hard · SAT Reading & Writing

A study of narrative reliability in Victorian fiction argues that a narrator can be meticulously accurate regarding the physical events of a plot while remaining fundamentally unreliable regarding their emotional significance. For instance, in some first-person accounts, the narrator may provide a chronological and verified report of a conflict but fail to perceive their own role in inciting it. Thus, a reader who seeks to determine the true nature of the narrator’s character must

1. Conclude that first-person narrators are incapable of providing a chronological report of events.
2. Focus exclusively on the plot contradictions to uncover the narrator’s deceptive intentions.
3. Assume that any narrator who provides accurate physical details is also emotionally reliable.
4. Look for discrepancies between the narrator’s objective reporting and subjective interpretations.

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