Reliable Narrator What makes a reliable narrator A
Reliable Narrator? § What makes a reliable narrator? § A reliable narrator should be knowledgeable about all characters and situations that he/she is informing the reader of. § A reliable narrator should be able to distance his or her own personal opinions of characters and situations from the telling of the story. Trustworthy.
Reliable Narrator? § A reliable narrator… § Is honest in the telling of the story as they happen, even if unpleasant. § Understands all that takes place around him/her and is able to portray that to the reader objectively.
Reliable Narrator? § What makes an unreliable narrator? § An unreliable narrator may not have access to all perspectives of a situation or character, and therefore provides a limited portrayal of events. § An unreliable narrator is influenced by either personal opinion, mental instability, or underdeveloped voice. Think of a narrator under the influence of another character or of his/her own morals, suffering from a mental illness, or the limited perspective provided by a child narrator.
Reliable Narrator? § An unreliable narrator… § Is typically is a first-person narrator § Changes the story for some reason: empathy from the reader, untrustworthy, naïve, etc. § Cannot be trusted by the reader – reader must constantly evaluate the text to judge inconsistencies.
Reliable Narrator? § At the end of Chapter 3, when talking about how much he likes Jordan, but needing to break things off with a girl back home, Nick says: “Every one suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known” (Fitzgerald 59).
Reliable Narrator? § So, what do you think? Is Nick reliable? § Each group will be assigned a side: reliable or unreliable. § Groups must find textual evidence that proves their side to be true. Once each group has a strong case (15 min max), they will be paired with an opposing group for a mini-debate.
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