How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Me, I think maybe Aristide was just a liar, but I didn't say that to Manman—she would have been anpil upset to hear me say so, even later, when everything had gone to s*** and it was obvious to everyone Aristide was not such a great guy. (1.143)
So, if Shorty knows Aristide is a liar, but pretends he's an upstanding guy, doesn't that mean there are two liars there? Shorty knows that sometimes it's better to fudge the truth a little bit than it is to say something that could get him in trouble. Yep, we get that. Here's the catch: Don't go judging liars if you are lying to people, too.
Quote #2
Toussaint knew that many of the slaves carried with them icons of Mary to stand in for the lwa Erzili Danto. It allowed them to worship her; at the same time it let them conceal their true beliefs and pretend, in the eyes of the master, to practice a species of ignorant Christianity. (2.24)
Most religions search for truth. To Toussaint, though, they all include lies. He takes bits and pieces of one (voodoo) and some from another (Christianity) to pick and choose what he believes. He finds truth by blending traditions.
Quote #3
For a moment he grasped for the right thing to say, but just for a moment—the only thing he could possibly say was at the forefront of his mind. It was a lie, but a truthful lie. Fifty faces, maybe more, gazed at him from out of the darkness. (4.22)
What is a "truthful lie" exactly? It sounds like a paradox to us. Perhaps Toussaint is just trying to make himself feel better about lying? Or maybe he's thinking about something that is partially true but omitting that. We hate to break it to him, but if something isn't the whole truth, then it's a lie.