The debut novel of Kai Raine is appropriately titled These Lies that Live Between Us, a fascinating fantasy story that explores how lies and secrecy isolate us from those we love and prevent us from having the fulfilling relationships we crave in life, all while balancing wit with poise. We read about Ceryll where three princesses, “the heir, the airhead and the dead,” live together in a castle with their father. This land is magical, but magic and witchcraft, or “the Words,” are forbidden. The book opens on one of the princesses tossing herself off a cliff, apparently overcome by the madness of the Words. A year later, the “airhead” princess, Gwen, embarks on a journey to find the legendary phoenix, a weapon powerful enough to save her nation from invading magicians who ignore the laws against magic. Meanwhile, the “heir” Nicole must protect herself and her father from foreign agents infiltrating their castle. …show more content…
There are magical creatures, supernatural beings, witches and wizardry, a medieval-esque setting—you get the idea. This novel excels, as do most good novels, in its originality. Almost every fantasy book has people who control the elements; this was the first I’ve read where they had to ask the elements very nicely for consent to be used. The chosen one narrative has been hashed and re-hashed into oblivion; while These Lies uses that trope, it also obfuscates it with a possible second chosen
In The Ways We Lie, Stephanie Ericsson expresses the inevitability of lying and the way it is casually incorporated into our everyday lives. She personally brings light to all the forms of lying and some that are often not recognized as a lie. Ericsson questions the reasons and validity behind lies by highlighting the effects and consequences.
Richard Gunderman asks the question, "Isn 't there something inherently wrong with lying, and “in his article” Is Lying Bad for Us?" Similarly, Stephanie Ericsson states, "Sure I lie, but it doesn 't hurt anything. Or does it?" in her essay, "The Ways We Lie.” Both Gunderman and Ericsson hold strong opinions in regards to lying and they appeal to their audience by incorporating personal experiences as well as references to answer the questions that so many long to confirm.
Judith Viorst is an American journalist. Her essay “The Truth about Lying”, printed in Buscemi and Smith’s 75 Readings: An Anthology. In this essay, Viorst examines social, protective, peace-keeping and trust-keeping lies but doesn’t include lies of influence.
This insistence creates two problems. One is a problem of representation, in which the books confirm the strict illusion-reality dualism so characteristic of most contemporary medieval fictions. The second is a problem of interpretation, since they finally appear to undermine the very values of imagination and tradition that Cooper wishes to espouse.
I am going to be talking about the story Lying Presences by Norman Rush. This story starts in Jack’s office at work when his brother Roy comes into his office unexpectedly one day. Jack then remembers his father in a negative light and how he was a basement inventor and always striving to achieve a cause. Roy reminded Jack of his father. All Jack can see from his brother visit is the fact that Roy will ask Jack for money. Instead Roy asks to stay with Jack and his wife Judith, without Roy having to explain why he need a room. Jack tells Roy to go and get all Roy’s belongings from where he was keeping it. Whilst Roy is away Jack gives his secretary the rest of the day off because Jack is so ashamed of the way his brother lives and what Roy wears, so much that Jack can't have her seeing Roy. Jack demands Roy tell him why he was need a place to stay so Jack could tell Judith why Roy was staying.
Are everyday rituals, such as, facades reflected as to being a lie? Simply preparing for a meeting or interview does not come off as lying, although another type of façade such as when someone asks, “Are you okay,” after a death of someone close to you, in reality it is a form of a lie, because you are not being honest. In Stephanie Erricsson’s article “The Ways We Lie,” she discusses many different types of lying, that most wouldn’t even consider. Ericsson claimed, “But façades can be destructive because they are used to seduce others into an illusion” (409). Depending how a façade is used, the outcome can be beneficial or damaging. There are facades that are used to cover up one’s true feelings, in order to protect an individual and then there is a type in which one puts on a mask to cover up how awful of a person they are. Charity, a former friend, deceived me with the qualities of everything she was not, my mom is a great example of when it comes to hiding when she is saddened. In this article “The Ways We Lie,” Stephanie Ericsson has a great point of view on the destructiveness of facades, although, it can very well be used in a good way just as much as in a bad way, in fact, like my protective mother, using facades for mine and my sisters own good and then a conniving friend using facades in
Faris, Wendy B. Ordinary Enchantments: Magical Realism and the Remystification of Narrative. Nashville: Vanderbilt UP, 2004. 24 Sept. 2012. Web. 15 Mar. 2014. 21
Should we stop lying and she would stop letting people lie to us? In “The Ways We Lie”, Stephanie Ericsson describes lying as “a cultural cancer that… reorders reality until moral garbage becomes as invisible to us as water is to a fish” (Ericsson 186). Ericsson believes that we have accepted lies to the point where do not recognize it anymore. Ericsson has a point, lying should not be tolerated but it should be the unnecessary lies that should not be tolerated. There are lies that are justifiable based on the intent of the person lying. All lies are harmful in their own ways from small lies, like white lies, to big lies, like out-and-out lies.
In “The Ways We Lie,” by Stephanie Ericsson, she defines various types of lying and uses quotations at the beginning of each description as a rhetorical strategy. Throughout the reading she uses similar references or discussion points at the beginning and ending of each paragraph. Most believe lying is wrong, however, I believe lying is acceptable in some situations and not others when Stephanie Ericsson is asked, “how was your day.” In “The Ways We Lie,” she lies to protect her husband’s feelings, therefore, I think people lie because they are afraid of the consequences that come with telling the truth.
Chapter 6 of part I of The Stranger concluded with Meursault’s conscious decision to shoot an Arab because of the physical discomfort the Arab’s knife caused him. The significance of the ending of part I is that it was the first demonstration of Meursault’s awareness of the possible consequences of the act that he committed. This awareness continues into the second part of the novel as he is arrested and trialed. The reason for Meursault’s trial is the murder of the Arab. His insensitivity towards Maman’s death and lack of a social conscientious are factors that contributed to support further investigations, but are not reasons to trial him because they have not ‘harmed’ society on a way that he could be arrested for. For example, if Meursault
When initially asked about the morality of lying, it is easy for one to condemn it for being wrong or even corrupt. However, those asked are generally guilty of the crime on a daily basis. Lying is, unfortunately, a normal aspect of everyday life. In the essay “The Ways We Lie,” author Stephanie Ericsson makes note of the most common types of lies along with their consequences. By ordering the categories from least to most severe, she expresses the idea that lies enshroud our daily lives to the extent that we can no longer between fact and fiction. To fully bring this argument into perspective, Ericsson utilizes metaphor, rhetorical questions, and allusion.
“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself.”– Harvey Fierstein
The Paper Bag Princess is a counter point to traditional fairy tales about Princes and Princesses as it displays characters in altered roles. Princess Elizabeth challenges the modern view of the masculinity of a hero by reversing gender roles when she chooses to save Prince Ronald herself. By taking on the fire breathing dragon and outsmarting him, Princess Elizabeth defies typical princess roles and fairytale plots. Although lacking Cinderella elegance, Elizabeth's determination, self-confidence and awareness of her inner be...
The book We Were Liars by E Lockhart is about an extremely prestigious family called the Sinclairs. The Sinclair family consists of the grandfather, the grandmother, their three daughters, Carrie, Bess, and Penny, and their grandchildren, Johnny, Will, Mirren, Liberty, Taft, Bonnie, and Cadence. Every summer, the family goes to their summer island, off the coast of Massachusetts. Of the grandchildren, the ones that hang out the most are Johnny, Mirren, and Cadence. On summer eight, Gat, a friend of Johnny, began coming to the island. After Gat’s arrival, Johnny, Mirren, Cadence, and Gat were known as the Four Liars. After many summers later, Gat and Cadence strike up a romance between each other in summer
Scott Plous states in his book, “If you are like most people, your perceptions are heavily influenced by what you expect to see. Even when something is right before your eyes, it is hard to view it without preconceived notions.” (Plous 15) This is an example of selective perception, selective perception being, in simple terms, seeing what you want to see based on your frame of reference. For example, racism, those who are said to be racists often only see the negative in a certain race and their mind will focus only on those factors until it becomes complete hatred for a certain race.