Summary Of The Liar By Tobias Wolff

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In Tobias Wolff's "The Liar," James' lies drive a wedge between him and his mother, but also liberate him from her control. The main character, James, and his mother have never had a strong connection. After the death of his father, James starts lying. These lies, are morbid lies about his mother. In the story the narrator states, “… she also felt like a failure. My lying had that effect on her. She took it personally. … She thought of me. She thought that she had made a mess of her family” (45). Here, James describes how his lies are affecting his mother, causing her to feel like a [failure]. All the other children in her family fit in, but James sticks out. His mother does not only feel as if she has failed the family, she feels she has failed