Honesty

An interesting theme in the novel is that of "honesty". The essence of Danny's situation, first of all, is that he is living in Australia as an illegal immigrant, basically hiding from the Australian government. Though this is technically dishonest and secretive, it begs the question-- is it wrong? Is escaping a country that is harmful/ difficult to thrive and search for new opportunities immoral? Why is it that this is illegal? Should one be limited to the circumstances they are given, or be free to try to create prosperity for themselves? These are questions that I consider frequently when this topic comes up in the United States in regards to morality of ICE and the Border Crisis. I believe the reason many people in our country hold hostility towards illegal immigrants is because it is somewhat “dishonest”, though for sure I also believe it is because of underlying biases and hatred toward minority groups. Personally, I believe in acceptance and empathy towards illegal immigrants and am not bothered by those trying to enter our country, so I guess in a way I support dishonesty. Though we are taught when we are young that lying is bad and it is important to always tell the truth, I think in certain situations that are faced when we get older, this can be proven untrue.

The theme of dishonesty is explored in other instances in the novel as well. For example, Danny doesn’t tell his girlfriend, Sonja, about his immigration and living situation. Adiga including this twist to the story is interesting because though it may be established that Danny needs to be secretive in other aspects in his life, honesty is an important part of a relationship. One can only get so close to another without this aspect of honesty, and though Danny may feel as if this lie is necessary, it causes distance between the two of them.

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