A Reader's Response to Lying People-pleasing and the pressure that comes with it. It is a major factor in daily life. Eli Remenzel, however, was caught in the middle of one of the many lies he will ever tell. It turns out that this lie would disappoint a lot of people. In the short story “The Lie,” Eli’s parents and actions make me angry. However, I can definitely relate to what Eli is going through. At first I was extremely annoyed with the mother throughout the story. In fact, it was not just the mother, but also both parents in general. Sylvia is very bubbly and fake. And Dr. Remenzel is extremely self-centered. "Eli, sit down! What's wrong with you?" Dr. Remenzel is too obsessed with the family image to pay attention to the obvious allusions his son gives him. The idea that Ms. Remenzel would consider requesting special accommodations for Eli makes me angry. She acts like the typical rich family is perceived. "I thought maybe it was the flu....