The Unreliable Narrator
In their first-person perspective, an unreliable narrator confides in readers, telling them about their experience, but then the story reveals something different. Sometimes it is on purpose. Other times, an unreliable narrator is only biased. They might want to believe that they are someone who they are not or cover up something that they did to save their reputation. They might be manipulative, overestimate themselves, lie, or have a poor grasp on reality. They also might be young or inexperienced.
It can be an interesting choice to tell a story from an unreliable narrator’s perspective. It makes the protagonist messy and dynamic – the way real people are – and adds complexity. Think about people you know who exaggerate the truth, bend it, or are too caught up in their own narrative to see anyone else’s side.
Examples of unreliable narrators in literature include:
Alice from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
• Alice’s encounters with strange characters and absurd events seem real to her, but children have vivid imaginations.
Nick Carraway from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Nick is not deceptive, only influenced by his obsession with Gatsby and doesn’t see the real story unfolding before him.
Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
• Holden is a tormented, impulsive, and idealistic teenager. His judgement is skewed by his dogmatic beliefs as he steps into the adult world.
Amy Dunne from Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
• In this dual-perspective novel, a husband and wife each give an account of what happened surrounding the wife’s disappearance. They have vastly different takes on their marriage. As the novel progresses, we learn that Amy is a master manipulator who messes with readers as much as she does the other characters in the book.
The unnamed narrator from The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe
• From the moment the narrator confesses to a murder, readers fall into his madness. Guilt distorts perception, creating tension and doubt.
PROMPT:
• Create a teenage character who is typically responsible but broke curfew because they were pressured to do something wild to impress some new friends. What did they do?
Write the scene from the teenager’s perspective, explaining to their parents why they are late, but their excuse is a lie. Let them get away with it, but when they go to their room, have them hide an item from the evening to protect the truth from being revealed.
PROMPT:
• Make up a character who appears good on the outside but is evil on the inside.
Write a scene in first-person from this character’s point of view where they convince someone to do something for their benefit.
THE YOUNG WRITER’S FICTION WORKBOOK has more instruction and prompts if you’re interested in a fun textbook that will help you learn and grow as a writer!