Atticus

"Even when the mouth lies, the way it looks still tells the truth"

-- Nietzsche

To deceive is to mislead or falsely persuade others; to delude. The word originated in Old France meaning, to ensnare or to take in. The reader of fiction has the duty to protect himself from deception. What one believes to be true is not a lie, though not true. Someone once said that, "Nothing is so boring as having to keep up a deception." In the novel Atticus, Scott had to keep up the deception of being deceased, when, in reality, he was alive and well while his father was crippled with emotions.

In Atticus, deception is what the whole novel revolves around. Scott deceiving everyone he loves, Renata deceiving Atticus, and Atticus deceiving everyone into thinking he was alright. Scott, however, is the main character who cons all of the others. Scott's biggest deception is, of course, staging his own death. This is what the whole novel is based on. You can tell from when Atticus says, "Scott...hiding things ever since

he was a kid." that he has always been troubled by things. He has always deluded those around him and by the time he fakes his death, he is a master at it. He even knows he has done something wrong. By asking Atticus, "Will you forgive me?" it shows that. In the end, Scott was found out and got the punishment that he deserved. He came to the realization that life happens and you just can't hide everything, you have to step up and be a man; just like he did.

Reneta is very prevaricating in the novel as well. She not only knows of Scott's non-existent death, she also goes along with him by hiding it. Atticus describes her as "prim beside him. Without emotion." I realize that it is hard to show much emotion when there is nothing to have anguish about. She soon descovers that if she doesn't