Skip to main content

In the book The Cay, why does the narrator tell Henrik a fib?

The narrator, Phillip, tells his friend Henrik a fib as a way of gently fighting back against his friend's slight arrogance. To be more specific, Henrik was annoying Phillip by acting like he had privileged information, so Phillip said something untrue in order to make it seem like he, too, knew a lot about what was going on.


This happens in Chapter 1, on page 12:


Henrik said, "My father told me there is nothing...

The narrator, Phillip, tells his friend Henrik a fib as a way of gently fighting back against his friend's slight arrogance. To be more specific, Henrik was annoying Phillip by acting like he had privileged information, so Phillip said something untrue in order to make it seem like he, too, knew a lot about what was going on.


This happens in Chapter 1, on page 12:



Henrik said, "My father told me there is nothing left of Aruba. They hit Sint Nicolaas, you know."


"Every lake tanker was sunk," I said. I didn't know if that were true or not, but Henrik had an irritating way of sounding official since his father was connected with the government.



Phillip's fib reveals that he's someone easily annoyed, and someone who doesn't like to be left out of the loop. The whole war seems exciting to him rather than frightening, and he's eager to know everything about which islands have been attacked, which ships have been torpedoed, and so on.


In a way, Phillip's reaction to his friend's statement shows how immature Phillip is; it shows us how he has a long way to go before he can understand why friends deserve respect, and why war should be perceived as something terrible rather than adventurous. The events of the novel will ensure that Phillip learns these lessons well.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

What gift did Della buy for Jim and why in "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry?

Della buys Jim a watch fob because his watch is his most prized possession. Della and Jim Young do not have much money. Despite this, Della really wants to buy Jim a good Christmas present. She is even willing to sell her hair to get him a nice gift. This is ironic because we learn Della and Jim both highly prize her hair. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which... Della buys Jim a watch fob because his watch is his most prized possession. Della and Jim Young do not have much money. Despite this, Della really wants to buy Jim a good Christmas present. She is even willing to sell her hair to get him a nice gift. This is ironic because we learn Della and Jim both highly prize her hair. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair.  Della is still willing to sell her hair so she can b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more