deceit

lately, i've been thinking about deception. not just the act of deceiving someone, but also the echoes or ripples of that act. as it should be, great literature provokes one to think. i've read two fantastic novels recently whose authors caused me to think about deception because they directly and indirectly interwove the theme of deception into their work. the thought-provoking culprits? atonement and water for elephants.

atonement by ian mcewan, in my humble opinion, is a modern day masterpiece. i so wish that i had not already seen the movie when i read the book because mcewan's ability to paint images with his words is like no other author i've ever encountered. if only i had the privilege of letting my imagination conjure up the scenes he creates...sigh. if you're not familiar with either the book or the motion picture, atonement is the mesmerizing tale of the tallis family and the deception that destroys their family unit. it's fascinating to me that while one of the characters, briony, genuinely sought atonement for the deception she unwittingly facilitated as a child, it's as if she somehow never fully believed that she should receive it.

in sara gruen's wonderful water for elephants, small acts of deception consistently peppered the plot line. whether it's to save lives - like camel's or rosie's lives...or to keep up appearances - such as jacob being a veterinarian...or to not get caught - to avoid august's rage...deception served as a tool for the characters to just exist in some state of peacefulness. what i found fascinating was that until the characters fully and honestly embraced themselves and their desires for who and what they truly were, they constantly relied on deception to create a front to present to others.

i was intrigued at all the synonyms i found for deceive: ensnare, cheat, mislead, delude, and beguile. i mulled over how deception can be so tantalizing to me like a get out of jail free pass, just to then clamp down shackles and keep me in bondage to it. i also thought about how we all participate in deceitful exchanges daily. for example - have you ever answered "fine" or "good" when someone asked you how you were...and you really weren't? it's not that you are lying to that person. but are you really being truthful, authentic, and real? if i deceive you by answering "fine" then perhaps i don't have to really tell you that i'm behind in paying my bills or that i had another fight with my spouse or that i'm just feeling bloated today. and do i really want to tell you all those things? maybe it's just better to deceive you because then you won't really know me and all my baggage.

just thinking. because that's what good books should make you do.

blessings to you,

dana