Never Lie

The book’s primary theme, the prevalence of deceit and keeping up appearances, is introduced immediately with the book’s opening line: “Everybody lies” (5). Everyone presents some kind of image to the world, which the novel argues requires some level of lying. Most people want to project a certain persona to the world and will take steps to achieve that, from wearing certain clothes to pursuing specific activities. The most obvious example of a character keeping up appearances in the book is Adrienne. Adrienne’s desire to be seen as the intellectual, levelheaded psychiatrist makes the extortion tape EJ has of her slashing someone’s tires especially harmful; this is not in line with how Adrienne wants the world to see her.

Adrienne’s fierce need to present a polished image to the world is at odds with her violence, such as when she watches the man who stole her parking space walk in front of her car and thinks:

[A]ll I would have to do is switch my foot from the brake to the gas, and it would change his entire world. It would wipe that smirk off his face, that’s for sure. But I’m a civilized person. I will not mow down a pedestrian in the middle of a crowded parking lot (107).

Her inner monologue speaks to her violent tendencies, which are certainly not the hallmark of the “civilized person” she aspires to be. Adrienne’s character presents a paradox, as her civilized exterior hides her uncivilized interior.

Similarly, Tricia presents herself to the world as the sweet wife, following her husband’s lead—when in fact she is pulling his strings. The final shocking reminder of this comes in the book’s Epilogue. The reader might think that killing Luke together would inextricably bind Tricia and Ethan. To all external appearances, the couple seems strong. Tricia presents as the doting wife and loving mother; Ethan is the protective husband. However, Tricia still would consider murdering Ethan for self-preservation: “I’m prepared to take care of the situation. After all, my mother always said that the only way two people can keep a secret is if one of them is dead” (334). Even after revealing her most sordid secrets to her husband, Tricia is unable to drop the mask.

Moral slippage is a character flaw for all characters in the novel except Luke, who is also the only character to come under suspicion by the authorities. Because all the characters act with varying degrees of immorality and deceit, none could truly be called a “good” person. According to the book’s argument, it is impossible to ever live truly authentically and honestly, even opposite our dearest loved ones. Everybody is always hiding something in an attempt to cultivate a certain image.