• Dr.V.V. Aswini Varna

  Author

In this paper, the structural role of the unreliable narrator will be discussed in the framework of political thrillers of the post-truth era. After the society has going through a period where objective truth is being eroded, the unreliable narrator has come into play as an effective narrative device in literature, especially in political thrillers. This paper explores the role of unreliable narrators in complicating the representation of truth and distorting the minds of readers, which is a characteristic of modern politics and its deception and ambiguity. Using the theoretical basis of the unreliable narrator, as outlined by Wayne C. Booth and other authors, the paper analyses the narrative devices used to develop these characters, such as fragmented narration, selective revelation, and false characterization. With the emphasis on novels like Gone Girl and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, the paper will show how the two characters represent the political manipulation in the real world, where truth is changeable and subjective. The unreliable narrator not only defies the reader in his or her capability to identify fact and fiction, but is also a commentary on the post-truth political situation. This paper will claim that the structural application of unreliable narrators in political thrillers serves as a literary technique and a mirror of more general societal concerns and ultimately challenges the morality of truth in fiction and how this applies to politics. This analysis provides the paper with insights into the role of narrative in forming the public trust and perception in the post-truth era.

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