipus marries his mother which he doesn't think is his mother until he finds out later on.

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  19. MeggieFebruary 11, 2009 at 11:09 AM

    I think this story is sad. You fall in love with someone to just find out that you are related. I think this story just says that fate and destiny happens to everyone, but it some cases it happens later in life. This relates to the story Oedipus Rex because Oedipus marries him mom and has children with her later to find out that he was her son. That is sad to. :(

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  20. AnonymousFebruary 18, 2009 at 9:58 AM

    I think that is was really weird, i know if i was in that situation i would be really freaked out and i could never talk to my twin again because knowing that i had been with my own brother and i was about to marry him would really freak me out. I think that fate and destiny is something that is true and if god doesnt want to to end up with someone then even if you keep pushing that no matter what you wont end up with that person for a reason. i also strongely believe that everything happens for a reason. This situation is really simialar to odepus because he married his mom and also had her babies again and fate made it to where he found out the truth because his destiny wasnt to stay with his mother.

    JAM33LAH

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  21. AnonymousFebruary 18, 2009 at 10:00 AM

    I think this situation was kind of crazy. The point that they were related an are married was kind of sad. Because their mother was not there to tell them that they are brother an sister they didnt no. So of course your going to fall in love with someone that you have more in common with. But i no that it kind of hurt to find out the person you want to spend your life with is realy the person was your brother. The fact that the story relates to the Oedipus Rex because Oedipus marries his mom and they have kids and in the end their children will have to pay for it

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  22. Rock N RedFebruary 25, 2009 at 9:47 AM

    well i think this is a little weird. i would hate to find that out but i think that the adoptions people should be more careful with stuff like that. and this story is a whole lot like Oedipus but in both stories neither family new the truth. i kinda feel bad for them because when you think about it there twins!!! what will they tell there kids? i would love to know if they will stay together or how they would end up at the end of all this.

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  23. HayStewLovesYou :)February 25, 2009 at 10:18 AM

    This story is kind of sad. If they were really in love it would be scary to find out the truth. I wonder how they found out. Did they have the same last name or what? Maybe fate brung them together just so they could know the truth. Oedipus Rex was a little bit more messed up. Being with your mom and having kids is real weird.

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