While in theory every first person narrator is unreliable because everyone views the world differently, a true unreliable narrator in literature is a narrator who is clearly and intentionally biased, not credible, and/or misunderstands what is happening around them.
First-person is often a narrative perspective that's tricky to get right. The first-person narrator, more than any other type of narrator, is inclined to lapse into self-centered telling, in which the narrating character overpowers the story at the expense of other characters and even the plot itself.
The advantage of first person is that you can immediately connect with the reader. The disadvantage is that the author is limited to writing from one perspective. There are several types of first person narrators: The Protagonist - This is the main character.
An unreliable narrator is a first-person narrator of a story that can't be trusted for a complete or truthful account of that story. They may be unreliable on purpose, telling lies, for example. Or their unreliability may be an unintentional symptom of their character.
Many are unreliable through circumstances, character flaws or psychological difficulties. In some cases, a narrator withholds key information from readers, or they may deliberately lie or misdirect.
While in theory every first person narrator is unreliable because everyone views the world differently, a true unreliable narrator in literature is a narrator who is clearly and intentionally biased, not credible, and/or misunderstands what is happening around them.
Using an unreliable narrator gives you the opportunity to add a surprise plot twist later on in your story. The moment where the narrator is revealed to the reader can be thrilling and lead them to reflect on everything that has happened so far in the plot through new eyes.
Bias of Narrator
The first-person point of view is a biased viewpoint. Because the narrator is only revealing thoughts and experiences specific to them, the reader's knowledge is limited to what they know and see. This can be advantageous in encouraging readers to identify with the narrator or protagonist.
First person narration can create a sense of trust with the reader, pulling them into the story by evoking empathy. It feels like the story is being told to you by a confidant, which makes you care more about the protagonist and their struggles.
Interestingly, unreliability can stem from uncertainty or a lack of commitment. When we're feeling unsure of something or the extent to which we feel invested in a relationship, we can sometimes express this in a passive aggressive way - by giving less than we could, or doing so in inconsistent ways.
William Riggan analysed in a 1981 study discernible types of unreliable narrators, focusing on the first-person narrator as this is the most common kind of unreliable narration.
First person point of view gives readers an intimate view of the characters and a front row seat to the action. It is a popular writing approach in nonfiction, particularly autobiographies and memoirs.
You can recognize first person narrative by the use of I and we. This point of view can be limiting to the reader because we only know events from that one character, and we are only privy to that character's thoughts.
Use the first person singular pronoun appropriately, for example, to describe research steps or to state what you will do in a chapter or section. Do not use first person "I" to state your opinions or feelings; cite credible sources to support your scholarly argument.
What is a limitation of first-person narration in a story? The thoughts of too many characters are displayed. The other characters' views and thoughts are left out. The reader does not feel a connection to the narrator.
Narratives are often identified as first, second, or third person based on the kinds of pronouns they utilize.
Whether it is reliable (i.e., a story in which the narrator presents a straightforward, credible account of events) or unreliable (i.e., a story in which we might not entirely trust what the narrator is telling us).
The chief reason many agents and editors prefer third person and call it the “professional” POV, is that the overwhelming percentage of successful books and bestsellers are written in third person.
The anchoring bias is the tendency to be overly influenced by the first piece of information that we hear. Some examples of how this works: The first number voiced during a price negotiation typically becomes the anchoring point from which all further negotiations are based.
1st person limited point of view is when a story is told from the first person perspective by a narrator who has limited knowledge. 1st person omniscient point of view is when a story is told from the first person perspective by a narrator who has omniscient (all-knowing) knowledge.
An unreliable narrator is a character whose perspective we follow in the story but lacks a certain degree of credibility. These narrators may simply lack all the information necessary to adequately translate the story to the audience, or they have a clear bias.
Every narrator is an unreliable narrator because you have to choose the details that are going to explain your story.
Since then, many authors and filmmakers use the technique to create interest and suspense in their narration. Some indicators that a narrator is unreliable include contradicting stories, incomplete explanations of events, illogical information, and even questions of the narrator's sanity.