The three main characters of Why We Broke Up are each deceptive in their own way. Since Ed's the one who broke Min's heart, she zooms in most on his lies—thing is, though, Ed isn't a particularly skillful liar. When it comes to Annette he has a bad case of mentionitis, and there are other signs (including many from Joan) that Min can't—or won't—see. Does Min read the clues correctly and ignore them? Or is she really so blinded by love that she never sees her breakup coming? Some might say Min's an unreliable narrator, but it's also possible that she herself doesn't know whether or not she knew what was up, if you know what we mean.
Questions About Lies and Hypocrisy
- Which character is more two-faced in Why We Broke Up: Ed or Min? Explain your answer.
- Many people lie over the course of the book. What do you think is the biggest whopper? Why?
- You know from page one that Ed and Min are going to break up. But did you guess what Ed had done to end them before the scene in the flower shop? Either way, explain your line of thinking, turning to the text for support.
Chew on This
Min sees the signs that Ed is cheating on her, and she willfully ignores them.
Min doesn't know that Ed is cheating until their fight in the flower shop. Hindsight is 20/20, and she only deciphers the clues in retrospect.