Thursday, November 15, 2012
Post #2 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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ReplyDeleteThe reason why Christopher seems unable to comprehend the difference between metaphors and lies is because of the exact nature of Christopher's thought process. I sometimes think in much the same way, so I can more understand it. The narrator believes that everything that is not exactly true is a lie. If I remember correctly, in the novel, there is a line where Christopher states the pointlessness of religion, because of how nothing it states is strictly true. He doesn't grasp the fact that something can have a point or reason without it being strictly logical. Christopher believes religion is to explain the origin of the world and past fantastical stories, while other people may read into it on a deeper, less logical level, and more understand that the actual purpose of religion is to answer the question many people have inside of them, "Why am I here?". Christopher doesn't grasp this because it reads into something without being strictly logical about it. The problem he has with metaphors is similarly rooted. When someone says, "She's the apple of my eye," Christopher imagines in his head an eyeball holding the person in the shape of an apple. This, of course, does not make sense to him, and therefore confuses him. He thinks this is a lie because, logically speaking, eyeballs do not hold people in the shape of apples. If you think about it, most of us would question this as well when we were younger, until someone explained the metaphor to them. Christopher's thought process is much like a small child's, except much more logical. The idea of truth is central to Christopher's narration because this means that all facts and events are presented in a strictly logical way, forcing the reader to look deeper into the characters to see what they are really like, rather than whatever Christopher thinks they are. Instead of saying, "The person looked angry" as a normal narrator would, Christopher might just say "The person's mouth was turned upside down."
DeleteWoah. Sorry for that wall of text.
DeleteLying is an alien concept to the narrorator because he does not understand degrees of truth. He believes every statement that is not precisely accurate to be a lie. Whereas a person without autism knows the meaning of comparisons in metaphors, the narrorator does not understand them because there is no logic behind them. On page 15, for example, Christopher explains "I think it should be called a lie because a pig is not like a day and people do not have skeletons in their cupboards." He is referring to the metaphors "we had a real pig of a day" and "they had a skeleton in their cupboard." This opinion of his only proves that he does not understand deep meaning in communication, but only exact logic. Another reason as to why the narrator does not understand lies is because, as he says on page 20, he cannot tell lies and therefore does not tell lies.
ReplyDeleteIn his aversion to lies, Christopher decides to write a novel in which everything is true. Christopher's definition of a lie is "when you say something happened which didn't happen," according to page 19. This definition alone can be used to clarify why he feels shaky and scared when lying. When he begins to lie, he begins to imagine all events which did not happen.
In my opinion, christopher's parents along with other characters in this story find lies to be indispensible, or neccassary, because they understand what a lie is. While christopher believes that anything which cannot be proven to be a lie, adults and others without autism are able to distinguish what truly matters using communication skills.
The idea of truth is critical to Christopher's narration because it teaches the reader his thinking process. It is probably introduced in the beginning of the story so that throughout the book the audience will understand Christopher's logic and level of common sense.
Wow, I honestly have to say that I agree with what you said, and the quotes do help support your answer well. That can make it hard for one to disagree. Good job, Darianna.
DeleteI like how you pointed out how beyond not understanding lying, he also doesn't have a "gray area" that most people do. He sees lying as either black or white, either telling the truth or not, excluding his "white lies", which he describes as not telling the whole truth, but what he does say is true.
DeleteI could not agree more, Darianna. Great answer!
DeleteI agree with you, and everyone that commented.xD Great job!
DeleteI totally agree with this. You explain things really well!
DeleteI completely agree with everything you said. Good work!
DeleteI agree with how you said the idea of truth is critical to Christopher's narration.
DeleteI agree, nice statement
DeleteI feel the only way to fully grasp the above concept is to change your point of view and step into the narrators shoes (or someone extremely serious). Now when someone tells him a simile or metaphor he finds it hard to understand due to the fact that he takes it completely seriously. In his words he said that it confuses him having several different meanings of a word along with the fact that it makes no sense. It would be like someone coming up to you and saying "dude, your chimpanzee is a little ape today" what? That would make absolutely no sense to you. You definitely don't have a chimpanzee? Then he explains that he was referring to your hair being wild. This is how it is for the narrator. And with that we come to the idea of lies. Lies are the exact same thing with him as metaphors and similes. Lies confuse him because what that person is saying didn't actually happen. Due to this fact the narrator tells his story with only truth because lies scare him. The only exception to this is when he tells white lies which are truth but not the whole truth. For example if your dad ask you "hey what did you do today" you reply with "I did homework". Although you did do homework (truth) you also went to a party with your friends. This is the truth that the book is based around.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you Jason. Good idea of having people in Christopher's shoes. Good job.
DeleteI agree with you and the fact that he thinks that lies are the same thing as metaphors and similies. I also think that the stepping into the narrator's shoes idea is interesting and accurate. I couldn't agree with you more.
DeleteOMG JASON SOVEN!!! Absolutely BREATH-TAKING. I find your viewpoint of stepping into Christopher's shoes and living the life of a being not capable of figurative notions to be both fascinating and sensationally creative. It is a fantastic way of examining Chris' scorn and bewilderment at lies. "dude, your chimpanzee is a little ape today" HAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAH lol your so funny. And no, your right, I don't have a chimpanzee. How did you know, that's like amazing. Thank you for this thesis; I now have a new way of viewing life.
DeleteP.S. wanna hang out some time. I don't wake, but you could teach me. <3
Christopher thinks that lying is "alien" because he does not understand how much truth people have when they speak. When people use metaphors, he becomes confused because he has autism and thinks that everything should be taken literally. He does not know the meaning of phrases like "apple of her eye" and when he tries to visualize the phrase, he gets lost since the phrase makes no sense. He also does not lie because he simply "can't tell lies". When Christopher lies, "And if I think about something at which didn't happen I start thinking about all the other things that didn't happen." This makes the narrator feel scared when he lies.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the "normal" humans in the story find lies necessary because, unlike Christopher, they know what lies are. Adults use lies in order to get out of awkward situations and to communicate.
Truth is central to Christopher's narration because he is able to demonstrate what goes on through his mind and the logic behind his actions. He also explains certain characteristics, like why he does not lie or why he does not understand metaphors.
I completely agree with you Eugene. I think people really do feel the need to lie so that they can get out of akward situations. Good job.
DeleteThe first paragraph really makes a point and I agree with it. Good work.
DeleteI agree with you. Christopher thinks very different than we do. It is hard to understand the way he thinks about lying becaue we see lying as something normal we do like you said. Good points.
DeleteI agree with you completely, good job!
DeleteLying is such an alien thing to Christopher because he has autism. Because of this autism Christopher struggles to communitcate with people. Lying confuses Christopher since it is not the straight truth. Christopher thinks that people shouldn't lie or tell metaphors because they don't make any sense since he takes everyhting literally.
ReplyDeleteIn his book other characters that don't have autism use lies or metaphors because they don't take everything literally. They can use lie or metaphors when they want and know that other people will understand that what they say is not the exact truth. But when people uses metaphors when talking to Christopher he gets confused and doesn't talk or just walks away from them.
The idea of truth is central to Christopher's narration because it helps people without autism understand what he has to go through everyday. Some people may think that if he can figure out that people don't actually have skeletons in their cupboards then why does he still take metaphors literally? But as soon as they read this book and understand why everything has to be the truth they no longer question why Christopher strugles with lies and metaphors.
I agree, Darragh. I believe that people with autism see and hear the world in different ways and some ordinary things may be confusing to them. Good work.
DeleteI completly agree with you Darragh. Very nice work. People with austism do see and hear the world differently. Good job.
DeleteChristopher doesn't understand lying because there are so many things to say when you lie, everything gets jumbled up in his brain and he can't think. To him, it is easier to tell the truth rather than lie.
ReplyDeleteI believe the adults in the story can use lies so they can prevent Christopher from hearing things he shouldn't. They kind of take advantage of him not being able to detect lies, but they feel it is for his own good.
You make a good point about how adults use lies for Christopher's good, but also remember that they also lie between themselves. Lying comes easier than truth when the truth hurts. Some lies are made because they are afraid of the truth. Some lies are essential to function in some cases, like saying someone looks good or complimenting food. But most lies are made subconsciously and are not even realized adn have no consequence, good or bad.
DeleteI agree with how you said that the adults lie to prevent Christopher from hearing things that he shouldn't.
DeleteChristopher is autistic, so it's not really like he is going to understand lying or metaphors. He takes things too literally and is taught that lying is bad and he probably thinks that all other humans think so too and are obliged to tell the truth, because that's the right thing. He probably doesn't understand the concept that there are bad people in the world who lie all the time and not really care and stuff. Since he is "socially disabled", lying will bring more confusion and trouble to his brain so it’s much simpler for Christopher to just tell the truth. He doesn't get why someone would go through the trouble of jumbling your mind over a lie when you could just tell what really happened and get it over with. He won't know all that philosophical stuff, of course he will want logic in everything so he isn't going to understand metaphors like "the boy was a elephant, it seemed like he weighed a ton". He'd interpret it as the boy literally is a fat elephant and really weighed a ton instead the boy isn't an elephant after all; he's just a really fat kid. He seems to understand similes better, since it uses "like" or "as" and it would be less hard to take literally because it states that the object being compared isn't the thing. His mind functions on logic and needs everything to be straightforward for it to process.
ReplyDelete"Normal humans" lie by nature all the time, because it’s what humans do and it’s pretty much impossible to find someone who tells the truth all the time. They'd see it as necessary since they can't control it, but at least they can tell truth from lies since they don't have Christopher's impairment. They can also use metaphors and know it’s a comparison and not a ridiculous lie.
The idea of truth is central to Christopher's narration because its how is mind works. Being autistic, he can't process the concept of lies and philosophy and telling the truth all the time can let you see how autistic people are and that they can't function in a socially normal way.
Very good, you hit all the topics really well and covered them extensively. Your examples of a metaphor and your explanation of a simile worked very well at supporting your argument. Overall well put together
DeleteBecause Christopher has Asperger's, he takes many things too literally and cannot understand figurative meanings of things. When people use metaphors, they are using figurative meanings of things to replace another thing they are talking about. Chris really only understands logic because of his Asperger's, so he tries to put things he doesn't understand, such as metaphors, into logical terms, which is why he doesn't like them.
ReplyDeleteHe also thinks of metaphors as lies. Chris doesn't like to lie as it is almost impossble for him. When he lies, he gets overwhelmed by the many possibilities of situations that could have happened, which makes him scared. He beleives that proper novels are lies about things that didn't happen, which is why he only tells the truth in his book.
I agree about your ideaology behind why Christopher doesn't understand metaphors or similes. His Asperger's Syndrome prohibits him from using reasoning to figure out what someone is saying. He finds that anything that doesn't make logical sense must not be the truth.
DeleteLying is such an alien concept to Christopher because he doesn't understand the concept behind lies. He is too overwhelmed by the consequences of not telling the truth to ever be able to lie. Characters in the novel find lies to be indispenable because they understand the degree of truth behind everything said and they understand how word play in similes and metaphors are just a way people speak. Christopher doesn't understand similes and metaphors and considers them to be lies due to the fact that their literal meaning makes no sense. The idea of truth is essential to the narration because the book portrays the true, heartfelt, and literal feeelings and emotions of Christopher. In Christopher's quest to find who had killed Wellington, the matter of truth and who speaks the truth will make a big difference in the outcome of his search.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said. Christopher has a hard time reading feelings and emotions, which makes lies so much more confusing for him. Because he takes things so literally it's hard for him to understand metaphors too.
DeleteI agree with your idea that Christopher doesn't understand the concept of lies. He sees everything in literal truths, so not telling the truth would be overwhelming.
DeleteI agree with what you wrote. He doesn't understand it and will start to freak out from all the things that didn't happen when he lied. He also is very logical and literal and doesn't understand when he tries to picture things. Nice answer!
DeleteThe author describes lying as "alien because he can't tell when someone is truthful when they speak. in Also because when people around him use metaphors he hates it because he thinks everything in life should be spoken literally. An example from context is " I laughed my socks off". Now in Christopher's shoes he would think that the person described in this metaphor was actually laughing so hard that for some curios reason his socks came off. But a person without autism would now that it is just a exaggeration.
ReplyDeleteThe author describes lying as "alien because he can't tell when someone is truthful when they speak. Also because when people around him use metaphors he hates it because he thinks everything in life should be spoken literally. An example from context is " I laughed my socks off". Now in Christopher's shoes he would think that the person described in this metaphor was actually laughing so hard that for some curios reason his socks came off. But a person without autism would now that it is just a exaggeration.
Deleteread the comment
DeleteChristopher is so opposed to lying because coming up with a lie causes him to think about all the other infinite possibilities of what could have happened, which causes him to freeze up and feel scared. It is so central to the story for two main reasons. The first being that it eliminates the possibility of the untrustworthy narrator because he can't lie, and secondly it avoids conflicts in the storytelling itself, so that he doesn't have to prove his innocence if he is ever accused.
ReplyDeleteI agree that knowing that Christopher can't lie "eliminates the possibility of the untrustworthy narrator."
DeleteI definitely agree with the fact that it prevents further conflict in the plot, because if he is accused you know he is innocent. Because he cannot lie.
DeleteI agree with you, Matt,that it gives you confidence in that whatever is said by Christopher is true and that the reader knows that Christopher is innocent.
DeleteI agree with all you have said, especially towards the topic of Christopher's manifestation of infinite realities, you have made some good points.
DeleteChristopher finds people confusing. He has a hard time reading and conveying emotions. He thinks that metaphors are the same as lying, because they are about things that didn't really happen. He can't picture things like an apple really being in someone's eye. However even Christopher's own name is a metaphor. When Christopher tries to lie, he thinks about something that didn't really happen and that causes a him to just keep thinking about more things that didn't really happen like a chain reaction. Christopher doesn't like novels because they are things that didn't really happen. "Noraml" human beings don't have as much of a problem with lying, probably because they don't take things as literally as Christopher does.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you included the apple example and I agree with your ideas about his literal analysis of things. Good job!
DeleteI thought your answer was superr good and i liked how you said it was a chain reaction, and the thing about the apple
DeleteChristopher finds lies and metaphors so "alien" because of his autism. The narrator always takes things literally, which is what metaphors and lies are trying not to do. He struggles to fing communication with normal people. He belives that everything should be the truth, not lies. The narrator does not understand methphors and lies, since he believes that everything should be taken literally and everything must be truthful. The other characters, that do not have austism, use lies and metaphors beacuse they do not take everything literally. Truth is central to Christophers's narration because he belives in the truth, not like the other characters in the novel.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the fact that he takes things literally. Nice job.
DeleteChristopher does not believe in lying. He explains that it is not because he is a good person but because he simply cannot tell lies. He finds lies scary and he considers metaphors lies because they confuse him and do not make any sense. You have to get inside Chirstopher's head and try and think the way he does as opposed to the way a normal person would think. Christopher is autistic so he sees and processes things differently than a normal character in the book. For example, when someone says "they are the apple in their eye" Chirstopher believes this doesn't make any sense. He cannot picture an actual apple being in a person's eye and doesn't understand why someone would say something like this. This is why he considers a metaphor a lie. However he does not consider similies a lie because they are true. When Christopher describes the police officers nose hair as two little furry mice sticking out of his nose, he is not lying because if there were actually little mice sticking out of his nose that is what it would look like so it is the truth. Christopher cannot lie because it scares him. He likes things to be in perfect order and only one thing can happen at a place at one time. That is because it is logical and that is how he thinks. If he were to say something happened that didn't actually happen, he starts thinking of all the other infinite things that could have also occured. Thinking of too many things at once scares him and makes his head hurt so therefore he cannot lie. Normal characters in the book see lying as a tool to be used to get through life, unlike Christopher. He believes novels are lies because they did not actually happen in real life. So that is why his book is all truth of things that really did happen because the truth is what he believes in because that is how his mind works.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely. Especially how he doesn't understand metaphors, but can understand how similies are true, your example of the furry mice shows this. Good job!
DeleteChristopher finds lying an alien concept because everything in his world is literal. Similes and metaphors confuse him because of this; for example, if someone said "The cannon was a boom of thunder," he would take it exactly like the person said it, and not as figurative language. Because of this, if a metaphor is used, Christopher sees it as a lie. Interpreting everything literally means that Christopher sees these two concepts as parallels.
ReplyDeleteLying is alien to Christopher because he takes everything literaly and lying makes him think of all the other infinite scenarios of what could have happened, which causes him to get scared and freeze up. It is so central to the story because it makes him completely trustworthy. Everyone else find lying so easy because it helps get them what they want or protect themselves and others when the truth is hardto know.
ReplyDeleteliterally
Deletehard to
i agree with you kevin, he doesnt process thingsthat arent proven logically.
DeleteTo Christopher, lying is an alien concept because he doesn't understand the reasoning and thought process behind it. Since he is such a logical thinker, things such as metaphors confuse him because they do not are not literal, and therefore it is a hard concept for him to grasp. When things like, "I laughed my socks off", are said he believes they are lies because you can not literally laugh your socks off. To a person without autism this would just mean you laughed very hard. Adults in this book find lies indispensible due to their understanding of them. Since Christopher does not understand the purpose of lies he can not disregard them or get them like a normal person. Lastly, his idea of truth is central to the narration because it helps the reader understand Christopher's thinking and the reasons why he does and says certain things.
ReplyDeleteLying is "alien" to Christopher because he takes metaphors literally. If you said, "It's raining cats and dogs," he would expect cats and dogs to literally fall from the sky. When someone lies, the liar would say something that did not actually happen at a specific time and place but when Christopher thinks about the things that didn't happen, he starts to think of the infinite amount of other possibilities of things that didn't happen at that particular time and place. He only sees the world as factual. This is also why he does not lie.
ReplyDelete"Normal" human beings find lies so indispensable because they use them as a way to solve their problems.
I think that makes perfect sense, because he isn't "normal" he considers lying unreasonable. Well done.
DeleteI agree with your answer and think it is well thought out response.
DeleteChristopher doesn't like lying. He doesn't like lying because of the fact that he cant tell lies. Also, another reason he doesnt like lying is because he doesnt understand the reasoning behind lies. As said in the book, Christopher is a logical thinker and processes things in a logical way. Since lying isnt logically proven, he doesnt understand them.
ReplyDeletewell said, and i agree with you.
DeleteLying is such an alien concept to him because he "can't tell lies." If he lies, he will start thinking about all the other things that didn't happen at that time and place and will become shaky and scared. His mind is also very logical to where he thinks metaphors are lies because he can't understand them. He will take them literally and will be confused: "And when I try and make a picture of the phrase in my head it just confuses me..." Basically, Christopher says,"I do not tell lies."
ReplyDeleteThe other characters are "normal" so they don't care as much about lying. We don't think it's that big of a deal since our minds work differently than Christopher's. He is so logical and literal whereas we understand metaphors and expressions because we don't take them literally. If we say we "hit the hay," we understand that we took a nap or slept. But Christopher might think we physically hit the hay because he forms the images in his mind and takes them seriously. Therefore, we don't have as much a problem with lying because sometimes a little lie is necessary for us to get something we want. Then, we sometimes won't hesitate to lie unlike Christopher do "can't tell lies."
The truth is central to his narration because since he can't tell lies, he will only tell the truth. So we know this is an honest story with a very trustworthy narrator. Also, he dislikes "proper novels" because "they are lies about things which didn't happen and they make my feel shaky and scared." Therefore, everything written will be true because Christopher insists that he cannot tell lies.
I agree wiht your answer. Also, "hit the hay" is a good example!
DeleteI completely agree and I wish I thought of "hit the hay". I had to use "Crocodile Tears".xD Great job!
DeleteTo Christopher, lying is an alien concept because he does not and cannot tell lies. It is a subject he cannot comprehend, he cannot understand why someone would lie and how they would do it. With metaphors, he sees them as straight lies. If he were to be told,"your eye is a glimmering diamond sparkling in the moonlight," he would think you're crazy. He would immediately think you are only lying when in reality you are complementing him. Other people can throw lies out of their mouth so easily because it is not a big deal to them, and with metaphors, they can see them metaphorically. Someone with Asperger's would not be able to comprehend it because in their world, everything is literal, it is unlike the norm.
ReplyDeleteI don't really agree with your answer. It is not really that Christopher cannot comprehend lies and figurative devices, it is that he comprehends them for their literal meaning. He doesn't understand why people would tell lies if they had seen what really happened.
DeleteChristopher finds lying such an alien concept because he cannot lie himself. When he lies he feels shaky and scared so he tells the truth about everything. This is the way his brain functions since he has autism. Christopher takes everything to a literal extent. When someone says, "He was the apple of her eye" Christopher doesn't process that this is just a metaphor and not an actual statement. He tries to think everything through to get complete answers and when someone says a metaphor it makes him think about all other things that didn't happen. Christopher's definition of lying is saying something happened when it didn't happen. "Normal" people can lie easily because they know what they mean by it, but someone who is not "normal" can't do this because they take everything so literal. Christopher's idea of truth is central to the narration because the reader automatically knows that the whole story will be based off of the truth because he cannot lie.
ReplyDeleteI like how you mentioned "normal" people, and the fact that he thinks a certain way because of his autism. Your support made your answer 100x better.
DeleteLying is such an alien concept to Christopher because he is so logical. Christopher thinks that everything that is said by anyone is the truth and it is how the person meant to say it. Not only does he not understand lying and metaphors, he also does not understand sarcasm due to the same reasons.
ReplyDeleteWhat you said about how he doesn't understand sarcasm for the same reasons is a good point! Nice answer
DeleteChristopher thinks on a linear level. This develops a fine line between the truth and lies that people tell. The truth exists inside the line; where Christopher thinks. And the lies and complicated truth lie outside that line. Christopher is free to observe, interact, and analyze inside that boundary, but the outside confuses him. That’s why he stays away from it. Christopher sees the world for its literal meaning, while the rest of the characters in this book see the world for their own interpretation of this literal meaning. So when Christopher hears someone speak figuratively he understands the literal meaning of what was said. So when someone says, “I laughed my socks off.” Christopher understands that the individual that said that laughed and their socks came off. This offers a great deal of confusion to Christopher because when he discovers that their socks didn’t actually come off, he takes it as a lie. The adults in this book use lies so indispensably because they come naturally to them. Stretch the truth enough and a lie develops purely accidental. Christopher cannot say these lies because he sees the truth for what it is, so there is nothing but the truth for him to say.
ReplyDeleteThis is very true because Christopher specifically says this in the book. This is a very well thought out answer.
DeleteWell said.
DeleteChristopher does not like to tell lies because they are alien to him. He is very logical and believes that lies are not logical. He also finds metaphors confusing because they say one thing but mean something completely different. To avoid trouble most people will just tell a lie. Since Christopher doesn't like to lie he tells "white lies", in which he tells the truth but does not give the full story.
ReplyDeleteI love that you brought up how Christopher tells "white lies," as I too did, but it contradicts the rest of what you have said.
DeleteTo Christopher, lying both is and isn’t an alien concept. He says “I do not tell lies. Mother used to say that this was because I was a good person. But it is not because I am a good person. It is because I can’t tell lies.”
ReplyDeleteChristopher does not like metaphors because they are lies, and therefore, he doesn’t understand them. Because of autism impaired logic, the metaphor “I had a long day” does not make sense because every day is 24 hours long; it can’t be shorter or longer.
On the contrary, Christopher has no trouble telling white lies to keep himself from getting into trouble. For example, after coming home from talking to Mrs. Alexander about his mother’s secret affair, his father asked him why he was gone for so long. He said, ‘I talked to Mrs. Alexander’s dog outside the shop. And I stroked him and he sniffed my trousers’ which was a white lie. Though what he told his father was true, it wasn’t the full truth. He not only pet the dog, but also learned about his mother.
Lying is such an alien concept to Christopher because he can only think in a straightforward, black and white way. His autism makes it hard for him to understand metaphors, determine someone's mood, and lie. All of this is connected to a level abstract thinking which Christopher lacks the ability to do. When you say something "is" or "was", then it "is" or "was" to Christopher too. So by using a metaphor like "He was the apple of her eye", Christopher determines that he really was the apple of her eye, yet he has no idea how a person could be the apple of someone's eye, or what that would even mean. This concept is too much for Christopher's brain to process or look at in an abstract sense. To Christopher, everything must have a definite, true, and sensible answer.
ReplyDeleteLies are so indispensable to people without this kind of autism because it is how we have learned to communicate. Lying has become a way to make people happy, whether its lying about the tooth fairy's existence or lying about your homework. We have learned to compensate for mistakes with lies, or things with no true answer. So in this novel, Christopher's parents created a lie that his mother had a heart attack and died, when really she did not die. Christopher's mother had an affair, and the parents separated then told Christopher she had died. They did this because Christopher would not understand how his mother could cheat. He talks about how if you vow to marriage and you say you will be faithful, you have to be. The lie was made because Christopher needs something with a definite reason.
Telling the truth is so central to Christopher's narration because he wants you to know that every event he is telling you did happen. Christopher does not like "proper novels" because they are full of lies.
I agree, we have been raised to lie in our everyday life in some cases big some small. The way you associated that he must find a reason for everything that is said is very true. Good way to answer the question Mickles.
DeleteWait..the tooth fairy isn't real?!?!?
Christopher believes that if it is not exact or does not make sense it is a lie. He takes everything literally so the use of a hyperbole, metaphor, or simile is just downright confusing. If he was told something like "Her eyes were like diamonds" he would analyze it as her eyes were an actual form of diamonds. He would see this as lying since her eyes are not made up of actual diamonds. People are taught to lie in this way from a very early age. Maybe it is for various reasons like wanting to surprise someone, staying out of trouble, or in the case of creative writing to enhance their writing. Christopher cannot sense feeling so he could never tell if people are mad at him so their would be no point in trying to stay out of trouble. Surprising someone would have no value to him since he would never be able to tell if they were actually surprised since he cannot tell emotions. Then for writing he is mostly interested in science and math which are straight forward and can generally have a direct answer (except with some theories in science)so using writing enhancers would be of no value to him. He cannot imagine anything either so if he were to try to tell a lie, he couldn't come up with something either since it didn't actually happen. He likes order, lying would not fall under this so he likes to keep things true.
ReplyDelete“I find people confusing.” Christopher has a hard time reading emotions, as well as interpreting what someone means when they speak to him—especially when using metaphors. He considers metaphors to be lies. “And when I try and make a picture of the phrase in my head it just confuses me because imagining an apple in someone’s eye doesn’t have anything to do with liking someone a lot and it makes you forget what the person was talking about.”
ReplyDeleteTo “normal” people, lies are a normal thing that you run into every day, making them easier to understand. But Christopher does not understand lies because he can’t tell them. He can’t process what lies are. “A lie is when you say something happened which didn’t happen. But here is only ever one thing which happened at a particular time and a particular place. And there are an infinite number of things which didn’t happen at that time and that place. And If I think about something which didn’t happen I start thinking about all the other things which didn’t happen.”
I agree with what you are saying. Christopher is incapable of understanding lies,and that is why he doesn't lie. Also, I like your use of textual support to contribute to your position. Well done!
DeleteChristopher doesn't understand lying because there are millions of things that you could say, but only one is the truth. When he thinks of telling a lie, he thinks of everything that isn't true. It's just like the way he sees metaphors, he doesn't understand them because its like saying something that isn't true. The way he thinks of everything is like a binder, neat and organized.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what you said! And how he thinks of every other possibility that wasnt true when he is trying to think of his lie.
DeleteI really agree with you Brice rice... I couldnt have said it any better
DeleteLying is an alien concept to Christopher because he is only capable of thinking in a linear and logical fashion due to the form of autism that he has. He takes everything he hears literally, and things like metaphors and lies aren't necessarily literal. If they are not literal, he cannot understand them because they are illogical and confusing. For instance, Christopher cannot understand the metaphor "they had a skeleton in the cupboard" because they don't actually have a skeleton in the cupboard, and he can only comprehend the literal meaning of phrases.
ReplyDelete"Normal" human beings find lies so indispensable because they are a part of human nature and our society. They are so widely used and accepted to a certain point that they help define who we are as a people. Normal people, however, can understand lies and use them effectively, while Christopher struggles with the concept of lying.
The idea of truth is central to Christopher's narration because it is the only thing he is capable of doing and using. He cannot understand lies, and certainly cannot apply them properly, so he stays with what he knows and comprehends, which is the truth. Lying is so very foreign and scary to him, while the truth is familiar and safe.
To Christopher, lying is such an alien concept because he cannot find truth in what people say. Due to his autism, he cannot pick out what is fact from what is a lie. So when people do lie, he takes it literally because he doesn't understand sarcasm, or metaphors. Normal people find this so indispensable because we know what goes on behind lies. We can understand why people lie or exaggerated the truth. He doesn't understand the need for lies because he also doesn't understand the social aspect of people. People sometimes lie to get attention, or to avoid hurting another person but he does not understand those concepts. Therefore, he finds no reason to tell anything but the truth. This idea is so central to his narration because then you know he is telling everything that is true. And everything that he knows so he does not lie. This also could help people understand that he is very literal while reading the book. So some things he could interpret completely differently from the way people meant them to be.
ReplyDeleteChristopher doesn't understand lying because when he lies he thinks of every single possiblity of the what he could say in his lie. But he later states that he understands and even uses "white lies". "White lies" are not really a lie, Christopher explains them to be just leaving out the entire story. For example, if his dad were to ask him, "What do you want to do?" he wouldn't say, "Well, I want to drive to the store, and I want to eat, and go the bathroom, and then go to bed."
ReplyDeleteChristopher's view on metaphors is very similar to lies. He truly doesn't understand them. For example, "I laughed my socks off." Christopher doesn't understand that the person didn't litteraly laugh until their socks came off. He just takes the things people say very litteraly and without reading into the way the say it or their facial expressions.
He doesnt like lying because he is a very serious person. its alien to him because he is literal and he never does it. metaphors are confusing to him because he thinks what the person says is actually true. he thinks lies for "normal" humans are so indispensable because there is only one certain event that happens at one time, but infinate events that didnt happen at that one specefic time.
ReplyDeleteWell,lying is an alien thing to Christopher because they are saying things that never happened, and lies are--and can be--made about a whole bunch of chains of things that didn't happen. "This is another reason why I don't like proper novels, because they are lies about thing which didn't happen and they make me feel shaky and scared. And this is why everything i have written here is true." [pg 19-20] Also, Christopher cannot understand metaphors because they describe something by using a word for something that it isn't. This, too, is what Christopher considers lying.
ReplyDelete"Normal" humans find lies indispensable because they understand what they are and how to use them. Humans use them in their conversations, and they try to attempt to "change things" to their convenience. Lies seem to make their lives "easier", as long as they're not caught. Like it is said in the quote from the book, Christopher doesn't like lies in proper novels because they make him feel scared and shaky, so he only uses truth in his writings.
Christopher finds lying as an alien concept because he thinks very logically and mathmatically and numbers dont lie, they always end up in the corect answer if you do the problem right. So he just doesnt understand lying and he doesnt get metaphos either. A metaphor is kind of like a lie to. If someone told him that they froze their fingers off he would actually expect that person not to have fingers anymore. He thinks its so much easier to tell the truth because he has aspergers. Normal people in this story lie because it makes it smipiar for them. Christopher's dad never told him that his mom had an affair with the neighbor because it was easier to say that than to tell him the whole story.
ReplyDeleteHumans who are autistic cannot fully wrap there hands around the concept of lieing. There minds cannot fully comprehend the idea of it. He cant understand the ideas of metaphors either. " i laughed my socks off" this is an example of his weakness of understanding. When people speak to cristopher he understands. Entally what they are actually saying... So he takes what they say litteral and very serious. Thats also why he cant understand jokes too.
ReplyDeleteI think the idea of lying is so alien to Christopher because he has no idea why people would do it. Sometimes, people lie to save someone else from being hurt. Christopher on the other hand, has no idea what would hurt someone's feeling and why they would be hurt by it. Like when his mother died, he reasoned that he shouldn't be sad, because she was dead. Him being sad doesn't matter and is irrational. Also, he can't understand metaphors and similes because they compare things that don't make sense, for instance, "crocodile tears" doesn't make sense to him because tears and crocodiles have nothing incommon at all.
ReplyDeleteChristopher, having Autism, does not fully understand emotion, therefore he can not fully understand things such as jokes, metaphors, play on words (puns), or lies, simply because of his direct way of thinking. He understands nothing besides logical assumptions of what he is told, and literally cannot understand the concept of a lie, metaphor, etc.. Christopher sees lying as stating an action or event occurred, when said thing did not occur, and is in fact, breaking his whole way of thinking. For example, if I was to say "Christopher can not wrap his mind around the concept of lying." he would literally interpret that as me saying that he cannot wrap his brain (or consciousness, whichever definition of "mind" you prefer) around "lying" and would interpret the whole statement as illogical, and he has reason to, seeing as how from that point of view my saying would be illogical. So when Christopher tries to tell a lie, he imagines his lie as if it was truth, experiencing multiple realities at one point in time, which would drive any human being to insanity. As for the other "normal" humans, they find lying to be indispensable due to their understanding of the concept of lying, along with pure human nature and the "fight or flight" concept, which Christopher does not fully posses to his way of thinking. The humans such as Christopher's parents are able to lie, and do it so often, because they do not experience the same struggle as Christopher, and find it much easier to lie then tell the truth (which it is for the present moment, yet in the long run it will ultimately backfire on us).
ReplyDeleteThe stated principle of truth Christopher possess allows the audience to fully understand his thought process and logical way of thinking starting very early on in the novel, and becomes a major part of who he is, and how he thinks.
*due to his
DeleteLying is alien to Christopher because when someone lies, he thinks they are telling the truth and when he tries to lie himself, he gets confused with thousands of other possible scenarios and goes brain dead. "Normal" people find it necessary to lie because it is a way to protect each other from the truth and also gets yourself out of trouble sometimes. The idea of truth is central to the narration because the reader know whatever Christopher says is true and you know what he is thinking throughout the whole story.
ReplyDeleteI could not agree more. Username PaulS7, I agree with you completely. In fact, I would go as far as to say that you are a part of my mind. He is a very confused individual and lying is what is over the top for him. The added confusion is not needed for Christopher.
DeleteI agree with people thinking it is necessary to lie to protect each other from the truth.
DeleteChristopher does not like lying due to the fact that he likes things that are straightforward. He said he likes dogs because they are easy to figure out. He also pointed out that they had four, easy to read emotions. Happy, sad, cross, and concentrating. Lying is not straightforward and can have multiple meaning behind words. He is a very literal person, and therefore lying is not something he would like to pursue. Lying is like another language to Christopher. Adults use it so he will not understand conversations. To conclude, Christopher is autistic and does not enjoy lying.
ReplyDeleteLying to Christopher is an alien concept to him because he doesn't fully understand lying. With the metaphors he doesn't understand feelings, "I got Siobhan to draw lots of these faces and then write down next to them exactly what they meant.", which is usually being compared in a metaphor. "I laughed my socks off". "Normal" people find lies necessary because they do it on a daily basis and are used to using them.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely and good points from the text
DeleteLying is alien to Christopher because he believes any statement that does not have any truth in it is a lie. He takes metaphors very literally, and because metaphors compare without using the words "like" or "as" to clarify that it should notbbe taken literally, Christopher considers it to be lying. Because the narrator is so literal and straight-forward, he doesn't believe in lying at all, and therefore considers it alien. In addition to this, he wouldn't lie for the sake of other people because he doesn't understand that his honesty could hurt their feelings, seeing as he doesn't understand emotions very well at all.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more Hannah! Christopher is extremely simple--in fact, he's so much simpler than everyone else that it over complicates things. He's either completely left or completely right and he may hurt someone because of it, even though he doesn't intend to and is just stating what he thinks.
DeleteThe average person lies three times per ten minutes of conversation. Why? Why not? Lying is convenient, gets us out of tough situations, and what's the harm? For many, lying is second nature to us, just another communication habit, like saying hello or thank you. Why is it that Christopher does not lie? He answers that himself on page 19, "it is not because I am a good person. It is because I can't tell lies ... And there are an infinite number of things which didn't happen at that time and that place. And if I start thinking about something which didn't happen I start thinking about all the other things which didn't happen. ... even writing this makes me feel shaky and scared." So his resistance to lying is not because he is obliged to tell the truth, or even that he dislikes lying. For Christopher, it is simply a near impossible behavior. In fact, he also finds it confusing that people do not tell the whole truth (page 14-15). This perspective is illustrated in chapter 157, which gives an account of the impact his father's lie had on Christopher's life.
ReplyDeleteThere is not a person on earth who can truthfully say they have never lied. Why do we feel that it is necessary to lie? As I said before, it is second nature. Most lies have little or no consequence, so inconsequential that even the ones who speak them do not notice them. People feel that lying is better than raw truth, especially when that truth can have a negative effect on themselves. It is our nature to protect ourselves in situations where truth gives us an undesired outcome, so a persuasive lie is instinct.
The idea of truth is simple and easy to understand and interpret. It is central, because it gives us and idea of how Christopher and those like him think. He presents this book as a wholly and totally true account of events in his life, and tells us how he lives and adjusts to life with autism using this concept, presenting us the facts and letting us interpret them to understand his life.
Lying is an alien concept to Christopher because he doesn’t understand how to lie. Metaphors are the same as lies in his mind. He takes it very literal and doesn’t understand why is it so not the normal characteristics of what the metaphor is comparing or describing. He realizes it is easier to tell the truth than to lie. He plans on writing a book with the truth and nothing but the truth. Normal adults think lies are indispensible because they actually understand what a lie is and they don’t over think what it is or what it could be if you think about it differently. Adults lie to him more than they should because Christopher is easy to take advantage of because he is has autism. The truth is important to Christopher’s narration because it lets the audience have an idea of how his brain functions and thinks. It puts the readers in a more in depth relationship with the main character.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know how much writing was required, so I made it short.
Delete“I don’t like proper novels, because they are lies about things which didn’t happen and they make me feel shaky and scared.” This quote by Christopher in the book, the curious incident of the dog in the night-time, express why Christopher displays animosity towards lies; his condition prohibits him from understanding how certain things work. His dissimilar brain does not understand lies. Christopher thinks, how can something be, that isn’t? He thinks if you can rationalize one thing that didn’t happen, there are an infinite number of things that didn’t happen. His condition forbids things like infinity, striving for a clear cut answer to every question. Christopher continuously tells, “White Lies”; something that actually happened, but not the whole truth. His brain can understand white lies because they are defined and give him structure.
ReplyDeleteChristopher’s parents find lies requisite because lying is a way to avoid confrontation and constant disappointment. Christopher is challenged and his mother and father just find it easier to avoid upsetting Christopher.
Due to Christopher's autism it is almost impossible for him to understand lying completely. He Prefers to have things straightforward so that they are simple to understand. This is evident in what he said about how he likes dogs because they are simple to understand and don't have many emotions that are difficult for him to decipher. Christopher believes metaphors are the same as lies because he takes them literally as opposed to the way that we view as a comparison of two objects. Adults believe that lies are indispensable because they understand lies. For Christopher lies completely break the way he thinks, so naturally he has a disposition that he is against lying. The idea of truth is so central to his life because without it he would be lost.
ReplyDeleteChristopher is incapable of grasping the concept of lying because he simply doesn't understand how someone can say that something happened when it didn't. In Christopher's mind, nothing is fake or can be interpreted multiple ways, everything either is or it isn't--he either likes you or he hates you, he will either have a black day or a super good day judging by the kinds of cars he sees outside of his window on the way to school. The concept of lying is completely alien to him. Christopher seems to interpret lies the same way he interprets metaphors--he takes them literally and over-analyzes them. Christopher continuously says white lies, even thought he does not completely understand them, either. If one thing is possible, then there are an infinite number of things he could lie about. "You say, 'I want to do painting with Mrs. Peters,' but you don't say, 'I want to have my lunch and I want to go to the toilet and I want to go home after school and I want to play with Toby and I want to have my supper and I want to play on my computer and I want to go to bed.'"
ReplyDeleteThe adults involved in Christopher's life, like his parents and Mrs. Shears, find lies indispensable because they use them as barriers to hide secrets or insecurities. Adults see lies as ways to make things more convenient for themselves, from saving time to avoiding confrontation. These lies tend to backfire on adults, but they continue to use them. Adults use lies the same way a child uses a favorite blanket--they are always using them, they think they need them as a security device, but, in reality, they are better of without them.
Truth is a propelling element of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Christopher's desire to find the truth and only use the truth helps him in his journey to find the murderer of Wellington. Truth is also a central element of Christopher's character; it helps the reader to connect with him and allows you to understand his thoughts and actions throughout the course of events.
Christopher doesn't understand lying because he thinks mathematically. Numbers don't have emotions and you don't have to be able to understand their feelings. With people, everything is different. Lies can have many different meanings, and Christopher takes everything literally. This is why metaphors are difficult for him to understand. With Christopher's autism, it is hard for him to understand when somebody is lying, joking, or using a metaphor. He can't tell that they aren't telling the truth. That is why Christopher never tells lies and always comes forward with the truth.
ReplyDeleteLying is such a "alein" concept to christopher because he only thinks of things in a logical way and sees everything in the world as factual. When someone lies Christopher thinks of every other situation that could have happend. Christopher cant lie because he only belives in truth.
ReplyDeleteNormal humans find lies indespensibe because it is an easy way avoid bad situations.
Due to his autism Christopher is completley incapable to understand lies and the concept of lying. The biggest reason for this is that Christopher takes everything for its litteral meaning. In the book it says that he hates metaphors because they completely confuse him by saying one thing is another but likes similes because they're comparisons that are litteral and straightforward. Life and communication must be extremely difficult for Christopher since most things said are exaggerations metaphors or lies
ReplyDeleteChristopher has autism and with his condition he can not understand the difference in metaphors and the truth. With his thought process metaphors are considered lying and confuse him such as "I laughed my socks off."
ReplyDeleteNormal humans find lies so indispensable because it comes naturally to us and it can be the easiest way to get away and solve some confrontations and problems that they face.
I agree with your answer completely Paxton.
DeleteYou are a great student with a great post! You displayed great intelligence when you said that lies are natural to normal people (: Good job, Paxton! :)
DeleteLying is such an alien concept to him because he does not understand them, due to his autism. Christopher thinks too literal or straight forward, so he takes the literal meaning so if you said, "I flipped out" he would think that you literally flipped out. The "normal" human beings in the story find lies to be indispensable because they do not care about them if they are "small" lies, because they do not hurt anyone. But they also believe that they are just exaggerations or a natural skill that comes to most people.
ReplyDeleteLying is such an alien concept to Christopher because he has no understanding of the different levels of the truth. His mind comprehends statements as either exactly correct or false. One of the greatest language challenges Christopher encounters are metaphors. Unlike those without autism, he takes the sayings literally and it frustrates him when he cannot find the logic behind them. He makes his opinion on metaphors quite clear on page 15, “I think it should be called a lie because a pig is not like a day and people do not have skeletons in their cupboards.” Referring to the commonly used phrases “we had a real pig of a day” and “they had a skeleton in the cupboard”, this explanation, Christopher reveals his lack of perception.
ReplyDeleteIn his antipathy to lies, Christopher resolves to write a book in which, “everything I have written… is true.” Other characters in the story do not agree with this point of view for they identify lies as indispensable and essential even. This is because, contrary to Christopher’s mind, their mentality can comprehend what a lie is.
It is this absence of understanding that marks the idea of truth to be so central to his narration. As well as the fact that it gives the reader, who probably is not autistic and recognizes the concept of lying, an insight to Christopher’s thoughts, behaviors, and degree of common sense. Understanding Christopher better from the beginning will also allow the reader to grasp a better idea of why Christopher doesn’t understand certain things we find simple, or why he acts a specific way throughout the story.
"The word metaphor means carrying something from one place to another, and it comes from the Greek words Meta (which means from one place to another) and Oepeiv (which means to carry), and it is when you describe something by using a word for something that it isn't. This means that the word metaphor is a metaphor. I think it should be called a lie because...when I try and make a picture of the phrase it my head it just confuses me...and it makes you forget what the person was talking about. Lying is such an alien concept for Christopher because he doesn't understand lies or metaphors. He thinks of everything very literally, so for someone to say "You're the apple of my eye" doesn't make sense to him because "an apple in someone's eye doesn't have anything to do with liking someone a lot". People that do not have what Christopher has seem to lie a lot. We lie on a daily bases on little things and we don't even think about it. Christopher doesn't lie because he can't figure out how to. He's so smart and literal that it just confuses him.
ReplyDeleteI think the concept of lying is alien to Christopher because he sees things language and common sense in black and white. His autism doesn't allow him understand human emotion, so most things people say are confusing to him. Most people with autism are incredibly gifted. They have the same amount of intelligence as people without autism, but their intelligence is located in different areas of the brain. For example, Christopher's ability to do math comes easier to him than other people, which means the intelligence from the left core lobe of the brain has shifted the the central frontal lobe cortex of the brain. Because he is so gifted in math and school, he's is not so gifted in understanding human emotion. some researchers say that people with low functioning autistism because they are so incredibly gifted in the part of the brain which controls sensory actions, that everything becomes too much. There is too much stimulation because that part of their brain is so smart, where as other people are not as smart in that area so it is bearable. Imagine having everything be too loud, to the point where it hurts your ears when someone talks. Imagine noticing every single detail. You would just get so overwhelmed, and you would not know what to do. If researchers and scientists found out a way to evenly balance intelligence in the brain, there would be no autism. Christopher doesn't understand metaphors and jokes because they are literal, and require imagination, which Christopher lacks.
ReplyDelete