1. Extension Resource for “Point of View” A Deeper Look at Unreliable Narrators

2. Note Before you begin taking notes on this resource, understand that this is meant to be an extension resource. You do not need to be fully familiar with or comfortable with the information in this presentation to pass “Point of View.” However, the concept of unreliable narrators is an interesting one, so if you are interested in learning more about them or if you are working with a text that includes an unreliable narrator, it is strongly suggested that you use this resource for additional information.

3. Review: What is an unreliable narrator? You should recall that an unreliable narrator is a narrator in a text that, for whatever reason, you cannot fully trust Unreliable narrators are most common in texts with first- person point of view They can show up in texts with third-person limited point of view as well though Very rare in third-person omniscient

4. Types of Unreliable Narrators Not all unreliable narrators are created equally There are numerous reasons why a narrator might be considered unreliable William Riggan, a professor of literature from the University of Oklahoma, identified five “types” of unreliable narrators The Madman The Naif The Liar The Picaro The Clown Let’s look at each of these in a bit more depth.

5. “The Madman” This form of unreliable narrator cannot be trusted because they are experiencing some level of mental illness – such as schizophrenia, paranoia, or post-traumatic disassociation. This could result in the character having an incorrect understanding of what is going on, due to mental illness, or repressing his or her true emotions. Some examples of this kind of narrator: “Chief” Bromden in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest frequently describes things that aren’t there in his narration, as the result of his schizophrenia

6. “The Naif” This kind of narrator cannot be fully trusted because they are either too young and immature OR limited in their point of view. Some examples of this kind of narrator: Huck in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is young and relatively innocent, and often is too charitable in his judgments of others as a result. Holden Caulfield in Catcher in the Rye has a limited point of view as the result of his immaturity that causes him to behave irrationally.

7. “The Liar” This type of unreliable narrator cannot be trusted because they are flat-out lying. The liar is usually trying to justify or explain their own immoral actions in the past and, as such, lies about what they did in order to sway the audience to their side. An example of this type of narrator: Humbert Humbert in Lolita is a classic example of this type of narrator, as he tries to make the case that he is innocent of the crimes of which he is accused – namely, murder and statutory rape of a minor.

8. “The Clown” This form of unreliable narrator cannot be trusted because they do not treat narration seriously and play with conventions or expectations through their narration. Less common than the first three. An example of this type of narrator: The title character in Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy is a key example of this. He explains early on in the novel that he can’t explain anything clearly and the narration of the novel continues as such.

9. “The Picaro” This form of unreliable narrator cannot be trusted because they are embellishing or exaggerating their accomplishments in some way. This kind of narrator is often a con-man (or woman) or rogue, who is trying to impress the audience. This is an older style of unreliable narrator, more closely associated with the “picaresque” genre of novels. It is not as widely used today.

10. Fun Fact! The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner has three separate first person narrators – and all three of them are unreliable, but for different reasons. The first narrator, Benjy Compson, is unreliable because he is mentally disabled and literally cannot fully comprehend everything that happens to him. He is an example of a “naif.” The second narrator, Quentin Compson, is unreliable because he is severely depressed about his sister and suicidal. He is an example of a “madman.” The third narrator, Jason Compson IV, is unreliable because he is an awful person who tries to justify his actions. He is an example of a “liar.”

11. Unreliable Narrators in Third Person Unreliable narrators are usually portrayed through first- person point of view However, they can also exist in novels written in third-person limited One simple example of this can be found in George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series (or, Game of Thrones, if that’s more familiar) Martin uses multiple “point of view” characters throughout the series, all of whom can be considered unreliable in some way due to their biases and backgrounds