Lies and Deceit Quotes in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

[Stan] asked, "Where's Mr. Feeling Sick going?" I told him, "To the drugstore on Eighty-fourth to get some cough drops." Lie #3. (3.12)

Oskar not only lies, he keeps track of the number of lies he tells. It's a little self-destructive, making the lies out to be a lot worse than they actually are. But Oskar knows how much his Dad valued "the truth," so he tries to make every effort to be honest.

Quote #2

Obviously, there's no need to call me when Oskar doesn't come to his lessons, because I already know, because this was my decision. (3.39)

We can't imagine Oskar's French teacher falling for this forged letter from Oskar's mother. He's not as good at lying as he thinks he is. If only he were doing Macbeth instead of Hamlet he might understand "the lady doth protest too much."

Quote #3

I knew I could never let Mom hear the messages, because protecting her is one of my most important raisons d'être. (3.46)

We wonder if Oskar was told this by his father, that he's supposed to protect his mother. We're also uncertain if hiding his Dad's final messages from his Mom is protecting her from anything she doesn't already know.