Comments on: John Hewitt’s Writing Tips: Explaining the Unreliable Narrator

By: Kay

Kay — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:59:29 +0000

This is great, I’ve been trying to find just a regular old definition of an unreliable narrator for my paper on the many Narrators of Heart of a Dog

By: Lauren

Lauren — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:24:33 +0000

Thank you!!!! I’m doing a paper and I needed something to prove my point!

By: ghoulmann

ghoulmann — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:02:25 +0000

I wonder whether any first-person narrator is reliable once we consider all the factors you’ve discussed.

By: ghoulmann

ghoulmann — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:00:46 +0000

All of the works that serve as examples are strong ones. I would just caution readers not to oversimplify the reasons a particular narrator is unreliable. E.g. _Cuckoo’s Nest_’s Bromden is clearly unreliable because of dementia, but also because of significant biases and high stakes placed in what the reader’s opinion of him is.

By: Teacher

Teacher — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:36:27 +0000

I’m teaching a college course, and this is a really helpful definition for my students–better than the one in our textbook!

By: John Hewitt

John Hewitt — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:07:24 +0000

Catcher in the Rye is an interesting case. I’m sure it will make for a good paper.

By: Keanna

Keanna — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:00:53 +0000

I have to do an annotated bibliography on how Holden in Catcher in the Rye is an unreliable narrator…you’ve been a big help…and I too will cite you…lol…

By: Sophie

Sophie — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:40:29 +0000

This has been so helpful, thank you!

By: Helen

Helen — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:31:46 +0000

Cheers for this, I’m writing an English Lit essay comparing the unreliable narrators in A Clockwork Orange and Catcher in the Rye, and I havent been able to find them together anywhere. Grr, so thanks for this, has been v helpful

By: Tyler

Tyler — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 02:36:24 +0000

thanks. i’m writing a 10 page paper on slaughterhouse-five, and your examples of how a narrator can be unreliable is really helping me bang out a intro

ps dont worry i’ll cite you