Question

Poe's narrator insists he isn't mad, though his behavior suggests otherwise. Analyze how Poe uses the point of view of this "unreliable narrator" to create a feeling of horror. What does it show about the importance of character in a horror story or movie?

Answer 1

Answer: Unreliable Narrator is the one who has his credibility compromised, either by lying or by presenting a questionable sanity. By telling lies, hiding information the narrator does not act in accordance with the narrative norms of the work. However, it is difficult to measure whether the reader really understands all the norms; after all, the narrator's contradiction can only be in opposition to the reader's understanding of that fictional world.

Thus, considering a narrative as unreliable can be configured as a kind of reader strategy that directs the narrator any and all interpretive discrepancies. Therefore, to question the credibility of the narrator it is also necessary to question the individual understanding of each reader.

The unreliable narrator's procedure contributes to the works maintaining the suspense character by narrating the actions inaccurately or incorrectly. The reader is waiting for when the narrator will be unmasked by any character or at what point in the plot will be evident that the sources used by the narrator are false or false.