What if I told you a story about how my significant other was striped of their dignity and respect through unwarranted sexual activity committed by complete strangers and was murdered by those same individuals? Crazy story right? Then I tell you about how I have short term memory lose but it’s not amnesia and I’m on a hunt for these killers, seeking vengeance for my wife? BUT! I tell it to you backwards with completely confusing details here and there and all sorts of broken links between information that are eventually resolved and explained to you, yet you’re still puzzled after the story is over… Oh, did I mention I take polaroid pictures of everything along with writing notes on them and I tattoo my body with random facts or clues that I think are important? I guess not. I forgot that detail… See… Now, how would you feel about me as a narrator?
Maybe you’d think of me as Tyler Goddard thought of Leonard Shelby, the main character and narrator of Memento, as an “unreliable narrator”. This is a term coined by Wayne C. Booth in 1961, which he defined as a “narrator in literature, film, or theater, whose credibility has been seriously compromised.” Having an unreliable narrator in a film can cause intrigue, thrill, and confusion for the audience. Writers continue to use this device to also reveal the differences in scene appearances versus the scene reality. With unreliable narrators we are able to question the truth and actively engage with the story.
However, it is not always a desired role in most forms of storytelling because an unreliable narrator has the potential to distance the audience from the lack of supporting evidence and/or trust in their role. So be careful as a writer in how you decide to use this literary device in storytelling.
