Homeless Bird Lies and Deceit Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

Stubbornly I shook my head. I would not give up the earrings. As long as I had them, I could keep my dream of running away. I knew that if I simply refused, Sass would find a way to make me give them up. So I lied. "I have lost them," I said. (5.14)

The Mehtas aren't the only ones who lie. Koly does her fair share of tongue wagging when it comes to her mother-in-law. We should point out that she's trying to protect her special family heirloom (her mom's silver earrings), but she's still lying. So maybe not all lies are created equal?

Quote #5

I was very angry, but not so angry that I would ruin Chandra's happiness. I shook my head. I did not blame Chandra for taking what was rightfully mine, but I knew I would not have done the same to her. I was more determined than ever to keep the silver earrings. They would buy me a railway ticket. (5.20)

Chandra is scared when Koly learns the truth about how her parents are paying for her dowry since Koly has the power to take her pension back. Even though Koly is friends with Chandra, her sis still deceives her here, taking money away for her wedding that is rightfully Koly's. We could argue that Mrs. Mehta is behind the whole thing (cuz she is), but Chandra still goes along with it.

Quote #6

And then she added, with the same sly smile I had seen so much lately, "I have a treat for you. We will stop at Vrindavan on our way to Delhi. It is a holy city with a great many temples. It would be well for us to make a pilgrimage before beginning our new lives." (7.25)

Plotting getting rid of her, Mrs. Mehta tells a bold lie to Koly about her plans. Notice that she has a "sly smile"while doing this—it suggests that Mrs. Mehta doesn't care about deceiving Koly and potentially ruining her life. Tsk tsk, Mrs. M.