The Arrogance of LiesThe Lies, written by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., is a story that holds itself up like a mirror to reflect the ugly image of a condescending faction. obsessed with grades and numbers, not with actual learning. Even though this happened years ago, nauseating states of mind still exist in some people today. These include the “elite group” or middle to upper class families. In the story, Doctor Remenzel is obsessed with Eli having a high standard of excellence, Eli receives special treatment because he is in the top group, and for these reasons, Eli is ashamed of himself- even and is terrified of telling his father and mother that he failed the entrance exams. All of these things are examples of what is happening in the arrogant subculture that exists today. At the beginning of the story, Doctor Remenzel is obsessed with making his son Eli look good. An example of this would be when Doctor Remenzel meets his friend Tom on the way to school. “Dr. Remenzel pointed out the chaos in the back of Eli's head; beamed that his news was the same. The word was glowing, and the fact that the Doctor had to point out that his son was going too implies that he is proud and wants to show it. One comment from Dr. Remenzel that implies that his son is "better" than the others is that when referring to another person who walks in, he remarks, "If he's smart enough." The Doctor obviously says that Eli is much smarter than some. This concerns the condescending faction because the parents of these...... middle of paper ......d constitute a "failure" in their case), they feel ashamed because they did not respond to the expectations created by their parents or other authorities. In conclusion, the whole idea is alarming. How can someone become so selfish and self-centered? Lying is a prime example of how our culture has been divided and distorted. Some put their own well-being in others, perhaps because of a missed opportunity, or perhaps simply because of their state of mind. Image, special privilege, and fear of disappointing are just some of the elements that classify both history and our subculture. It's amazing that we'll ever stop putting so much emphasis on numbers and grades and start focusing on what's really important: learning. The subculture must certainly.