"What is an Unreliable Narrator?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

What does the literary term "unreliable narrator" mean? What are some examples of unreliable narrators? Professor Neil Davison answers these questions through his reading of James Joyce's story "Araby." The video is designed to help high school and college English students to not only identify various characteristics of unreliable narrators but also to analyze how readers might understand and make meaning from stories that adopt this kind of narrator.
Spanish subtitles are now available for this video. To access these subtitles, click on the settings icon in the video.
The video is sponsored by the School of Writing, Literature, and Film at Oregon State University. For more discussions of literary terms and essay writing tips, please subscribe to the free SWLF KZbin Channel or visit liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/w...
Timestamps
0:00 Unreliable Narrator Simple Example and Definition
2:44 Why Use Unreliable Narrators?
4:04 Unreliable Narrator Literary Examples
Below are a few more videos in the series. Please drop us a comment letting us know what literary terms you would like us to explore in future videos!
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"What is irony?': • "What is Irony?": A Li...
"What is a metaphor?": • "What is a Metaphor?":...
"What is a simile?": • "What is a Simile?": A...
"What is hyperbole?": • "What is Hyperbole?": ...
"What is a imagery?": • "What is Imagery?": A ...
"What is a sonnet?": • "What is a Sonnet?": A...
"What is metonymy?": • "What is Metonymy?": A...
"What is synecdoche?": • "What is a Synecdoche?...
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"What is a flashback?": • "What is a Flashback?"...
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"What is a narrator?": • "What is a Narrator?":...
"What is a flat character vs a round character?": • "What is a Flat Charac...
"What is symbolism?": • "What is Symbolism?": ...
"What is a graphic narrative? (Part I)": • "What is a Graphic Nov...
"What is a graphic narrative? (Part II)": • "What is a Graphic Nov...
"What is epistrophe?": • "What is Epistrophe?":...
"What is poetic meter?": • "What is Meter in Poet...
"What is a portmanteau?": • "What is a Portmanteau...
"What is anaphora?": • "What is Anaphora?": A...
"What is an oxymoron?": • "What is an Oxymoron?"...
"What is a zeugma?": • "What is a Zeugma?": A...
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"What is a vehicle and a tenor?": • "What are Vehicles and...
"What is the uncanny?": • "What is the Uncanny?"...
"What is a point of view?": • "What is Point of View...
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"What is a frame story?": • "What is a Frame Story...
"What is ekphrasis?": • "What is Ekphrasis?": ...
"What is blank verse?": • "What is Blank Verse?"...
"What is an epistolary novel?": • "What is an Epistolary...
"What is allegory?": • "What is an Allegory?"...
"What is tragedy?": • "What is a Tragedy?": ...
"What are euphony and cacophony?": • "What are Euphony and ...
"What are assonance and consonance?": • "What are Assonance an... ​​
"What is a setting in literature?": • "What is a Setting?": ... ​​
"What is onomatopoeia?": • "What is Onomatopoeia?... ​​
"What is theme in literature?": www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5KZc...
"What is a conflict in literature?": • "What is Conflict in L... ​
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"What is a dramatic monologue?": • "What is a Dramatic Mo...
"What is an allusion?": • "What is an Allusion?"...
"What is alliteration?": • "What is Alliteration?...
"What is an epic?": • "What is an Epic?": A ...
"What is an ars poetica?": • "What is an Ars Poetic...
"What is a motif?": • "What is a Motif?": A ...
"What is a protagonist?": • "What is a Protagonist...
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"What is a foil?": • "What is a Foil?": A L...

[@SWLF]

This video now includes Spanish as well as English subtitles. For a full list of dual-language videos in our series, please see the following site: liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/oregon-state-guide-english-literary-terms

[@nightdreamer2315]

I’m a student who loves writing in my free time and was curious about this subject. I love the way you’ve explained it so thoroughly and concisely. Thank you for the insight!

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Night Dreamer! We hope you enjoy our other videos in the series as well!

[@hingridfreire]

I've made a project about the unreliable narrator in Lolita and I really liked the way you described the characteristics of the unreliable narrator. Amazing work!

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Hingrid! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well. Happy reading!

[@AceK143]

This is THREE YEARS LATE, but I wanted to tell you that the concept of your project sounds amazing!!!

[@hingridfreire]

@@AceK143 Thank you so much! I'm so proud of it 🥰

[@lynettegottlieb6545]

My 8th grade just read "A Tell-Tale Heart" and this helped them understand so much about the narrator in that story. They say that: "As we read we can also see how the narrator might feel, like his anxieties, fears, etc just like Dr. Davison says" (VPC); the narrator tells a story that makes it seem like he is not crazy or insane but in reality he is (NC); "the title is a representation of the story because it's not the narrator's words that tell the story but his actions" (LG); "the narrator is portraying prejudices and beliefs, manipulating how the audience perceives it." (YBB); "this narrator also displays 3 more of Dr. Davidson's examples, exaggerations, patterns of thought, and symbolic perceptions" and "the narrator’s interpretation of why he kills the old man (“that vulture eye”) makes us see it as more justified and reasonable because they are telling us this from their own beliefs and perceptions" (EL). This is just a sampling. Thank you for this video and its support of our understanding of this literary term. Next week, we are going to read "Araby," at your suggestion. . .

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for this wonderful comment, Lynette! We're so happy to see this video serving as a departure point for new and exciting readings of other stories that use unreliable narrators. Your students seem to be an incredibly talented bunch, and we hope that they enjoy Araby as much as we do!

[@jeffblunte]

Hey guys I saw an ad of yours pop up talking about hyperbole, I thought it was brilliant! Quick, witty, and it got me here! This work is so important with today’s surreal political climate that fosters journalistic hostility.

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for your feedback, Jeff! We're delighted that you enjoyed the video, and we hope you'll continue to follow the series. Close reading skills matter now more than ever, and we are committed to providing the public with tools to process the texts that they encounter in and beyond our literary world.

[@b1g_m00n]

fascinating! thanks for the class mr. Davison!

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Luan! We hope you enjoy the rest of our video series as well!

[@senpai9054]

That was so helpful and a wonderful video.

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for your kinds words, Kevin! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@anjamilovanovic9134]

this was SO GOOD and cleared up questions I didn't even know I had! where can I read more about the unreliable narrators?

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Anja! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the video! Unreliable narrators are a staple of much 20th century literature, so the best way to learn more about them is to read the literature itself, but you could also check out scholarly work on Modernism and postmodernism, which often engage with this subject. Happy reading!

[@hamdanahmedkhan9037]

Watching this a day before english language exam😁 Really cleared my confusion, thanks a bunch!

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for your kind words, Hamdan! Good luck on your exam!

[@MrSinghSAmit]

Excellent explanation

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for your continued support, Amit!

[@stevenkoehler6018]

Great vide! Thank you

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Steven! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@nikolatesla105]

it really helped me, thx

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Rose! We hope you enjoy the other videos in the series as well!

[@hemalakshmi4250]

Thanks sir, understood 😊

[@SWLF]

Thanks, Hema! We hope you aren't being unreliable with this comment! :)

[@hemalakshmi4250]

@@SWLF Nope 😆

[@SWLF]

Please drop us a comment to let us know what you thought of our video! Doing so will help us to build a rich digital learning environment around the topic of narrative devices..

[@Sweetroll_Wolfie]

This was clear and useful information. Thank you for your time!

[@SWLF]

@@Sweetroll_Wolfie Thanks so much, Fire-Heart! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@ferrin6326]

I've come here for advice on unreliable narrators and how to recognise and write them, and I'm not disappointed whatsoever - very far from it, in fact. You explained the unreliable narrator very well!

[@SWLF]

@@ferrin6326 Thanks so much, Annalise! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@felixbeaudoin593]

The content is highly interesting, though I believe you could use the cinematic medium in a more effective and 'relatable' manner

[@SWLF]

Thanks for the comment, Félix! We're trying to get better as we develop more videos, but we certainly aren't experts.

[@Erika-pq7ip]

This reminded me of the tell tale heart

[@SWLF]

Interesting! How so?

[@nedmerrill5705]

I recently read _Barry Lyndon,_ a notoriously unreliable narrator. The classic 1950 Japanese film _Rashmon_ is a study of unreliable narration.

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for providing these great examples, Ned!

[@loudangi]

I think this is a highly informative video but I was distracted by the speaker's constant movement, which made concentration difficult.

[@SWLF]

Thanks, @loudangi ! That video is from early on in our series, and we hope we've made improvements since that time.

[@derrickcossio4797]

“The Black Prince” by Iris Murdoch, perhaps the ne plus ultra of untrustworthy-narrator novels

[@SWLF]

Great example, Derrick! You'd be hard pressed to find a more troubled and unreliable narrator than Bradley Pearson.

[@yevonsama]

I have trouble with a novel. On the surface, it just looks like the romance + shounen story, as same as very many 16+ comic. However, I soon realize that every character of that story is Unreliable Narrator. Every character usually lies to you, or only tells follow their knowledge more than the truth. So? If everyone is Unreliable Narrator, how can we know where is the truth, where is the lie? Do we have any common logic to read?

[@SWLF]

Ahhhh, what a great question! Yes! These types of books are incredible and incredibly frustrating! They are like detective stories, and while we can't offer any easy solutions to the problems of so many unreliable narrators, we can say that a great deal of the pleasure of reading these texts is in figuring out this problem of where truth resides in these delightfully challenging narratives.

[@yevonsama]

@@SWLF The only of my solution is trying to understand the character's logic ( when they will lie and when they will say the truth). However, the trouble is: we maybe never really know who the character really is, because every of the characters is Unreliable Narrator. That means we can't totally trust in any info. If I make the analyze clip about that novel, I think I will use some part of your clip to explain about Unreliable Narrator. Of course, I will give the link to your clip. Hope for your agreement.

[@SWLF]

@@yevonsama This sounds like a great solution, yevon. Good luck with your analysis!

[@yevonsama]

@@SWLF thank you.

[@notme7576]

I don’t really understand what this is can someone explain it in simpler terms 😅😅 thanks

[@JamesSmith-kt3bi]

Helpful. Question what is the unreliable platform the academic is standing on that cause he to rock from side to side so much, I thought that was going to be the punchline.

[@SWLF]

Thanks for supporting the series, James. What can we say? Our faculty get in character when they create these videos! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well.

[@almadelava]

Margaret Atwood makes use of this in The Penelopiad! Making Penelope an unreliable narrator!

[@SWLF]

Yes! Atwood is a master of the unreliable narrator, and Penelope is very much so in this novella. What moment in that story really stands out to you as illuminating her unreliability? And thanks so much for keeping the conversation going, Alma!

[@namelesssoul104]

Let me tell ya...who can write the best psycological horror? The Therapist of an asylum, who sits on the armchair listening to multiple twisted stories of twisted people and with their own twisted mind, they write down the best twisted story.

[@supersugarpony]

the background music is really distracting and random

[@SWLF]

Thanks for the feedback, Michael. We'll tone it down in future videos.