Character Relationship Map: The Double

Characters

• Simon James / James Simon (played by Jesse Eisenberg) — protagonist

  Simon James is a lonely, overlooked office worker whose life is disrupted by the arrival of James Simon, his identical and far more confident counterpart. He loves Hannah, imitates James to pursue her...

• Hannah (played by Mia Wasikowska) — protagonist

  Hannah is Simon's beautiful neighbor and co-worker, whom he secretly admires and whose discarded artwork he collects. She dates Simon while believing he is James, becomes involved with James, survives...

• Melanie (played by Yasmin Paige) — supporting

  Melanie is the Colonel's surly, rebellious daughter, whom Simon is instructed to tutor. James takes Simon's place and seduces her, creating explicit photographs that he later uses to blackmail Simon a...

• The Colonel (played by James Fox) — supporting

  The Colonel is Simon's boss, who has ignored him during seven years at the office and announces James Simon's arrival. He represents Simon's hostile workplace authority and later watches over the inju...

• Simon's Mother (played by Phyllis Somerville) — supporting

  Simon's Mother is Simon's parent, whose phone call reaches him while he is dining with Hannah. Simon later learns that she has died and encounters James at her funeral, where he punches him and discov...

• Kiki (played by Cathy Moriarty) — supporting

  Kiki is a waitress at the restaurant where Simon takes Hannah and later where Simon and James have breakfast. She tells Simon that his mother is calling, an interruption that contributes to Hannah lea...

• Detective (played by Jon Korkes) — supporting

  The Detective is one of the investigators Simon speaks with after witnessing a man jump from above Hannah's apartment. The investigators explain that a slightly different landing position would have c...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Simon's Mother → Simon James / James Simon (mother)
• Simon James / James Simon → Melanie (Romantic Sexual Affair) — James carries on a relationship with Melanie while involved with Hannah.

  James seduces Melanie, and Simon exposes that James is cheating on Hannah with her.

• Simon James / James Simon → Hannah (Romantic Sexual Partner) — James's sexual relationship with Hannah produces major emotional consequences.

  Hannah became pregnant after a sexual encounter with James, and the hospital reveals that she miscarried.

• Simon James / James Simon → Detective (Professional Witness Interviewee) — Simon provides information about the fatal jump and receives its interpretation.

  Simon talks to detectives after seeing a man jump, and the Detective explains the consequences of landing a few feet to the right.

• Simon James / James Simon → The Colonel (Professional Neglected Employee) — The Colonel represents the workplace hierarchy that overlooks Simon.

  Simon has worked at the office for seven years but is ignored by his boss, The Colonel.

• The Colonel → Melanie (Family Parent) — The Colonel is Melanie's father.

  Melanie is identified as The Colonel's surly, rebellious daughter.

• The Colonel → Simon James / James Simon (Professional Employer) — James enters Simon's workplace through The Colonel's authority.

  The Colonel announces the arrival of James Simon as a new employee at the office.

• Simon James / James Simon → Melanie (Professional Assigned Tutor) — Simon has a formal tutoring responsibility toward Melanie.

  Simon is instructed to tutor Melanie and is reluctant to accept the assignment.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Simon James / James Simon → Kiki (Social Restaurant Customer) — James participates in the restaurant setting where he begins cooperating with Simon.

  James and Simon have breakfast at Kiki's restaurant.

• Simon James / James Simon → Kiki (Social Restaurant Acquaintance) — Kiki is a recurring service acquaintance in Simon's social life.

  Simon takes Hannah to Kiki's restaurant, where Kiki tells him that his mother is calling.

Story Analysis

An ignored man confronts an identical, socially successful double while seeking recognition through increasingly desperate acts.

Plot Progression

1. A Life Without Notice — Simon is ignored at work and secretly watches Hannah while collecting her discarded art. A fatal jump near her apartment introduces the film's recurring concern with falling and survival.
2. The Impossible Arrival — James Simon arrives at Simon's office looking identical to him but receiving the respect Simon lacks. James begins a tentative alliance with Simon and advises him about Hannah.
3. Borrowed Desire — Hannah invites James on a date through Simon, leading to an earpiece-guided impersonation and a stolen kiss. James also draws Simon into an aptitude-test deception and pursues Melanie.
4. Exposure and Collapse — Simon exposes James's affair with Melanie, and James retaliates by blackmailing him with explicit photographs. Simon is fired, then discovers Hannah unconscious after an overdose and learns about her...
5. The Leap Toward Recognition — After confronting James at the funeral, Simon restrains him and jumps from the ledge above Hannah's apartment. Hannah and The Colonel witness Simon's survival, while Simon finally receives acknowledgm...