I believe that it is permissible to lie but it depends on
the situation. If a person is protecting themself or the other person I believe
it is permissible to lie. For example in the novel “The Good Lord Bird” Henry
Shackleford gets kidnapped in a way by old man John Brown. Henry has physical
features of a girl, so during the first encounter of Henry and John Brown, John
Brown mistakes his name as Henrietta when his dad is introducing him at Dutch’s
Tavern. Henry, being a slave and intimidated by white men, went along with the
lie because he felt threatened and did not know the consequences if he to John
Brown he was actually a boy named Henry. In this exact situation I believe it was
permissible for Henry to lie. Although throughout the novel it will be harder
and harder to keep the lie, Henry is safer pretending to be a girl and listening
to what John Brown says. Henry’s lie almost got revealed when he got flung off
the horse and his dress went over his head, and Fredrick, John Browns son, saw
that he was a boy. Since Fredrick was not the brightest kid, Henry was able to
distract him by giving him the feather that John Brown gave to Henry.
