Snake Dance

* Do you respect Jerry for lying to his parents? Why or why not? Would you do the same in his position? Explain **There are situations for people where it is necessary to lie. These lies are called white lies and usually they are told for good purposes. Therefore often people don’t get upset about these lies. Sometimes,people are in situations where they have to lie. However to a degree the lies a not hurtfull for people. They are told to avoid hurting other people feelings. For instance in the story “Snake Dance” Jerry lies to his mother about his life.

He tells her mother that he has a scholarship for his football and he doesn’t need money. Nonetheless he works in a milkshake store and sells milkshakes. He lies to his mother because he knows that his mother wouldn’t let him send money to her if she knew that Jerry needed the money himself. As a result Jerry lies to her mother so that his mother can afford hospital charges without worrying about his son. This means that by lying Jerry aims to make things easier for his mother. Futhermore Jerry also tries to make her mother happy about Jerry’s life. An example of this is when Jerry told her mother that his team won the match because of him.

This shows that Jerry is trying to make his mother proud and cheerfull. This way she would be joyfull herself and she would make Pop joyfull too. Secondly,in situations like Jerry’s telling the truth may be more painfull. For example if Jerry told the truth his mother probably would be depressed. Since Pop is sick and Jerry has financial problems life would be twice as hard for her. She would have to think for both Pop and Jerry. As an example she would try to work too and she would be exhausted consequently she wouldn’t be able to take care of Pop.

Besides she wouldn’t except money from Jerry if she knew he needed it. Thus Pop’s health could have gone worse. Moreover with Jerry’s mom knowing the truth Jerry’s families life would be more misarable,more difficult and more complicated. Consequently,If I was in Jerry’s situation I would have done the same since it means making my mothers life easier. Due to my mothers life I would have lied to because it is more exhausting for a mother to look after two people than a young man to work and send money to his family. Additionally Jerry had o help to his family for Pop’s health and the only way he could keep sending money was lying. Thus if I was Jerry I would have done the same because telling the truth can only make life harder for my family. In conclusion,I support that Jerry did the right thing by lying to his mother. I strongly believe that the truth would have cause difficulties in Jerry’s mothers life. Therefore what Jerry did was thinking about his mother more than himself. As a result I think he did the right thing and I respect Jerry for telling this kind of a white lie to his parents.