Mental Illness and Its Relationship to the Unreliable Narrator in a Work of Creative Fiction
Abstract
This thesis examines the style of unreliable narration in which mental illness plays a significant role, through a work of creative fiction. The work has been conceived through an analysis of previously published works with similar themes: Atonement, by Ian McEwan; Emma,by Jane Austin; We Were Liars,by E. Lockhart; the 2010 Martin Scorcese film adaptation of Shutter Island; and A Beautiful Mind, a 2001 Ron Howard film. Drawing on theories of technique from Mario Vagas Llosa and John Gardner, this study sets out to demonstrate how unreliable narration is defined while highlighting the degree of intentionality the mentally ill narrator possesses. This research also highlights the role of memory and truth, while adding to the limited number of resources available on unreliable third person narration.
Subject Area
Creative writing|Mental health
Recommended Citation
Siewert, Shereen Patricia, "Mental Illness and Its Relationship to the Unreliable Narrator in a Work of Creative Fiction" (2019). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI27671202.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI27671202