Unreliable narrator
A narrator who misleads the reader through deliberate deception, bias, forgetfulness, or limited understanding. The reader must read between the lines to understand what is really happening, creating irony and multiple layers of meaning.
Real World
In Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, Amy Dunne's diary entries appear trustworthy until the mid-novel reveal exposes them as deliberate fabrications, forcing readers to reassess every earlier detail.
Exam Focus
Identify specific textual contradictions or gaps that signal unreliability rather than simply labelling the narrator unreliable.
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