Why does Patty in The Summer of My German Soldier lie about the P.O.W's?

In the book, it is clear that Patty doesn't have a good relationship with her parents. Patty's mother seems overly focused on her daughter's looks. In the first chapter, Mrs. Bergen criticizes Patty in front of Mrs. Fields; she complains that Patty is less particular about her looks than Sharon (Patty's sister).

Whenever Mrs. Bergen gets a chance, she berates Patty about her lack of beauty, finesse, and poise. As a result, Patty feels unloved and marginalized. Patty is often forced to compete for her father's attention as well. In chapter 1, she makes up a story about the POWs, characterizing them as "big and mean-looking" criminals. Patty tells her father that one of the POWs tried to escape after disembarking. According to Patty, one of the guards noticed the lone prisoner's suspicious behavior and proceeded to unleash some brutal words of warning against him.

Of course, this sensationalized story isn't true; Patty has just made it up to gain a few minutes of her father's attention. Patty's parents never accept her for who she is. By the story's end, they continue to insist that their oldest daughter is flawed in ways that they will never be able to embrace. Later, Ruth (the family housekeeper) tells Patty that her parents will never be the kind she can rely on for love, warmth, and acceptance. In the end, Patty has to learn to accept reality and to try to carve out a meaningful existence for herself.

Why does Patty in The Summer of My German Soldier lie about the P.O.W's?

Patty Bergen is a troubled teen, friendless, set apart by her nationality, and put down by her parents.  Her mother and father have serious issues of their own, and constantly criticize her and tell her she is no good.  As is so often the case in dysfunctional homes, Patti responds by exacerbating her own situation, lying, exaggerating, and and generally perpetuating a cycle of bad behavior on her part and resulting parental disapproval.  In addition, the boundaries between fantasy and reality become blurred in her own mind, further contributing to her difficulties.

Aside from an arguable element of sheer orneriness, Patti's behavior in lying about the arrival of the POWs in Chapter 1 stems from a desperate desire for attention.  Engrossed in his paper, her father is annoyed that she wants to talk to him.  When she finally does get him to listen to her, she feels "like an actress who finally gets her big chance", and embellishes her tale in hopes of leaving an impression, as well as to make herself feel important.  Characteristically, her father hears her with disinterest, abruptly dismissing her when she is done with the comment, "let me read my paper in peace", giving the reader a sad insight into why Patti might act the way she does.

In Summer Of My German Soldier, why does Patty lie about Anton Reiker's purchases?

In the story, Patty lies about what Anton Reiker bought because she wants to protect him. When the FBI agents question her, she tells them that the only things Anton bought were a 'sharpener, paper, and pencils.'

Then, remembering that Anton had bought a faux diamond pin for a dollar, she resolves to cover his tracks by saying that he bought a 'straw field hat like the rest of the prisoners.' Why does she do this? To find the answer, we will need to refer to Chapter Eight, where Anton confesses to how he used the pin.

In effect, Anton utilized the pin to buy his way out of prison. He explains how he bribed a prison guard by using the three-layered approach Hitler used to manipulate his audience. Essentially, listeners can be lulled into security by the first two layers of fact-filled truth; the third layer, however, is the one that holds the lie. So, Anton's excellent English allowed him to convince the guard that he came from a wealthy background; his assertion that he had had an English governess further reinforced the exclusive image he wanted to emphasize. From there, it was an easy task to convince the guard that he had five diamonds, valued in excess of a thousand dollars each, to bequeath anyone who helped him escape. Basically, Anton paid the guard with 'a dollar's worth of glass jewelry.'

Knowing this information, Patty does not want to tell the FBI agents about the pin Anton bought. Because of her love for him, she does not want to incriminate him.

What is Patty's plan in Summer of My German Soldier?

Patty's plan is to leave with Anton. She makes her decision after her abusive father verbally lashes out at her during dinner one evening. Patty concludes that she isn't even sure whether her parents actually love her. Her parents are indifferent and often cruel to her, while Anton is consistently kind and courteous to her. Anton refuses to take her with him, however, because it's too dangerous for both of them.

Patty begs Anton not to leave her behind; she tries to argue that she hasn't yet learned everything she needs to learn from him. Although he is touched by her loyalty, Anton has to reject her proposal. Before he leaves, he bequeaths Patty his great-grandfather's university ring. His gift is a statement of his feelings about Patty.

Through his gift, Anton assures Patty that she is a person of value. Both part on an emotional note, and later, Anton is shot and killed when he tries to evade arrest in New York.