In Paperboy, Victor learns that you can't trust everyone—and especially not Ara T. From the beginning of the novel, Mam continually warns Victor against talking to Ara T, but he doesn't listen to her. He thinks it'll be just fine to pay Ara T to sharpen his treasured yellow-handled knife. Mam turns out to be right, though, because Ara T does not give up the knife and ends up stealing it, along with all of Victor's money and precious belongings. In the end, Mam even learns that Ara T killed her brother way back in the day and lied about it. What a snake.
Questions About Lies and Deceit
- Why does Victor trust Ara T even though Mam warns him against talking to the guy? Be specific and back your argument with evidence from the book. Why does he lie to Mam about hanging around Ara T?
- Is Victor totally trustworthy? Why or why not?
- Why does Mam lie to Victor and his parents about why she's taking a few days off?
Chew on This
Mam doesn't want to tell Victor the whole story about Ara T and why he's dangerous because she doesn't want to worry him with adult problems—but in the end, telling Victor could have saved him a lot of grief and trouble.
Ara T has been lying to people his whole life, and when he lies to Victor and steals his stuff, it's the last straw for Mam. Even though it's a small deception in comparison to how he killed her brother, Mam makes him pay for all the years of lying and doing people wrong.