Monday, April 27, 2009

The lie

How did you feel about Dennis' lie to Billy? If he had just told him the truth from the beginning, do you think there would have been a different outcome for Billy?
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3 comments:

Erin said...

I think his life would've been different, yeah. I totally understand why Dennis didn't want to tell him the truth, how the lie seemed kinder at the time. But Dennis might have guessed how Billy would romanticize the situation. Being rejected and used so cruelly would be devastating, sure, but he would've gotten over it eventually. The untimely death scenario led him to idealize her even more. It allowed him to continue believing she was his soulmate and they were destined to be together, even if only in the afterlife.

9:26 AM, April 28, 2009
kc said...

I think when Dennis lied he really was trying to spare Billy's feelings as much as possible. But did you think there was also something to the notion that Dennis was also doing the easiest thing for HIMSELF? Like he just found it easier to lie than to do something really, truly difficult like telling the truth and dealing with the aftermath of Billy's shattered illusions? Sort of like how Eva apparently found it easier to not set Billy straight about what she had done and how she truly felt about him? She chose the path that was least difficult for her. Maybe there's kind of a theme in McDermott about how we all have a native selfishness that leads us to manipulate the reality of other people's lives to fit with our own notions of how things should be.

In the end, wasn't Dennis still manipulating reality by failing to disclose to Billy's family and friends that Eva had never died, that it was entirely his invention? It's almost like he felt they didn't deserve to be set straight, or that he himself had a vested interest in the lie being believed. Was he protecting Billy's image or his own in the end?

1:14 PM, April 28, 2009
Erin said...

Oh, I definitely think he lied because it was easier, both for Billy and for himself. And I definitely draw a parallel with Eva's dishonesty.

I don't know about the second part, why he didn't reveal the truth to the family. Maybe because he was protecting their romantic image of Billy, or maybe because he knew it would make himself look bad. Or maybe he thought it was too late to do any good by confessing. It would just throw everyone into emotional turmoil.

9:31 AM, April 30, 2009

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