Allegra ONeill Jesse answers “The last line. Did she mean keep lying...”

Jessica asked this question about The Lying Game:

The last line. Did she mean keep lying about her loving Owen or keep lying about her being fine?

Allegra ONeill Jesse I think the lie is about both her love for Owen and about her being "fine." She does this as she recognizes the sacrifices that parents make for their…moreI think the lie is about both her love for Owen and about her being "fine." She does this as she recognizes the sacrifices that parents make for their children and how they put their children first. As she reflects on Ambros's choice not to expose Luke, she juxtaposes this with her father's choice to send her and her brother away while he cared for her dying mother. In truth, Isa proves throughout the entire narrative to be an inherently selfish person, except for when it comes to Frayer. Frayer being physically attached to her throughout the novel showcases that while Frayer is physically dependent on her mother for food, it also symbolizes that attachment of mother and child. Isa's reluctance to stop breastfeeding after six months, even after Owen expresses interest in wanting to be more involved in childrearing, shows that she has never fully relinquished her feeling as Frayer's mother and sole protector. By not giving way on the breastfeeding, she is intentionally (whether she realizes it or not) limiting Owen's involvement in Frayer's development. In the end, she realizes (in my opinion) that she is not fine and that she does not truly love Owen the way she thought (keyword: thought) she loved Luke, but she finally sees that Frayer is deserving of a selfless -- albeit flawed -- but selfless mother, like the man she realizes Ambros was. She truly sees Ambros as a person and a father. This realization of Isa's forces her to recognize that parents must make hard choices when it comes to putting their children first and she makes the choice to do just that -- put Frayer first. By doing that, she accepts that she may not fully love Owen due to their relationship being built on lies, but she is willing to try to give Frayer a home with two people who love her. She also lies about being fine, as she feels that she should not pass her burdens down on her child. (less)

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