The Lie of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. - Mirrors Don't LieIn The Lie of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Eli Remenzel is a thirteen year old . year-old boy on his way 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 breaks under the pressure of lying when the principal informs his parents that he was not accepted into Whitehill. What happens next is a disaster. As I read the story, I noticed a lot of 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 combine to make me a unique individual. I'll first focus on the similarities between Eli and me. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. writes: “Eli stood up again, but began to collapse almost immediately (…) hoping to die or disappear. » This was written while Eli was hiding the secret from his parents. Rereading the passage, I didn't like the way Eli decided to handle his secret. Instead of going straight out and telling his parents what the problem was, he ignored it, and every mile he walked became harder and harder to remember. Notice the word collapse in the above passage from the story. It was the first thing that came to my 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 building and realized that I handled issues with my family the same way. My parents never have the same reaction to a problem, so I'm always afraid they'll be angry or disappointed in me. This leads me to do exactly... middle of paper ...... for Rememzel, I didn't accomplish anything that I was embarrassed about, but the next time I was unhappy, I would repeat my actions. 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 fully aware of them and I immediately recognized the similarities between Doctor Remenzel and myself. In conclusion, I didn't like The Lie because the characters in it embody the worst qualities of myself. Whether it's not being honest with my family, being self-centered, or my uncontrollable character, I can't like characters who possess these traits because I hate these traits in myself. Reading about the characters is like looking in a mirror, and as the title says, mirrors don't lie..