Adrienne Rich Women And Honor Essay

In Adrienne Rich’s essay, Women and Honor: Some Notes on Lying, she discusses what could happen when people lie and how lying in all its different forms chips away at people’s basic morals and humanity. Rich explains that lying comes in different forms such as concealing parts of our identity or changing our physical appearance in order to fit society’s standards. Even little white lies or lies told to spare others’ pain can cause a huge effect on people’s lives. Rich focuses on the idea of women being more prone to lying, and that lying could become a lifestyle, but it should not. She also focuses on the idea that people who lie have difficulties living an honorable life because they have to keep up the facade. Lying is a way of taking the easy way out of situations, but it is not a good option because it makes things difficult for the liars and for the people they are lying to. Adrienne Rich suggests that men are more likely to trust each other than women. Men usually depend on another man’s word because that is sufficient to them. “The old, male idea of honor. A man’s “word” sufficed-- to other men-- without guarantee.” (Rich, 412) Men do tell lies, but women have been depicted as liars in order to keep everyone happy and to keep playing the role of an honest woman. “Women’s honor,
By lying about a significant event or something about oneself, not only are they depriving others of the truth, but they are also depriving themselves of a part of their lives. “In lying to others we end up lying to ourselves. We deny the importance of an event, or a person and thus deprive ourselves of a part of our lives.” (Rich, 414) If someone continues a lie about something significant, eventually they start to believe their own life; therefore, they altered a part of their lives that may not be able to be recovered. Making up something or altering something that is very significant can lead to living a false