Somebody's pants are on fire because there's a whole lot of lying in Dark Water. In fact, we're hard pressed to name a single character that Pearl doesn't lie to and who doesn't deceive her, too. Sure, a lot of these are just little lies, but sooner or later, these lies build on one another and grow. By the end of the novel, Pearl is in so far over her head with lies that she doesn't even blink when rewriting the "truth" with her mom. Just like a wildfire, lies have the tendency to catch and grow in an instant.
Questions About Lies and Deceit
- Why does Pearl lie so much? Why do other characters lie? What motivates them to deceive people? Do you notice any patterns behind their motives for deception?
- Are there any lies that are helpful in Dark Water? For instance, should Pearl's mom keep pretending to not be as mad at Pearl's dad as she is?
- Is there a difference between lies that the teens tell adults and ones that adults tell the teens? Why or why not?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Pearl only lies to her mom about Amiel because she knows her mom would be super judgmental and unfair if she told her the truth.
Dark Water shows us that everyone lies to one another, and there's nothing wrong with that.