Lying versus telling the truth is an internal battle that many of the characters—from Vera to her father—face in Please Ignore Vera Dietz. Vera's been brought up by a dad who believes in always telling the truth; he believes this so fiercely, in fact, that he even tells Vera that her mother used to be a stripper. Vera, on the other hand, is struggling with whether she can keep what she knows a secret. She doesn't know if she wants to share what she knows about the night that Charlie died, or if she even wants to clear his name of the fire at Zimmerman's Pet Shop.
What's a girl to do? This question is at the heart of this book.
Questions About Lies and Deceit
- Why doesn't Vera clear Charlie's name as soon as she realizes that Jenny Flick burned down the pet store?
- What is Jenny Flick trying to achieve by telling lies about Vera to Charlie?
- Why do you think Vera's dad is so insistent on telling her the truth about everything?
- How does Vera reach the decision to contact the police at the end?
Chew on This
Although Vera doesn't understand why her father insists on telling her the truth about everything (including embarrassing things about her mother) at first, she comes to recognize her own history and learn from it.
Charlie may want to believe Jenny Flick's lies about Vera, but he never truly can—he only pretends to because it's the easier and emotionally safer thing to do.