You can't have the impact of seeing Abby at the end, without the preceding extended time getting to know and understand her. If they cut Abby's story short on the assumption of the player getting the idea, the whole thing wouldn't work.
The two characters being so similar is also clearly intentional; its showing the impact of personal experiences and how only seeing a snapshot of a person, no matter how bad it was, doesn't tell you who they are.
I felt like Abby and Ellie in another path (not the one Joel dictated), could have been good friends and happy in their own lives. Abby's vengeance precedes and instills that of Ellie. Abby's return to humanity and dealing with the after effects, similarly precedes and ultimately releases Ellie.
Its a story of impact, buttery effect or whatever. A single decision having a huge impact for many people as it ripples out.
It also shows the tribal nature of people, we are good they are bad, we're wright they're wrong. Where in reality as the outside observer they're all much the same.
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