In literature, unreliable narrators can be used to create ambiguity, enhance complexity, and challenge the reader’s perception of truth. An unreliable narrator intrudes on the reader’s engagement with the story and forces them to question the credibility of the narrative and explore underlying themes more critically.

For example in Chuck Palhaniuk‘s Fight Club, the narrator’s reliability is compromised by his insomnia and dissociative identity disorder, which leads to the creation of his alter ego, Tyler Durden. The twist revealing that Tyler is a manifestation of the Narrator’s psyche changes the entire narrative, making the reader question the story and the events they saw until now. This twist in Fight Club underscores the themes of identity, consumerism, and mental health. It engages readers in decoding the truth, ultimately revealing the fragility of the Narrator’s mind and the dangers of unchecked desires and societal pressures. Because the work is focused on consumerism.

In, “The Catcher in the Rye“ by J.D. Salinger, Holden’s narration is characterized by his emotional instability, contradictory statements, and biased opinions. We see Holden’s unreliability as a narrator in his judgment of others, his selective storytelling, and his frequent admissions of being a liar. This unreliability forces readers to question the authenticity of his experiences and the validity of his criticisms of society. It also highlights themes of adolescent confusion, alienation, and the search for identity.

Unreliable narrators compel readers to critically evaluate the narrative, fostering an active reading experience where they must distinguish between appearance and reality.