In the story "The Lemon Tree Billiards House" Is the narrator trustworthy? Can we believe his story? Explain.
I don't know. I haven't read the story. Have you? What do YOU think? Your teacher doesn't want to know what I think anyway.
Any time you run across words like these -- "Is the narrator trustworthy?" -- you're facing an opinion question. Only your opinion counts, so you must state it clearly and then explain why you think so.
If you need to read the story more than once or twice, do so. That never hurts! In fact, you'll usually understand more about a work if you read it more than once or twice.
Read first the article and then try to understand what the narrator says
To determine whether the narrator in the story "The Lemon Tree Billiards House" is trustworthy and if we can believe his story, we need to analyze the elements of the narrative. Here's how you can approach this:
1. Read the story: Start by thoroughly reading the story "The Lemon Tree Billiards House" to familiarize yourself with the narrator's account. Pay attention to the details, events, and the narrator's perspective.
2. Assess consistency: Consider whether the narrator consistently maintains a logical and coherent story throughout. Look for any contradictions, discrepancies, or inconsistencies that may arise in his narration. This could include conflicting descriptions, misunderstandings, or gaps in the story.
3. Examine reliability: Evaluate the narrator's reliability in terms of their credibility, bias, and level of knowledge. Determine if they have a personal stake in the story or any hidden motivations that could influence their account. Assess whether they have sufficient firsthand experience and access to accurate information.
4. Consider context: Take into account the broader context of the story, including the author's intentions and the narrative structure. Consider if the author intends to create an unreliable narrator for specific literary purposes, such as generating suspense, creating ambiguity, or exploring themes of perception.
5. Analyze supporting evidence: Look for supporting evidence or corroboration within the story that can verify or disprove the narrator's claims. This can involve examining the actions and behaviors of other characters, the physical environment, or any external documentation mentioned in the story.
6. Reflect on narrative technique: Evaluate the narrative technique employed by the author and how it affects the reliability of the narrator. For example, first-person narrators may be prone to subjectivity, while a third-person omniscient narrator may possess more objectivity.
By going through these steps, you can critically analyze the narratorial reliability in "The Lemon Tree Billiards House" and form an informed opinion on whether the narrator is trustworthy, and if the story can be believed. Remember that the purpose of literature sometimes involves challenging our assumptions, so the unreliability of the narrator might be intentional on the author's part.