The Unreliable Narrator
An unreliable narrator is a narrator, either in literature, film, or theatre whos credibility has been seriously compromised. The origin of the term - 'Unreliable Narrator' came in 1961 from American literature critic Wayne C. Booth.
Unreliable narrators are usually in the first person, we only see 'their' interpretation of the novel so they can be percieved as quite niave in the novel.
First person narrators are usually untrustworthy, and can be easilly recognised as they usally begin with a false claim or admitting to suffer from a mental illness.
This dramatic twist forces the reader to reconsider the narrator's point of view and their experiences throughout the novel.
One of the most famous novels, feraturing a non-reliable narraor is Ken Kesey's 'One fllew over the cuckoo's nest'.
"Chief" Bromdon", as he sufferes from schizophrenia,and his telling of the events, that includes things such as; "People growing or shrinki, walls oozing with slime, or the orderlies kidnapping and "curing" Santa Claus...
"Chief" Bromdon", as he sufferes from schizophrenia,and his telling of the events, that includes things such as; "People growing or shrinki, walls oozing with slime, or the orderlies kidnapping and "curing" Santa Claus...