Nothing but the Truth: A Documentary Novel

by Avi

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Setting

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Most of the events unfold at Harrison High, a standard American high school. Philip Malloy, a ninth grader, discovers that his appearance and charm are no longer enough to secure good grades as they once did. His unwillingness to take his studies seriously leads to poor grades in Miss Narwin's English class. Philip and Miss Narwin are brought together by random classroom assignments; he could have ended up with a different teacher, but their pairing becomes a source of misery. Philip's continuous mocking of the national anthem in Miss Narwin's homeroom results in visits to the vice principal's office and eventually a suspension.

At home, he tells exaggerated lies about Miss Narwin, claiming that every student despises her and that he is forbidden from humming the national anthem. His parents escalate his complaints to a school board candidate and a local newspaper reporter. Their misguided actions, based on their son's grievances, spiral into a distorted national news story.

Literary Qualities

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Avi's background in playwriting is evident in much of his work, especially in Nothing but the Truth. This novel is primarily composed of dramatic dialogues, with the characters' voices serving as the sole means of conveying events. Occasionally, expository passages are included through excerpts from Miss Narwin's letters to her sister in Florida, Philip's diary, newspaper articles, and school memos. However, none of these sources are reliable. By the novel's conclusion, Miss Narwin's idealism is revealed to be misguided, Philip is shown to deceive even himself, the newspapers are found to have inaccurate facts, and the memos are inadequate in explaining issues and are used to mislead people about events.

Neither the expository passages nor the dramatic dialogue serve as dependable sources of truth. Characters distort reality either through misunderstandings or intentional lies. Miss Narwin, an idealist, is portrayed as deeply committed to being a good teacher and passionate about her subject, English—particularly literature. She strives to keep her subject engaging for her students. Despite these positive traits, she admits to being naive, and her conversations reveal her lack of understanding about the harm a student can inflict on her.

Philip's dialogue paints him as a class clown, a joker who believes everyone should like him due to his friendly nature. He is outraged and shocked by his high school teachers, only one of whom gives him a top grade—in math, the only subject he enjoys and studies. His flippant comments quickly become tiresome, and although he appears to deceive most adults, who describe him as "nice," perhaps a bit "lazy," but still "nice," even Miss Narwin is misled, continuing to tell the vice principal that Philip is nice long after he has tarnished her reputation. Yet, readers can observe Philip telling a different story to each person he encounters; we hear him boast about himself in some passages and reveal his true personality through bitter, cruel lies.

The voices of Philip's fellow students are crucial in understanding his actions. The girl he likes bluntly tells him that she knows he lied about the incidents in Miss Narwin's homeroom. Other students from the homeroom inform Dr. Panelli that Philip was misbehaving; their accounts of the events align in the essentials and contradict Philip's version. As Nothing but the Truth approaches its bitter conclusion, students tease Philip as he has teased others, and he cannot handle his own medicine. He is sarcastically nicknamed "Uncle Sam" because of his lies.

Due to the scarcity of expository passages, characters are not described in detail, nor is their environment depicted. If Nothing but the Truth were a play, actors would portray the characters, giving them physical presence, and stage designers would provide props for the rooms and hallways. Similar to reading a play meant for the stage, readers must visualize the characters and settings themselves. Nothing but the Truth relies on addressing universal themes for its impact. The novel focuses on the trivial lies of a self-centered student and how these rumors can escalate into significant falsehoods, making the fast-paced dialogue captivating as Miss Narwin's personal misfortune evolves into a national, even cosmic, issue.

Social Sensitivity

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There is little in Nothing but the Truth that isn't socially sensitive; the book addresses highly emotional topics. It's easy to highlight issues like patriotism in schools and the respect due to the national anthem, but these aren't the novel's main concerns. Nor is the destruction of a teacher's career, although this is a prevalent issue that speaks to the anxieties of educators who receive minimal public backing for their work.

Nothing but the Truth delves into how radio talk show hosts twist the news to fill airtime and how a newspaper reporter preconceives her desired narrative, constructing interviews based on falsehoods about what others might have said. The destructive power of lying is a central theme. Philip's petty lies, while unsettling, are common enough that teachers will likely recognize them. However, these lies create opportunities for other deceitful individuals to exploit. Mr. Griffin expands on the lies to enhance his campaign speeches. Stewart exaggerates them for her newspaper article. A talk show host amplifies the lies, and then other newspapers pick up the story and further embellish it. The national news stories end up bearing little resemblance to the facts, even getting Philip's grade level wrong and misspelling Miss Narwin's name as "Marwin."

Thus, at its core, Nothing but the Truth is about a society willing to embrace a lie when it aligns with the prejudices of some individuals. Philip receives support from both right-wing and left-wing organizations, each using him to advocate for causes he knows nothing about: "Got these telegrams from these people I never heard of before, talking about something I don't get" (Philip in his diary). The truth quickly becomes lost among the liars, each using Philip's story for personal gain, with little regard for honesty. Nothing but the Truth condemns those who will believe any lie that fits their biases and distort any story, regardless of the unjust harm it may cause others.

For Further Reference

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Benson, Sonia. "Avi." In Something about the Author, Volume 71. Edited by Diane Telgen. Detroit: Gale Research, 1993, pp. 7-15. Benson lists Avi's publications and provides a summary of his life. The article includes an insightful interview with Avi.

Bradburn, Frances. Wilson Library Bulletin 66, no. 4 (December 1991): 101. Commends Nothing but the Truth.

Bushman, John H., and Kay Parks Bushman. English Journal 81, no. 5 (September 1992): 95. Appreciates Nothing but the Truth overall but expresses concerns about its treatment of the subject matter.

Fader, Ellen. School Library Journal 37, no. 9 (September 1991): 277. Regards Nothing but the Truth as an essential addition to libraries.

Nilsen, Alleen Pace, and Ken Donelson. English Journal 81, no. 7 (November 1992): 91-92. Questions whether Nothing but the Truth effectively addresses its ambitious themes. Publishers Weekly 238, no. 40 (September 6, 1991): 105. Strongly recommends Nothing but the Truth for young readers.

Rovenger, Judith. New York Times Book Review (March 8, 1992): 21. Praises Nothing but the Truth for its excellent treatment of a challenging topic.

"Spotlight." Time for Kids 3, no. 9 (November 14, 1997): 1. Discusses audience reactions to The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and includes Avi's comments on the differences between writing short fiction and long fiction.

Watson, Elizabeth S. Horn Book Magazine 68, no. 1 (January-February 1992): 78. Provides a brief yet outstanding review of the value Nothing but the Truth holds for its readers.

"Wortis, Avi." In Contemporary Authors: New Revision Series, Volume 42. Edited by Susan M. Trosky. Detroit: Gale Research, 1994, pp. 485-87. Summarizes Benson's article from Something about the Author.

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