Final answer:
The narrator in Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Black Cat' is considered unreliable because of his admitted alcoholism, unstable mental condition, and the fragmented and first-person nature of his confession, which raises questions about the truthfulness and completeness of his account.
Step-by-step explanation:
Why is the Narrator Unreliable in 'The Black Cat'?
In Edgar Allan Poe's short story 'The Black Cat', we consider the narrator unreliable for several reasons. First, an unreliable narrator is a story's first-person voice that the audience cannot fully trust due to biases, moral ambiguity, or compromised health or mental state. The narrator may admit to a lack of memory or attempt to justify immoral actions, or present a story with inconsistencies that call their honesty into question.
Specifically, in 'The Black Cat', the narrator exhibits unstable mental conditions, which lead to violent behavior and ultimately to the crime of murder. This character openly discusses his alcoholism and increasing detachment from reality, both factors contributing to his unreliability. The story itself is a confession of his guilt, suggesting a potential motive for distortion or selective omission of facts.
The structure of the story also contributes to the sense of unreliable narration. Fragmented narration, as seen here, can cast doubt on the cohesiveness and veracity of the narrative, inviting readers to question the integrity of the narrator's account. By providing a first-person perspective, Poe directly engages the reader in questioning the degree of reliability we can attach to the narrator's retelling of events.