Unreliable narrators
(or: when the storyteller might not be telling the whole truth)
- Sometimes the problem with a story isn’t what happens.
- It’s who’s telling it.
- An unreliable narrator is a narrator whose version of events cannot be fully trusted. Not always because they are lying, but because they are human.
1. What is an unreliable narrator?
Definition
Unreliable Narrator
An unreliable narrator is a storyteller whose account of events cannot be fully trusted because their perspective is distorted by bias, limited knowledge, emotional instability, or deliberate deception.
- An unreliable narrator is a narrator who:
- misunderstands events
- is biased or self-protective
- leaves things out
- exaggerates or downplays the truth
- The reader must read between the lines to work out what is really going on.
- In simple terms:
The narrator tells a story. The reader works out the story.
2. Why writers use unreliable narrators
- Writers use unreliable narrators to:
- create tension and mystery
- make readers question the truth
- reveal character flaws
- show how perspective shapes reality
- Unreliability turns the reader into an active thinker, not a passive listener.
3. How narrators become unreliable
Bias
- The narrator presents events in a way that makes themselves look better.
Example
- I say I was fair, but I always blame him for what happened.
Limited knowledge
- They simply don’t know everything and fill in gaps incorrectly.
Example
- She speaks with confidence, but she only saw part of what happened and guessed the rest.
Emotional involvement
- Strong feelings cloud judgement.
Example
- I tell myself I am being logical, but I am angry in how I describe her actions.
Self-deception
- The narrator lies to themselves before lying to the reader.
Example
- I tell myself I chose this life freely, but I avoid thinking about it like it was a mistake.
4. Signs a narrator might be unreliable
- Look out for:
- contradictions in the narration
- excuses or justifications
- denial or avoidance
- overly confident statements
- gaps between actions and explanations
- If something doesn’t add up, that’s usually the point.
Example
- From The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger):
“I’m quite ill at ease, I mean if you want to know the truth, but I act as if I’m not.”
- This line shows:
- Contradiction (says he’s fine, then admits unease)
- Denial/avoidance of deeper feelings
- Excuses/justifications wrapped in casual phrasing
- Gaps between feeling and action
- Overly confident statements meant to mask insecurity
5. Unreliable narrators and tension
- Unreliable narration increases tension because:
- the reader doubts what is being said
- truth is delayed or hidden
- revelations feel more impactful
- The tension often comes from waiting for the narrator to realise the truth, or for the reader to confirm it.
6. Unreliable narrators and character
- Unreliability often reveals:
- insecurity
- guilt
- fear
- pride
- denial
- What the narrator avoids saying is often more revealing than what they say clearly.
Example
- The Turn of the Screw - Henry James
“I was carried away in the direction of my duty rather than in the direction of my fears.”
- Denial: She frames fear as responsibility
- Pride: She casts herself as morally righteous
- Insecurity: Her need to justify herself suggests doubt
- Fear and guilt: Her narration avoids questioning whether her fears are real
7. First-person and unreliable narration
- Unreliable narrators are most common in first-person narration, because:
- we are trapped inside one perspective
- thoughts feel honest, even when they aren’t
- bias feels natural
- But third-person limited narrators can also be unreliable.
8. Using PEEL to analyse unreliable narrators
You can analyse unreliable narrators using PEEL.
P: Point
- Identify that the narrator is unreliable and why.
- bias
- denial
- limited understanding
Example
- The narrator is unreliable because they avoid confronting the truth and present events in a self-protective way.
E: Evidence
- Use:
- a contradiction
- an excuse
- a moment of avoidance
- a confident claim that seems questionable
Example
- This is shown when the narrator states, “I knew it was the right decision, so I didn’t think about it again.”
E: Explain
- Explain:
- why the narrator might be unreliable
- what the reader suspects instead
- how this creates tension or meaning
Example
- Although the narrator claims certainty, their refusal to reflect suggests denial rather than confidence. This gap between what is said and what is implied encourages the reader to question the narrator’s version of events.
L: Link
- Link to:
- character flaws
- internal conflict
- theme
- tension
Example
- As a result, the unreliable narration builds tension by delaying the truth and highlights the theme of self-deception.
Exam technique
- Sentence starters for analysing unreliable narrators
- Identifying unreliability
- The narrator appears unreliable because…
- This narrator cannot be fully trusted as…
- The narration suggests bias through…
- Using evidence
- This is evident when the narrator states…
- The narrator claims that…
- Explaining effect
- This suggests the narrator is avoiding…
- The reader may suspect that…
- This creates tension because the truth is unclear.
- Linking to bigger ideas
- As a result, the narration highlights internal conflict.
- This unreliability reinforces the theme of…
- The narrator’s bias shapes how the reader interprets…
- Identifying unreliability
9. Now it's your turn...
Example question
- Practice task: analysing unreliable narration
- Extract
- I don’t remember exactly what I said to her. I just know she overreacted. People always do.
- Your task
- Write one PEEL paragraph answering the question below.
- Question:
- How does the narrator’s voice suggest unreliability in this extract?
- What students should focus on
- vague or selective memory
- shifting blame
- confident generalisations
- what the narrator avoids explaining
- what the reader might doubt
Solution
The narrator appears unreliable because they minimise their own responsibility and shift blame onto someone else. This is evident when the narrator claims, “I don’t remember exactly what I said to her,” before insisting that “she overreacted.” The vague memory suggests selective forgetting, while the confident judgement places fault on the other character rather than questioning their own behaviour. This contradiction encourages the reader to doubt the narrator’s version of events and suspect that important details are being ignored or distorted. As a result, the unreliable narration builds tension by creating uncertainty about what really happened and highlights the narrator’s lack of self-awareness.
- P: Point
- The narrator is unreliable because they avoid responsibility and present events in a self-serving way.
- E: Evidence
- This is shown when the narrator says, “I don’t remember exactly what I said to her,” but confidently concludes that “she overreacted.”
- E: Explain
- The narrator’s vague memory contrasts with their certainty about blame, suggesting denial or selective truth. This gap encourages the reader to question the narrator’s honesty and suspect that their account is incomplete.
- L: Link
- As a result, the unreliability increases tension by withholding the full truth and reveals a character flaw in the narrator, particularly their lack of self-awareness.
Self review
- Revision summary: narration, tension, and reliability
- Narration
- Controls perspective and information
- Can be first-person or third-person
- Shapes how close the reader feels to events
- Reliability
- Reliable narrators feel balanced and consistent
- Unreliable narrators show bias, denial, or contradiction
- Readers must read between the lines
- Tension
- Built through uncertainty and doubt
- Increased when the narrator withholds or distorts truth
- Often comes from the gap between what is said and what is suspected
- How they work together
- Narration decides who tells the story
- Reliability decides whether we believe them
- Tension grows when belief becomes uncertain
- Narration
