Unreliable narrator
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An unreliable narrator is a literary device in which a story's account of the events may not be entirely trustworthy, due to either personal bias of the narrator of or inability to understand the events they have witnessed [1]. The device is often used in literature told in the first-person ("I") narrative viewpoint, however, it can refer to any story (or "story within a story") in which the narrative is suspect due to misinformation, missing information, or deliberate deception - including those told from the third-person ("he/she/it") perspective. The device can also be used in other media such as film and tv, where the narrative can be considered as coming from the viewpoint of a character's dialogue, artifacts within the story such as a film or written passage witnessed by the characters, or even the perspective of the camera itself.
See also: Unreliable narrator at Wikipedia.
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On Lost
Note that the application of literary techniques to a TV show is considered analysis, and will always be subjective. To distinguish proper analysis from theories, all of the examples in this section should be listed with clear evidence.
The Lost story itself is sometimes viewed as the unreliable narrator, utilizing various literary techniques in the plot to manipulate the audience. In addition, some fans believe that smaller stories within the full Lost story can be attributed with unreliable narrators. A few such examples:
Boone's hallucination
In "Hearts and Minds", Boone finds Shannon dead. Later, Locke tells Boone that Shannon was still alive, and that the Island forced Boone to perceive Shannon's death because it was vital to his "survival on this island".
Analysis: This story within the Lost story as a whole was "narrated" from Boone's perspective (i.e, the audience did not know that Shannon was still alive until Boone knew that Shannon was still alive). Boone was unreliable as a narrator, because he was under the influence of the drug Locke used on him. This special type of third person limited narration, which shows the incorrect perceptions of a single character, is also used in the film and story versions of An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.
Marvin Candle
In "Orientation", Marvin Candle explains the significance of the Swan via the Swan Orientation Film. Later, in "Live Together, Die Alone", Marvin is shown giving a difference explanation of the Swan in a separate orientation film, and even introduces himself with a different name.
Analysis: The Orientation films are films within the larger Lost story. They were each narrated by a character that has claimed many conflicting facts. The viewers of his films (Locke, Eko, etc) are not sure which of Candle's stories are true, and which stories are fabrications. Candle's motivations for being an unreliable narrator are not yet known.
Literary references to unreliable narrators
The following books have been seen or referenced on Lost, or have been referenced by the writers. Each book has an unreliable narrator:
Dreams and visions
A dream or a vision by itself is not necessarily considered evidence of an unreliable narrator. However, the regular use of non-clearly delineated dreams and visions throughout every season of Lost may be considered evidence.
Deceptions and cons
A deception or con by itself is not necessarily considered evidence of an unreliable narrator. However, the regular use of deceptions and cons in which the Lost audience is deceived along with the characters may be considered evidence.
External links
Related to Lost
- EW.com - EW senior writer Jeff Jensen asks readers to reconsider portions of the Lost story, by applying the term 'Unreliable Narrator'.
- Living Lost: Why We're All Stuck On the Island - The book (p 77-78) uses the term "unreliable narrator" when describing An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.
- Washington Post - Staff of the newspaper discuss how the Lost story "may be told by one or more unreliable narrators."
- Gregg Nations at the Fuselage - Gregg Nations answers a question from a viewer in a self-described "cryptic way", by writing: "there is a 3,000 year-old creation myth in a Hindu Veda which tells of the moment of creation. But at the very end, it is all called into question by asking what if the myth is wrong? (Interesting that the unreliable narrator was in use over 3,000 years ago, huh?)"
General information about the term
- The Seven Best Civil War Movies: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge ("[the short story is] The quintessential example of an unreliable narrator"). 2 February 2007. CS Weekly Archive. accessed 21 April 2008.
- Edgar Allan Poe, Ambrose Bierce, and the Unreliable Narrator. undated. NEH EDsitement. accessed 21 April 2008.
Categories: Merge | Delete | Analysis
