▁their ▁own ▁eyes ▁or ▁ears . ▁Un like ▁the ▁characters ▁in ▁the ▁novel , ▁readers ▁are ▁aware ▁that ▁the ▁characters ▁are ▁re lying ▁on ▁a ▁notion ▁of ▁truth ▁or ▁reality ▁that ▁no ▁longer ▁exists ▁under ▁the ▁dict ator ship ▁of ▁the ▁President . ▁" Tr uth " ▁does ▁not ▁exist ▁before ▁the ▁President ▁puts ▁it ▁into ▁words , ▁and ▁even ▁at ▁that , ▁the ▁only ▁" tr uth " ▁under ▁dict atorial ▁rule ▁is ▁the ▁words ▁the ▁President ▁is ▁speaking ▁at ▁any ▁given ▁moment — one ▁cannot ▁even ▁safely ▁repeat ▁the ▁President ' s ▁versions ▁of ▁events . ▁The ▁characters ▁are ▁thus ▁left ▁una ware ▁of ▁what ▁constit utes ▁the ▁" tr uth ". ▁ ▁Writing ▁and ▁power ▁A ▁major ▁theme ▁of ▁the ▁dict ator ▁novel ▁concerns ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁writing ▁as ▁a ▁medium ▁of ▁power . ▁In ▁, ▁Ast ur ias ▁uses ▁language ▁to ▁challenge ▁dict atorial ▁power . ▁Through out ▁the ▁novel ▁the ▁reader ▁obser ves ▁the ▁authority ▁of ▁the ▁President ▁over ▁the ▁people ▁through ▁his ▁control ▁of ▁what ▁they ▁write . ▁In ▁the ▁chapter ▁" The ▁President ' s ▁Mail - Bag ", ▁a ▁stream ▁of ▁letters ▁inform s ▁the ▁President ▁of ▁pe op les ' ▁actions . ▁While ▁many ▁are ▁" writing ▁the ▁truth " ▁and ▁turning ▁in ▁their ▁fellow ▁citizens , ▁many ▁others ▁feel ▁that ▁" it ▁is ▁not ▁safe ▁to ▁trust ▁to ▁paper ". ▁Writing ▁is ▁closely ▁linked ▁to ▁authority ▁and ▁is ▁a ▁means ▁to ▁solid ify ▁power , ▁because ▁language ▁can ▁be ▁manip ulated ▁into ▁lies