Revolver is a story packed full of double meaning and nuance. Sig tries to give a completely accurate portrayal of events, but the truth is that he was too young and naïve to know what his dad was really up to ten years before. Wolff, on the other hand, seems to have figured out the truth about what Einar did. Here's the problem: we're not sure if we can trust him.
From the reader's vantage point, such claims to honesty only make us more suspicious about to where little lies and falsehoods slip into the text. In the novel, truth operates not only at the level of characters and events, but also at the level of narration, which makes the story extremely complex.
Questions About Truth
- Does Sig feel betrayed by his dad when he learns the truth about him? Should he? Did you feel betrayed as the reader?
- Is part of the reason we feel we don't know the truth about Einar because we don't know his side of the story? If we had more backstory, would we understand his actions any better?
- How do Einar's and Maria's actions contradict one another? How does Sig feel about the fact that his dad preached one thing and practiced another?
- When trying to determine Einar's guilt or innocence, can you just look at his actions, at what did and did not happen? Does intention have any role in determining the truth about someone's guilt?
Chew on This
Even though Sig tries to be honest with us about his past, the truth is that even he is in the dark about what his father did many years ago. This lie shows us that no one can really know the truth in the text.
Sig respects his father, even after he learns the truth about his dad stealing from others.