Throughout the novel, Paulsen highlight’s Manny’s lifestyle of lying to show that deception is a means of survival in desperate circumstances. Manny lies to tourists to gain their sympathy and their money. He also lies to the sergeant about his family background for the same reason.

Manny is not the only one with a habit of lying. The Mexican policeman at the bridge hears nothing but lies from others and is somewhat numb to them. For the officer, a lie is fine as long as he can manage the lie to “keep things moving correctly” (55). Paulsen suggests that such lies are a survival mechanism, and that people who habitually lie can perhaps fool themselves as well. Just as Manny lies to others, he also lies to himself by assuming he will successfully cross the border and make a better life, even though he knows this will be far more complicated to achieve. Although he knows it is unlikely that things will get better for him, he knows he must try, so he lies to himself about his chances to bolster his confidence. Paulsen shows that truth is rare in a place like Juárez, mainly because residents live in a state of desperation.