38 pages 1 hour read

Gary Paulsen

Liar, Liar

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2011

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Themes

The Selfish Motives and Rationalizations for Lying

Gary Paulsen devotes a large chunk of Liar, Liar to Kevin’s excuses for lying. Kevin’s character arc happens in three phases over the course of the narrative. Initially, Kevin feels comfortable using dishonesty to get what he wants. He avoids guilt and shame by convincing himself he isn’t hurting anyone, and framing his lies as helpful to others. In the second phase, Kevin develops insight into the negative consequences of lying and the value of honesty. The third phase shows Kevin acting on his realizations and making amends. Kevin’s true motives in the first phase reflect the same reasons many people lie, and his justifications reflect another human tendency: rationalizing dishonesty to maintain a positive self-image.

Paulsen makes a clear distinction between Kevin’s desires, which are in and of themselves based on an acceptable level of self-interest, and the methods he uses to pursue those desires, which cross moral lines. Kevin wants to get rides from his older siblings, to impress a girl he likes, and to get a break from JonPaul’s frustrating obsessions. The way Kevin goes about getting what he wants—telling lies that range from disrespectful to dangerous—define his motives as selfish within the moral framework of Paulsen’s novel.

Related Titles

By Gary Paulsen

Study Guide

logo

Brian's Hunt

Gary Paulsen

Brian's Hunt

Gary Paulsen

Study Guide

logo

Brian's Return

Gary Paulsen

Brian's Return

Gary Paulsen

Study Guide

logo

Guts

Gary Paulsen

Guts: The True Stories Behind Hatchet and the Brian Books

Gary Paulsen

STUDY + TEACHING GUIDE

logo

Harris and Me

Gary Paulsen

Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered

Gary Paulsen

Plot Summary

logo

How Angel Peterson Got His Name

Gary Paulsen

How Angel Peterson Got His Name

Gary Paulsen

Plot Summary

logo

Masters of Disaster

Gary Paulsen

Masters of Disaster

Gary Paulsen

Plot Summary

logo

My Life in Dog Years

Gary Paulsen

My Life in Dog Years

Gary Paulsen

Study Guide

logo

Soldiers Heart

Gary Paulsen

Soldiers Heart: Being the Story of the Enlistment and Due Service of the Boy Charley Goddard in the First Minnesota Volunteers

Gary Paulsen

Study Guide

logo

The Crossing

Gary Paulsen

The Crossing

Gary Paulsen

Plot Summary

logo

The Monument

Gary Paulsen

The Monument

Gary Paulsen

Study Guide

logo

The Voyage of the Frog

Gary Paulsen

The Voyage of the Frog

Gary Paulsen