Unreliable Narrator
A narrator whose credibility is compromised, deliberately withholding information or presenting a distorted perspective to create uncertainty and surprise.
Also known as: Unreliable narration, Untrustworthy narrator, Deceptive narrator
Category: Writing & Content Creation
Tags: storytelling, writing, narratives, techniques, literature, communications
Explanation
An unreliable narrator is a storytelling device where the person telling the story cannot be fully trusted. Their account may be deliberately deceptive, inadvertently biased, or limited by lack of knowledge. This creates a gap between what the narrator says and what actually happened. Types of unreliability: the liar (deliberately deceives readers), the madman (mental instability distorts perception), the naif (innocence prevents full understanding), the clown (humor masks truth), and the picaro (self-interest colors account). Why use unreliable narrators: they create mystery and surprise, force readers to actively interpret rather than passively consume, explore themes of truth and perception, and enable plot twists when the full truth emerges. Classic examples: 'The Tell-Tale Heart' (mentally unstable narrator), 'Gone Girl' (deliberately deceptive narrators), 'Fight Club' (narrator's identity is unreliable). The unreliable narrator exploits the three-sided knowledge structure in stories - readers assume the narrator shares everything they know, but that assumption can be false. Narrators can have ulterior motives, personal agendas, or simply not understand what they're witnessing. The revelation of unreliability often marks a turning point where readers must reassess everything they've been told.
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