Forget lying as a theme—it's an outright family tradition in Fool for Love. The Old Man had two families that he kept secret from each other. As a result, May and Eddie met and fell in love without knowing they were related. Really, is there a better PSA for why lying (and cheating) is a bad idea?
Eddie has been continuing that family tradition by cheating on May/running out on her for long stretches, and May, too, likes to lie—for example, she is reluctant to admit the truth about her family/the whole incest thing to Martin (though we have to admit that we understand not wanting to share that information with your date).
In short, there's a whole lot of lying and betrayal going on in this play, and it all goes back to the mother, er, father of betrayals, namely the Old Man's bigamy.
Questions About Lying/Betrayal
- Do you think Eddie really believes his own lies, or does he know he's lying? The distinction seems to matter quite a bit to him, so which side of the fence is he on?
- How do Eddie and the Old Man differ in their lying/cheating/betraying ways? Do they differ? Why or why not?
- Are May's lying ways similar to Eddie's/the Old Man's or different?
- Is lying fundamental to love/relationships, in this play's universe?
Chew on This
Lying is a big theme in the story because love is always about making up a story about yourself and your relationship. These characters are only getting into problems because the lovers tell a different story about the same set of events.
Lying to oneself or to others is what ruins love. Take this play as an example: Without lying, there's no accidental incest!