The Ways We Lie By Stephanie Ericsson
In her essay, "The Ways We Lie", Stephanie Ericsson discusses the various forms of lying present in society, ranging from white lies to more serious deceptions. She contends that lying has become an integral part of everyday life and that individuals often resort to it as a means of self-preservation or to protect others from harm. This deception often results in negative consequences for relationships and society as a whole. Towards the beginning of her essay, Ericsson highlights that 'when someone lies, someone loses', serving as a powerful reminder of the impact of lying on both the liar and the person being lied to and underscoring the significance of honesty. This theme is commonly portrayed in many literary works; however, it is notably …show more content…
This apprehension frequently leads to the absence of a few crucial details within the story that have the ability to drastically alter the narrative. This form of deception is defined by Ericsson as omission. Hanna Schmitz, the main character in The Reader, omits crucial information during her trial out of fear of punishment and humiliation: “Ask her if she chose the weak and delicate girls, because they could never have stood up to the work on the building site anyway, because they would have been sent on the next transport to Auschwitz in any case, because she wanted to make that final month bearable... But the lawyer did not ask Hanna, and she did not speak of her own accord.” (Schlink 117). The withholding of crucial information during this trial adversely impacts Hanna's testimony, causing her to appear more guilty than she is in reality. As opposed to confronting the truth regarding her time as a guard at a concentration camp in Auschwitz, Schmitz makes an effort to preserve her dignity by lying by omission. Antithetical to Hanna's desired result, her omission of crucial details results in the unfavourable outcomes of an extended prison sentence and the destruction of significant relationships in her life. Further omissions are made as the trial progresses, and the source of Hanna Schmitz's fear is revealed: “Hanna could neither read nor write... That was why she admitted to writing the report in order to escape a confrontation with an expert... Because she couldn’t read the daughter’s book or the indictments, couldn’t see the openings that would allow her to build a defence, and thus could not prepare herself accordingly?” (Schlink 132–133). Due to her concern that her secret will be discovered, Hanna frequently withholds information that would greatly aid her during her trial. Her internalised shame regarding her illiteracy drives her to
Summary Of Stephanie Ericsson The Ways We Lie
185 Words | 1 PagesStephanie Ericsson, the author of the essay “The Ways We Lie,” is a screenwriter, advertising copywriter, and author. The essay was originally published in 1982 in the Utne Reader, which is a magazine that focuses on political, social, cultural, and environmental issues. It was reprinted in 50 Essays, which is a compilation of various essays. The textbook was published by Bedford-St. Martin’s, the same publishing company that produced The Language of Composition. The publishing company focuses primarily on humanities textbooks, which means that they are able to choose reliable and scholarly sources.
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213 Words | 1 PagesJIn Ericsson¶s essay The Ways We Lie, she writes 9 descriptions and examples of lies weall encounter every single day. It¶s implied throughout the essay that humans often do not intendto lie, but we all do in various ways. We choose to make life easier by ignoring facts,confrontation, or potentially bad situations through a lie. A theme Ericsson focuses on isdeciding when to lie. The trick of thought when telling a white lie is that you begin to think youknow what¶s best for the person being lied to.
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451 Words | 2 Pagesarguing that lying is a major problem that need fixed before everyone life just become one huge lie. This technique persuades the readers into agreeing, because she’s seen as a normal everyday person like the reader. Given these points, Ericsson concludes that lying is a natural habit all humans own. Do not beat yourself up if you can’t go one day without lying, because it’s is both good and bad depending on the case.
Stephanie Ericsson The Ways We Lie Essay
1190 Words | 5 PagesStephanie Ericsson begins her explorative essay, “The Ways We Lie,” with a personal anecdote of all the lies she fabricated in one day. She told her bank that a deposit was in the mail when it was not, told a client that the traffic had been bad when she was late for other reasons, told her partner that her day was fine when it was really exhausting, and told her friend she was too busy for lunch when she just was not hungry, all in the course of a day. She shifts from talking about herself to talking about everyone, claiming that all people lie, exaggerate, minimize, keep secrets, and tell other lies. But, like herself, most still consider themselves honest people. She describes a week in which she tried to never tell a lie; it was debilitating, she claims.
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Stephanie Ericsson The Way We Lie Summary
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