The True And Truly False Analysis

Roy Arthur Swanson’s “The True, the False, and the Truly False: Lucian’s Philosophical Science Fiction” discusses the use of the liar’s paradox and states, “to admit that one is lying is to be truthful. The comic paradox is that falsehood can be a form of truth (telling the truth that one is lying) just as Socratic ignorance can be a form of knowledge (knowing that one does not know)” (228). When humor is added to the false conceptions, it becomes the distraction and a challenge for distinguishing what from what. These narrators are honest about the falseness, making it true, which creates a mess of unreliability readers find entertaining, and yes, even normal. Eggers and Andrew share features of craving control and wanting a relief from their tragedies. The humorous voice and liar’s paradox gives them that relief. There is, no doubt, veracity in their self-rationalizing, even if they are uncanny and questionable, for it does not mean they are untruthful concerning the themes they are mocking. Andrew’s Brain powerfully address the issues of human consciousness and A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius contemplates the very act of storytelling. Doctorow and Eggers’ intentions are the same as a tricksters: raw, real, and cunning.

Their protagonists are aware of the unreliability and they blatantly illustrate it, thus, fabricating their lies, and truthfully telling readers they are false. Eggers’ consistently is messing around with his readers: “too much view to seem real, but then again, then again, nothing really is all that real anymore, we must remember, of course, of course. (Or is it just the opposite? Is everything more real? Aha)” (52). Eggers’ authority as the author is downplayed, which shows the liar’s paradox entwining the reliable and unreliable voice of the narrators. Eggers desperately tells