Liar, Liar

The car that Kevin shares with his siblings, Daniel and Sarah, was a gift from their Auntie Buzz. Though only Sarah currently has a driver’s license, Kevin and Daniel feel she should drive them where they want or need to go. As co-owners, they feel entitled to use it despite not having earned the right to drive it. This arrangement creates conflict between them, especially when they’re each focused on their own needs. Although the car tears them apart at first, its function changes over the course of the narrative. Later, Kevin and his siblings sit in the car to get away from their parents’ fight and to talk about the problems in their family dynamic. Finally having an open conversation, which is focused on a shared concern rather than their individual wants, helps them to reconnect and feel like allies again. The car symbolizes the ups and downs of family dynamics, as well as the unifying power of honest communication.

When JonPaul takes Markie’s EpiPen, terrified of having an allergic reaction, it catalyzes Kevin’s first realization about the negative consequences of his lies. Since Markie truly needs the EpiPen, not having it is dangerous and potentially fatal for him. JonPaul isn’t blame-free, but Kevin knows JonPaul can’t control his hypochondria and he purposely played on JonPaul’s fears to manipulate him. He couldn’t have foreseen this consequence, which demonstrates that lies aren’t safe or tractable, even if they seem like they will be. Kevin’s character arc is shaped by an inner conflict between the perceived benefits and drawbacks of lying. Markie’s EpiPen symbolizes The Consequences of Lying and the Importance of Honesty that Kevin will be forced to confront.

Though Paulsen only mentions the family cat in one scene, it reveals an important aspect of the Spencer family dynamic. They’ve had the cat for over three months, but Kevin’s dad has been absent so much he doesn’t even know about the cat’s existence. Kevin’s father’s ignorance of the cat allows Kevin to realize how detached his dad has become from the family, and the fact that his parents’ marriage may be in trouble. This realization forces Kevin to confront his own self-centered behaviors and to consider the costs of a family falling apart.

Early in the book’s climax, Kevin comes home from school to find every member of his family avoiding each other. He notes: “Every door in the house was closed, with someone behind it. Alone. Even the door to the basement was shut, which meant that either Mom or Dad had camped out downstairs rather than share their room with each other” (89). Similar to the Spencer’s cat, these closed doors represent the detachment and disconnection that define the Spencer family dynamic. Each of them has been selfish and self-centered and needs a reminder about what members of a family need from each other, like spending time together, supporting each other, and communicating openly and honestly.