The Lie by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. - Mirrors Don't LieIn The Lie by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Eli Remenzel is a thirteen-year-old child of a year traveling to Whitehill Preparatory School with his parents. They don't know that Eli is hiding a big secret from them: he wasn't accepted into school. As the story unfolds, Eli finally cracks under the pressure of the lie as the principal informs his parents that he has not been accepted into Whitehill. What happens next is a disaster. As I read the story I noticed many qualities in the different characters that are traits I see in myself. Eli, his mother Sylvia, and his father Dr. Remenzel all have different characteristics that reflect me. These characteristics are what blend together to make me a unique individual. First I'll focus on the similarities between me and Eli. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. writes: "Eli sat down again, but began to collapse almost immediately (...) hoping to die or disappear." This was written while Eli was hiding the secret from his parents. As I reread the passage I didn't like the way Eli decided to handle his secret. Instead of coming out and telling his parents what the problem was, he ignored it, and with every mile they went he became harder and harder to hold back. Notice the word collapse in the above passage of the story. This was the first thing that came to mind indicating our similarity, because the word creates a vivid image of myself when I find myself in similar situations. I felt Eli's frustration grow and realized that I handle problems with my family the same way. My parents never have the same reaction to a problem, so I'm always afraid that they will be angry or disappointed in me. This makes me do exactly…half of the paper…for Rememzel, I accomplished nothing and embarrassed myself, but the next time I was unhappy I would repeat my actions one more time. I no longer throw tantrums, but I speak before I think and I often say and do things I don't mean. Unlike the other flaws mentioned above, I am quite aware of this one and immediately recognized the similarities between myself and Dr. Remenzel. In conclusion, I didn't like The Lie, because the characters in it exemplify the worst qualities of myself. Whether it's not being honest with my family, being self-centered, or my uncontrollable temper, I can't like characters who possess these traits because I hate them within me. Reading the characters is like looking in the mirror and, as the title says, mirrors don't lie.