THEME AND SYMBOLISM THESAURUS

DECEPTION



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HELPFUL TIP:

Your story's theme is its central message to readers and can be reinforced with specific symbols and motifs pulled right from the setting. Additionally, symbols woven into a scene can underscore your character's emotions, establish mood, and even generate conflict. Explore your story theme thoughtfully and use associated symbols to do more with less.
NOTES:
While BETRAYAL is personal and involves a breaking of trust, deception is usually an attempt to make someone believe something that isn't true. 

THEMATIC STATEMENTS THAT MAY APPLY TO YOUR STORY:
No one is truly authentic; everyone is hiding something. 
Believe what people do, not what they say.
Looks can be deceiving.
Nice people get stepped on.
People see what they want to see.
It takes more energy to tell a lie than the truth.
The easiest person to deceive is yourself.
The more you deceive, the more that deception becomes who you are.
Not all deception is harmful.

LIES (ANTI-THEMATIC STATEMENTS) YOUR CHARACTER MIGHT BELIEVE:
If no one finds out, I'm not hurting anyone.
They deserve to be deceived because (they lied to me, they're too dumb to know better, etc.)
No one is honest anymore, so I don't have to be, either.
A certain amount of deception is necessary to get what you want.
I'm not deceiving myself.
I need to maintain appearances to keep what I've got.
Deception is okay if you're telling people what they want to hear.
I can always tell when someone is lying.

CHARACTER TRAITS TO SUPPORT OR CHALLENGE THE THEME:
CHILDISH, COWARDLY, CYNICAL, DEVIOUS, DISHONEST, DISLOYAL, EVASIVE, HYPOCRITICAL, IRRESPONSIBLE, MANIPULATIVE, MISCHIEVOUS, PARANOID, SLEAZY, SUSPICIOUS, AMBITIOUS, CHARMING, DIPLOMATIC, HONEST, HONORABLE, OBSERVANT, PROTECTIVE, TRUSTING

WOUNDS THAT MAY SHAPE A CHARACTER'S PERSPECTIVE:
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CREATIVE WORKS THAT EXPLORE THIS THEME:
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NATURAL SYMBOLS FOR THIS THEME:
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HUMAN & SOCIETAL SYMBOLS FOR THIS THEME:
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SYMBOLISM EXAMPLES IN STORIES:
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