Theme of Lies in Tangerine by Edward Bloor Essay Example

“The least initial deviation from the truth is multiplied later a thousandfold”, states Aristotle.

Lies, large or small, have repercussions that can escalate over time and then snowball create a problem, making things worse. In Tangerine by Edward Bloor,the characters tell several lies that have various degrees of outcomes. Throughout the novel, the lies from mom and dad, Erik and Arthur, and Antoine start a chain reaction that leads to consequences for the whole community.

Mom and dad conceal the nature of Paul's vision impairment and the truth about Erik.“I exploded. “No! No, Sir!” I yanked off my coke-bottle glasses and shook them in rage. “There are questions that need to be answered about these! Am I such a stupid idiot fool that I stared at a solar eclipse for an hour and blinded myself? Is that who I am? Am I that idiot?”(Bloor 264)  Paul feels rage and frustration at his parents for lying and making him believe that he is at fault about his vision.“Grandmom put her hand on her heart, sighed deeply, and said, “You know what i'm going to tell you, Caroline.” Mom closed her eyes. “You're paying now for what you didn't do back then.” (Bloor 287) Mom and dad feel guilty about lying to Paul for his entire life and his grandmom sticks up for him. Consequently, mom and dad's decision to ignore Erik's bad behavior results in him becoming a menace to society.

Erik and Arthur take advantage of the community with their devious actions. “Erik opened his eyes wide in mock terror. He turned to Arthur and said,”We may have a situation here, Bauer.” The others in the group seemed amused”, after Luis continued to challenge, “Arthur reached Luis, turned, and whipped the blackjack around with a loud wack against the side of Luis’ head. Luis arms shot up to cover his head as he staggered to the right and fell on one knee.”  (Bloor 211-212) This paragraph shows that even though Erik is a star in football he is not a good person.“I remembered walking into the garage and hearing Erik's voice cold and menacing. He said, “You're going to Pay for what you did”.... And I remembered Eriks finger prying my eyelids open while Vincent Castor sprayed white paint into them”.  Erik feels anger toward Paul because he snitched on Vincent Castor so he sprays him with white spray paint in his eyes. As a result of Erik and Arthur vandalism and cruelty Antoine decided to confess as a witness.

Antoine,the Lake Windsor High school quarterback, finds the courage to tell the truth about his eligibility and a crime he witnessed. “Antoine said quietly, “It's time to start telling the truth, little brother. Do you understand what I'm saying”? I nodded like I understood, but I didn't, not really . Not until he added, “Don't spend your life hiding behind the bleachers, little brother. The truth shall set you free.” (Bloor 267) Antoine is speaking to Paul like a little brother because he loves him a lot.“ This drastic action was taken in response to a confession made by Lake Windsor quarterback Antoine Thomas to the commission members. In a signed statement, Thomas confessed about lying about his eligibility to attend Lake Windsor High School.” (Bloor 272) Antoine tries to make things right and tells the authorities about his eligibility.

Antoine's decision to tell the authorities helps the neighborhood move forward.

The community Suffers the ramifications of the lies and the things hidden from various members including those closely related to Paul. Antoine's decision, to tell the truth, exposes Erik and Arthur's behavior. Erik and Arthur's actions lead to their arrest, one is awaiting trial, one is on house arrest. Mom and Dad feel liable and guilty for not getting Erik the help he needed when he was young: and need to restore their relationship with both sons. Paul's observation of Erik's behavior teaches him that even a small lie has a great impact on his life.