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What Is The Theme Of We Were Liars

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Recommended: Representation of family in literature

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

The prettiest faces hide the darkest secrets
A perfect family. A house. A rebellion. A disaster. A secret. In summer fifteen, something happened and no one will tell me what. The firstborns of all the daughters, Johnny, Cadence, Mirren, and the outsider, Gat. Bonding immediately, the foursome immediately dubbed themselves The Liars. Cadence Sinclair Eastman, a vital part of the Sinclair family and the eldest grandchild carried the weight of the legacy on her shoulders. The picture-perfect, crazy wealthy, golden family everyone and everything envied. But something dreadful happened, happened to the Liars, or because of them. After the incident, the glistening and beautiful past the Sinclairs once had could never …show more content…

Summer Seventeen, aunts and uncle warmly embrace her, but shield her away from the truth of Summer Fifteen. Greeting her Liars, she stays close to them and cozies up in their safe haven. However, her mind begins to slowly piece itself back together, slowly and painfully revealing secrets that should've remained hidden. With a broken head and a broken family, Cadence must figure out the deadly secret of the Sinclair family, before she goes insane.

“We are liars. We are beautiful and privileged. We are cracked and broken" (Lockhart 37).
Foreshadowing the theme and plot of the book, the significance of this quote expresses the mood and tone of the book with 13 words, an unlucky number. Furthermore, the "are" displays that the beginning of the book starts before whatever incident happens later because the title has "were" not "are." Additionally, the quote states how the "we" have grown up in a life of luxury and prestigiousness, and how the upbringing has cracked them into pieces. Moreover, We are liars" displays that secrets become the entire centerpiece of the table as the climax becomes closer and …show more content…

Additionally, as mentioned, if something tragic happened to the house, it could symbolize the end of the mask of perfection donned by the Sinclair family. And along with it, the pressure to appear perfect. Moreover, another example of symbolism throughout the story becomes displayed by the family dogs inhabiting the island as well. As an integral part of the protagonists' lives, the dogs show companionship and caring towards the teenagers, taking the place of parents that never showed. Additionally, one last example of symbolism evident in the novel acts as Cuddletown, another house. Instead of symbolizing the past like Clairmont did, Cuddletown symbolizes the present. The Liars began bonding in Cuddletown, therefore, claiming the house as their own hideout to stay away from the family. Spending the majority of time there, the Liars return there any time they crave each other. And, almost like telepathy, each Liar knows when another needs them and rushes over to comfort each

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