Here's a pro-tip: If you murder your wife, sleep with her maid, and cover it all up as a suicide, you're going to end up telling a lot of lies. It's just a fact. In An American Dream, Rojack is caught in this very scenario, desperately trying to convince people that he's an innocent man despite all signs pointing to the contrary. But then something strange happens: Rojack starts to believe his own lies, especially because they start being proven true. This twisted web of lies and deceit isn't always easy to untangle, but that's exactly the point.
At its core, An American Dream is all about the little truths that exist within big lies, and the big glaring lies that we masquerade around as truths.
Questions About Lies and Deceit
- Does Roberts buy Rojack's story? Why or why not?
- Is Rojack an unreliable narrator? Explain.
- Why did Rojack consider himself an "actor" when he was a politician? How does he consider himself in the present?
- Do you think Cherry is deceiving Rojack in any way? Explain your answer.
Chew on This
By proving Rojack's lies true time and again, Mailer is commenting about the irrational undercurrent that runs beneath our cookie-cutter society.
Ultimately, the lies that Rojack tells himself are more dangerous than the ones he tells others.