You've got to say one thing for Dr. Tamkin: he may be a liar, but at least he's an entertaining one. He claims to have treated the Egyptian royal family and their circle of friends; he tells Wilhelm he's been written up in Fortune magazine; even his credentials may be bogus. Who knows what's up with the good Doctor—if that's even his real name. Is it possible that his lies are so bombastic, they manage to circle back around again to truths? Tommy Wilhelm seems to thinks so, but is he right? In Seize the Day, his sanity may just depend on it.
Questions About Lies and Deceit
- Now that he's a grown man, Wilhelm sometimes thinks about the lies he told himself as a young man trying to make it big. Has he grown out of this habit altogether, or does he still delude himself sometimes?
- Dr. Tamkin tells some pretty outrageous stories throughout Seize the Day, along with some that seem more plausible. Is there anything about him that we know 100% for sure? If so, what is it?
- Wilhelm maintains a healthy suspicion towards Dr. Tamkin throughout Seize the Day, but he also believes that Tamkin is capable of dropping deep truths. Which of Tamkin's observations and tales does Wilhelm believe to be true?
Chew on This
Dr. Tamkin is a scam artist, through and through. By telling some huge whoppers on top of more plausible lies, Tamkin manages to make unlikely stories seem believable by comparison to obvious tall tales. This is how he succeeds in making Wilhelm believe that he's a trustworthy source of advice.
Dr. Tamkin may be a plunger and a cad, but deep down, he really does know something about human nature. Although his lies and deceit speed Wilhelm toward his financial ruin, Tamkin shares some genuine wisdom with his hapless protégé along the way.