Deception

Deception functions as a central theme in the novel in that it informs the main story arc, that of Grace’s investigation of the agents, in such a way as to portray deception as an inevitable consequence of war, and indeed human interaction in general. From the opening quote of the novel the reader notices that deception is a pivotal theme, which suggests that the very narrative of the story may be questionable as a “truth [. . .] so precious that she should be attended by a bodyguard of lies” (9). Indeed the narrator is at times unreliable, bolstering the thematic significance of deception as being enacted on the reader as well as the diegetic characters within the novel.

Deception is portrayed as permeating nearly every aspect of life in the novel, from small, almost inconsequential events to pivotal moments in the narrative. For example, early in the novel...