Behind Silence and Lies: An Analysis of Lucy's Unreliable Narration and Its Effects
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54691/e54ca993Keywords:
Unreliable narration; Lucy Snowe; Villett, self-repression.Abstract
As the narrator in a fixed internal focalization narrative form, Lucy creates narrative ambiguity and contradiction by concealing the identities of Dr. John and Mr. Paul and denying her feelings for Graham, she has unreliable characteristics on both the "fact" axis and the "value" axis. This unreliability both keeps readers at a distance through silence and lies while resonating with readers through her mental motivation. Bronte restructures the relationship between the narrator and the readers based on this, thus highlighting the living dilemma of women's self-repression in the Victorian era.
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