Quote 25
"I'm fine, Mom. I think—if it's okay with you, I think I might stay here for Thanksgiving. A lot of my friends are staying"—lie—"and I have a lot of work to do"—double lie. "I had no idea how hard the classes would be, Mom"—truth. (58before. 24)
Before he left for his Great Perhaps Miles never really lied to his parents, but now he's mixing lies and truth. What has made this okay for him? How does he justify deception in his mind?
Quote 26
"The Colonel and I will work that out. No need to get you into trouble—yet."
"Oh. Okay. Um, I'm gonna go for a cigarette, then."
I left. It wasn't the first time Alaska had left me out of the loop, certainly, but after we'd been together so much over Thanksgiving, it seemed ridiculous to plan the prank with the Colonel but without me. (8before.25-27)
Miles is learning that lying and deception carry a lot of emotional weight, but he also knows that Alaska likes to portray herself as mysterious and unknowable. With her behavior, can he ever really know who Alaska is?
Quote 27
"She got drunk," I told her. "The Colonel and I went to sleep, and I guess she drove off campus." And that became the standard lie. (2after.42)
People lie for different reasons, and Miles and the Colonel lie to others about their role in Alaska's death. So we wonder if they also lie to themselves about the extent to which they were involved in her death.