Tuesday, March 15, 2011
lying
Think about what Christopher says about metaphors and lies and their relationship to novels [pp. 14–20]. Why is lying such an alien concept to him? In his antipathy to lies, Christopher decides not to write a novel, but a book in which "everything I have written . . . is true" [p. 20]. Why do "normal" human beings in the novel, like Christopher's parents, find lies so indispensable? Why is the idea of truth so central to Christopher's narration?
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The idea of truth is so central to Christopher is because he knows that lying is wrong, and doesnt understand anything that is not literal.
ReplyDeleteSince lies are so wrong to Christopher and lies are not found that bad or confusing to normal people, the idea of truth is so central to Christopher because he can not possibly live with himself if he tells a lie, and can't comprend anything that is not literal so he sticks to the truth.
ReplyDeleteAll Christopher knows and perceives is what is in front of him. It is incredibly hard for him to fabricate lies because he it is not logical to him that one thing can be said while another thing is true. He doesn't make that connection. The same goes for metaphors. He doesn't get something like "It's raining cats and dogs" because he takes it too literally and doesn't see how that could actually happen. "Normal" people find lying so indispensable because it is so EASY to do, while telling the truth takes guts, courage, and effort. Truth is so central to Christopher's narration because that is all he knows and all he is going to write about.
ReplyDeleteChristopher is so litteral on life that he cant come up with lies and keep to them because they would have to be completly accurate, and if they are lies, then they aren't. Most people find lying much easier than the truth so that is why everyone lies but Christopher finds it harder, so instead he tells the truth.
ReplyDeleteChristopher likes to have some set rules that do not change because that makes everything much more straightforward and less confusing. If someone says something he expects them to follow their word and he does the same. Therefore, lying is hard for him to understand. "Normal" people understand the concept of lies so well because they are so used to seeing lies in the everyday world in the media and even in just their own conversations. They do not think anything of lies. The idea of truth is so central to the narration because it gives him a unique voice and it shows in a frank way how he perceives the world.
ReplyDeleteTo Christopher figurative language is confusing because he sees everything as literal. His parents understand that sometimes not telling the complete truth is helpful to most people. Christopher decides to tell his story in a straight-forward way because it is the only way he truly understands. It makes him seem unemotional in his story telling, but on the other hand, he's also very believable because of this.
ReplyDeleteTruth is so central to Chris' narration because figurative language, and other literary devices that aren't straight forward confuse him and stress him out. A lie is something that is hard for Chris to understand, therefore he does not lie often, because it confuses him and stresses him out.
ReplyDeleteChristopher's autism does not allow him to understand the complexity of metaphors and lies. Although 'normal' people use lies all the time in everyday life in order to hide from the truth, because we often find the truth difficult to tell for numerous reasons. Truth is so central to Christopher's narration because it is all he knows, it is what he lives by.
ReplyDeleteChristopher dose not understand anything that is not literal, which makes him very similar to Temple Grandin. But he does understand that lying is very wrong, a concept most people just seem to overlook. It is for these reasons that Christopher, in his novel, wishes only to tell the truth.
ReplyDeleteHe has a direct connection between metaphors and lies because he just doesn't understand them. He does not understand metaphors because he takes them way too literal, he thinks of it as when you laugh, your socks actually fly off which is why he is confused easily. This is also his problem with lies. He doesn't understand how someone can just live with themselves by saying something that is completely false and trying to convince somebody else that they are telling the truth. 'Normal' people find them indispensable because they understand that it is not really meant literally and that everybody lies in their life. Chris finds telling the truth so important because he doesn't want to be the one person who looks someone in the face and tell them a complete lie and watch them believe it. He doesn't like to provide false information to anybody.
ReplyDeleteChristopher cannot diffferentiate one thing that is false from another. He simply views everything that is false or fictional as illogical.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of truth so central to Christopher's narration because, Christopher does not appreciate lies or confusing phrases, he only understand the truth because it is what happened and what makes since in reality. Christopher decides not to write a novel, but a book in which "everything I have written . . . is true" because he doesn't like it when other lie, so why would he lie? Other "normal" humans have almost made it a habit to lie if any problems come up, it has become an easy solution to a situation.
ReplyDeleteTo normal people lies are nothing but a way to get themselves out of trouble, but Christopher has extremely good morals and would never dream of telling a lie. This is why he is not writing a novel, because he says that novels are nothing but a lie and since he can't lie his entire book is of the experiences he had while trying to figure out who killed Wellington.
ReplyDeletePart of his autism is that Christopher doesn't understand people and words like we do. So, lies and metaphors, that are hard to understand sometimes anyways, are completely alien and impossible for him. The "normal" people in the book find lies to dispensible is because lies are such a part of life now, that we find it hard sometimes not to lie. But he has to tell the truth because he doesn't understand lies.
ReplyDeleteChristopher doesn't understand why people find it so easy to lie, as he realizes that lying is pointless. Telling the truth seems easier to him. He then compares lying to metaphors, because he sees that metaphor is "...describing something by using a word for something that it isn't." He doesn't understand that it is a comparison, and thinks quite literally.
ReplyDeleteChristopher does not understand lying, he does not understand how someone could tell something that is not true. This is what makes telling the truth so important in his book. He wants to make sure that everything is truthful in his book because he does not understand lies.
ReplyDeleteChristopher cannot understand anything that isn't literal so he doesn't care for lies. He feels like he wouldn't be able to stand it if he told a lie. He wants everything in his book to be truthful that way everybody can understand it as well. When he thinks of a little white lie that someone may tell, he begins to think of other crazy things that people may say that aren't true until he is overwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't understand just because you say something that isn't the truth, doesn't mean it is a lie.
ReplyDeleteChristopher doesnt understand anything that isnt literal and he doesn't believe that lying is good to do. He only knows the truth therefore will not lie.
ReplyDeleteThe entire concept of lying makes no sense to Christopher at all. He only sees things in a literal way and doesn't understand metaphors or sarcasm. Also, he says that he was always taught to tell the truth and when you don't talk literally, it's often not truthful.
ReplyDeleteMy man Christophers a good kid with wonderful ethics. He knows lying is wrong but that's not why he doesn't do it. he doesn't lie because it's to hard for him to picture anything in his mind while another is true. also, lying is easy for normal people. with metaphors Chris can't see anything happening if its not literal. so when it's raining cats and dogs chris sees a bingo and a pussy cat falling from the sky
ReplyDeleteChristopher is a sensitive kid with a sensitive disorder, and if he tells one lie then that lie will burden him and probably be a tick in the brain. With Autism, little things affect you and this little thing could drive him crazy.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I believe he thinks the truth is what happened, and why would you not want to say what happened?
Christopher knows that lying is wrong and he takes everything so literally that if he does lie he is not saying how he feels and that might make him feel scared or uncomfortable.
ReplyDeletefirst i am replying to kieran: what is a bingo.
ReplyDeleteChristopher thinks of lying as such of a weird concept because he does not see any point to it. His mind-set really is why would you lie when you could tell the truth. Lying is something that would probably bother Chris for a considerable amount of time if he were the one to lie, since lies about things which didn't happen make him feel shaky and scared. Christopher's parents and other people don't feel like lying is such of a bad thing to them, in contrast to as Chris sees it, and think of it as not such a terrible thing that would bother them as much as it would Chris.
Christopher recognizes how important it is to tell the truth. When he doesn't tell the truth he feels very bad. He always tells the truth because he knows it is the right thing to do. He also doesn't lie because it is hard for him to speak anything but the truth.
ReplyDeleteWhen Christopher lies he thinks of all the other possibilities and why he chose that lie over one of the other infinite amount of lies specific to that time and place. To him it is easier to tell the truth then to let his mind ponder all the lies in the world. I feel like "normal" people lie to see the better situation of things. People make the lie of a certain vision or event they would like to happen in their minds but they know it most likely won't.
ReplyDeleteChristopher doesn't find it logical to say one thing (a lie) when really something else is the truth. How could one thing be said that isn't real? That's how his mind perceives it. This is the foundation for his book and why it's so central in his narration.
ReplyDeleteWhen Christopher analyzes a lie, he is seeing it as something which did not happen, and that in turn makes him start to think of all the things that did not happen, and there are so many of them that he feels confused and insecure. Therefore, he decides to write only fact in his book. The people around him find lies easy because a lot of the time, they don't think Christopher can handle knowing the truth or the full truth of something.
ReplyDeletewhen Christopher is thinking he said that their are a lot of lies. i believe that he has learned to never lie and he wouldnt want to start in his book. Other people use lies to embelish stories, but he just says what happened.
ReplyDeleteChristopher just doesn't understand the concept of sarcasm and lying. so because he doesn't understand it, he doesn't use it so he always tells the truth.
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't understand why people lie. Are they too dumb to tell the truth. To him it just doesn't make sense. "Normal" people like his parents think that if they have to hide something they tell a lie. Truth is central to Christophers narrations because he doesn't understand why people would lie, so he just decided to not lie, in his novel or in his life.
ReplyDeleteChristopher can only see the literal. So he can not conceptualize telling something that didn't actually happen, because he can only view what did in fact actually happen.
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't know why people would lie. His disability keeps him from being able to pick up on social ques or certain things that people do. It is hard for him to understand that just when he begins to understand what people are talking about, they would lie or change around the truth when the truth is just so plainly there for him.
ReplyDeleteChristopher is a very literal person. He doesn't understand the concept of lying or bending the truth. This is why Christopher is so centered around truth.
ReplyDeleteChristopher doesn't understand why people lie. He believes the truth is the truth, and should always be present. The truth is central to him because he just doesn't comprehend the purpose in lying, and if he was to tell a lie it would remain in his brain as if to haunt him.
ReplyDeleteChristopher does not really understand the concept of lying simply because he cannot understand how people can say one thing but have done another. It is an alien concept to him, as are metaphors. He only understands truth and what is in front of him, so a comment such as "raining cats and dogs" does not make any sense to him.
ReplyDeleteChristopher only understands reality and has no imagination. He can't make up things in his mind because they are not factual or real in any way. His mind can't comprehend it. Truth is so central in his narration because it is all he understands. His story is pure fact and based on all things that happened, not just things he made up in his mind.
ReplyDeleteChristopher knows nothing more than real life and what is in front of him. He doesn't understand lies because he knows it's the right thing to do and thinks it's absurd when other people lie. Also, when people use figures of speech that don't make sense he is perplexed. The idea of lying isn't an option for Christopher because he would remember it forever and be very guilty.
ReplyDeleteChristopher does not lying because it confuses him, and doesn't get how people can do that on a regular basis. plus, he cant live with himself if he lies. He also does not like novels because he says they are made up stories that have never happened and they make him feel shaky. To "normal" people, lying is common they don't get as guilty as Christopher does and most of the time they just go along with the lie and don't get confused. Metaphors, also confuse Christopher. He finds they make no sense when he tries to picture them and that makes him forget what the conversation is about.
ReplyDeleteChristopher doesn't see why people lie and he finds it to be a rather confusing and pointless concept. He always tells the truth because that is what he knows and that is what he understands. This is why he does not like metaphors, because he perceives them as lies. Since Christopher only understands logical, straight-forward, clear-cut, ideas, he doesn't understand lying. To other people, such as his father, lying is more acceptable and even deemed as necessary in certain situations.
ReplyDeleteDue to his autism, he is emotionaly crippled. Lying is not rational or logical to him, so he does not understand it and cannot comprehend why someome would say something that is not true. Lying can sometimes get us out of tight spots, or influence what someone may think of us, and it is sometimes easier than telling the truth. This is why normal people find it so "indespensible". The truth is central to Chris's logic and narration due to the fact that he does not understand lies and only understands the plain truth, so he focuses on that and nothing else. For further reference, see the excellent explination offered by Brett B. 6
ReplyDeleteChristopher doesn't understand why people lie because all he knows is how to tell the truth. He doesn't understand the point of it, because everything he knows is right there, and there's nothing to lie about.
ReplyDeleteChristopher is uncomfortable with people lying because he doesn't understand why. He gets confused when he thinks about all of the possible lies you could tell, and they all get jumbled in his head.
ReplyDeleteChristopher takes everything literally, and only understands saying something if it is true. This is because he knows what is true, and he doesn't understand why you would pick something else to say when it is not the truth. He thinks that there are so many other choices of things that you could say that he he doesn't understand what would make you choose something else to say besides what is real. Since metaphors are describing something as something it is not, Christopher sees this as a lie.
ReplyDeleteWhen Christopher thinks of a lie, he also thinks of all the other things that aren't true and this confuses and scares him. He tells the truth because that is what he knows how to do and he understands it so that is why he only tells the truth. "Normal" people find lies so indispensable because it makes things easier to deal with rather than telling the truth.
ReplyDeleteChristopher only sees statements as truthful. He doesn't understand the concept of a lie, or deception. He is confused by the purpose of lies, much like he is confused by the purpose of metaphors. He only says straightforward, truthful things. This is why the idea of truth is so central; he doesn't know, or isn't capable of lying.
ReplyDeleteI don't think his aversion to lies has to do with his moral code; he simply sees no reason NOT to tell the truth. It just adds more things to think about, on top of every single little detail he observes in the world. Metaphors are the same way. They're too confusing, and anything figurative causes Chrisopher's head to explode.
ReplyDelete