Unreliable narrator — English definition
A narrator whose account the reader has reason to distrust — because of bias, limited knowledge, self-deception, or an intent to mislead.
Where it is taught
- Characterization & Narrative Technique — Close Reading & Literary Analysis, English 11: American Voices, Identity & Public Memory, Grade 11
In use
One of the most powerful American techniques is the unreliable narrator — a narrator we have real reason to distrust, whether from bias, limited knowledge, self-deception, or an outright intent to deceive.
Characterization & Narrative Technique
Questions using unreliable narrator
Problem 1
Which of these best describes an UNRELIABLE narrator?
- Any narrator who happens to speak in the first person.
- A narrator who simply tells events in chronological order.
- A narrator who knows and truthfully reports every character's thoughts.
- A narrator whose account we have reason to distrust because of bias, limited knowledge, or self-deception.
Answer and explanation
A narrator whose account we have reason to distrust because of bias, limited knowledge, or self-deception.
First-person narration alone does not make a narrator unreliable; distrust comes from bias, limited knowledge, self-deception, or intent to mislead.