We Were Liars Symbolism

We Were Liars

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

The mystery young adult novel, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, follows the story of Cadence Sinclair, as well as her wealthy family. Every year, the family spends the summer on Beechwood, a private island, where everyone relaxes, swims, and enjoys each other's company. Cadence truly treasured these summers and loved sharing experiences with Johnny, Mirren, and Gat, which remain as her cousins. However, after a mysterious accident two years ago on summer fifteen, Cadence starts to experience amnesia and struggles to remember what happened.

Later, when Cadence finally returns to the island for another summer, Cadence attempts to figure out what exactly happens and the secrets the family hides. While

Although the story starts happy and joyful, the characters later realize the feeling of misery with events turning into dark twists. Cadence struggles throughout the book, uncovering lies about her seemingly "perfect" family. Additionally, Beechwood island sets up a suspenseful mood due to the rivalry and tough matters between the family, as well as the reason for all of the secrets and conflict.

Symbolism: The island appears as a symbol in the novel. The island represents isolation between the families, caused by the conflict and secrets. Moreover, the book correlates with the term "liars" demonstrating the deceptions and lies revolving around the family. Lastly, the use of fairy tales and myths referenced in the book contributes to symbolism of the struggle faced by each of the characters.

Theme: One of the most significant themes of this book focuses on the powerful impact of deception. Every lie and secret kept in the novel ultimately leads to the end with destruction, heartbreak, and tragedy. For example, after Cadence figures out the secrets of the family, Cadence's inability to take the stress of the elders fighting over inheritance decides to take matters into her own hands, causing destruction at Beechwood. Furthermore, We Were Liars teaches an important themae of greed turning people astray. For reference, the destruction of Beechwood resulted due to everyone fighting for claims on money and property which also destroyed

The story, filled with mystery and suspense, contains well-developed characters and an engaging plot. However, some parts of the story seem confusing and take thought in order to figure out the connection. The writing style shapes the story to become poetic and adds more suspense while also appearing somewhat distracting. Additionally, the island setting along with the use of various themes like greed, love, and loss adds depth to the story. Overall, this book appears highly recommended and a fantastic read.

Quote

The quote “We are liars. We are beautiful and privileged. We are cracked and broken" illustrates how every individual struggles internally despite what appears on the outside (37). People often judge people based on their cover without truly gleaning the inside. Oftentimes, appearances deceive others by signaling assumptions about a certain individual. For instance, the four friends on the island seem advantaged, however, on the inside the cousins appear more messed up than expected. The lies and secrets eventually lead to tragedy and destruction due to the deception of appearance.

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