The world we live in is governed by a certain reality: when events happen, the fact that they happened products becomes an absolute truth. Human beings, however, have the freedom to distort this truth by lying. Why and under what conditions would we be dishonest about things that have happened? This is one of the many questions that Tom Wolfe addresses in his novel “The Fire of the Vanities”. Wolfe satirizes 1980s New York City using stereotypes and exaggerations. Many of Wolfe's characters are willing to ignore the truth if it serves their own selfish needs. Because these characters represent the society of that era, Wolfe conveys the idea that the residents of 1980s New York are more than willing to bend the truth when it suits them. Furthermore, even individuals who initially intended to stick to the truth will be forced away from it due to all other forms of corruption. Sometimes what is considered "true" can be so far from reality that the truth becomes almost irrelevant. Therefore, one who strives to respect the truth must sometimes ignore it in the name of practicality. Essentially, New York has become a place where everyone must ultimately, in one way or another, ignore the truth. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayA character who is unaware of the truth from the beginning of the novel is Peter Fallow, a British journalist. When Fallow first hears about the Lamb case, he begins to construct a story around it. He includes details he knows to be false, such as that Henry Lamb was an honor student. He also states that dubious evidence is absolutely true and exaggerates the facts. He does not know whether the story he is printing is true or not, but he prints it nonetheless because he knows it will bring him fame and recognition. His own selfish needs trump any concern for the truth. Wolfe uses Fallow to represent the media of the time as a whole, thus conveying the idea that the media is a mendacious institution. Newspapers are more concerned with sales than the truth, so they take Fallow's story at face value, without bothering to verify his story. This demonstrates how one person's disregard for the truth can create a snowballing problem, eventually corrupting society as a whole. The New York media is a shining example of how dishonesty and self-interest can breed a culture of deception. Two other figures who put self-interest before the truth are District Attorney Abe Weiss and the Mayor. Both characters, in response to the Lamb affair, only take actions that will bring them the respect of the people, whether or not those actions are based in truth and justice. These two characters are representatives of the politicians of the time, who are only interested in the election. Their actions in the Lamb case are governed by what they think the people want. For example, before the Lamb case became a hot topic, Weiss considered dropping it due to lack of evidence. However, when the people begin to attack his office for his inaction, Weiss changes his stance and loses his concern for the truth, as he wants to please the people and get elected. This is another example of how a corrupt society can corrupt individuals, as is the case with Weiss and the Mayor. According to Wolfe, public figures in New York City in the 1980s only acted.