Women and Honor - Some Notes on Lying Discussion

Christopher Quinn

ENGL 1100

Discussion: Women and Honor: Some Notes on Lying

Two major themes throughout the story Women and Honor: Some Notes on Lying are that women have used lies to ,and it sheds a lot of insight into the minds of liars. Through many different techniques, liars have learned how to better their craft. In the quote “Lying is done with words, and also with silence” (Rich 413), the author shows liars often opting out of creating completely fictional reasons or scenarios, instead choosing to omit specific pieces of information which could drastically change how the information is perceived.

The story sheds light on how the life of a liar can be severely lonely, even when they are surrounded by others. “ The liar has many friends, and leads a life of extreme loneliness” (Rich 413). Throughout the passage, liars are shown to behave differently towards everyone, sometimes in small way, and other times completely acting like they are someone else. They never show who they really are, thus making some of them feel cut off from everyone else because they are not being accepted for their true self.

Lastly, women are represented in the story as liars, either through necessity or because of their own desires. We are told that to be treated as equals, women have to be underhanded and deceitful. “Women have always lied to each other. Women have always whispered the truth to each other” (Rich 415). Women constantly lie to each other while simultaneously working together and holding trust in others.

The idea and use of lying as displayed throughout Women and Honor: Some Notes on Lying reveals a lot about the inner working of liars. That while they are shown to be smart and cunning, on the inside they are usually a very lonely kind of people. Most tend to lie because it is easier to pretend