is the constant lying and decieving in the mayor of casterbridge unethical.would tellng the truth have changed how the novel ends
I would say it was unethical, even within the context of those times. Michael Henchard, for example, offers to sell his wife and daughter to the highest bidder. Michael will regret this decision.
Yes ,it is unethical since the lies and deceiving each others, that flows in the novels are the greatest flaws of those characters ,for they fail to stand up with the truth . If they would have told the truth and not deceive each other , the novel would have had a more drastic story line ,but yet we have to remember that the novel is a novel of character that has to meet a tragic end,by following the lies on the chapters gradually we get our tragic figure ,Henchard , who at the end of the novel understand his flaws but has no more time ,and ends in his tragic death .
