what he or she is now doing, has done in the past, or will or is commanded to do in the future.” Abrams, 1999:234
According to Abrams 1999, this form of narration can be seen quite often in some traditional fictions, or passages in the Bible. However, this narrative style is
rarely used in modern fiction.
5. Theory of Unreliable Narrator
Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” brings the figure of the narrator. The characteristics and characterization theories help this study to see beyond the
dynamic of the narrator’s unconscious mind through his various quotations. However, the determination whether the narrator is reliable or not cannot be
proven with such theories. Therefore, the theory of unreliable narrator becomes the crucial means to determine this argument.
The earliest definition of unreliable narrator is suggested by Wayne C. Booth in The Rhetoric of Fiction 1961. Booth 1961 suggests that there are
two kinds of narrator, reliable narrator and unreliable narrator. “…I have called a narrator reliable when he speaks for or acts in accordance with the norms of the
work which is to say the implied authors norms, unreliable when he does not.”
Booth, 1961:158. There is another explanation by Rabinowitz 1977. He suggests that a
narrator is considered unreliable when heshe lies.
“an unreliable narrator however, is not simply a narrator who does not tell the truth
– what fictional narrator ever tells the literal truth? Rather an unreliable narrator is one who tells lies,
conceals information, misjudges with respect to the narrative audience
– that is, one whose statements are untrue not by the standards of the real world or of the authorial audience but by
the standards of his own narrative audience.”Rabinowitz,
1977
Moreover, signals of unreliable narrator can be seen in Nunning’s But
why will you say that I am mad?: On the Theory, History, and Signals of Unreliable Narration in British Fiction.
First are intratextual signs. It means that the narrator contradicts himherself. It manifests in unusual behavior such as; sudden memory loss and
series of lies. Second are extratextual signs. It means that the narrator shows contradiction to the reader’s logic through impossible deeds such as action of
murder. Finally is the literary competence of the reader, knowledge of literary types and stylistic devices used in literary works. By using this theory the
narrator’s unreliability characteristics can be explained.
6. Theory of Symbol
In Abrams’s Glossary of Literary Terms it is said that symbol is referred to word only or a set of words that determines an object or incident which
determines other than the original meanings of itself. It means that the word can be referred meanings beyond its origin Abrams. 1999: 168. Furthermore, from
Abrams statement, it can be seen that words function as a symbol contains series of expression which help defines other meaning and deeper understanding of the
words.
Moreover, according to Myers and Simms 1989 in The Longman Dictionary of Poetic Terms, imagination of the author is a guidance to help
readers understand the story. There are three terms of symbols according to Myers and Simms. The first symbol is cultural symbol, in which a natural object
refers to limited interpretations that exceed cultural canon. The example of this symbol is the use of Keris as fashion statement in Javanese culture.
The second symbol is general symbol. It is a symbol projected to small number of people and it contains associative meanings. For example is the use of
index finger and middle fingers as the sign of peace. The last symbol is private symbol, in which it is privately created by the author from the author’s
imagination, and it is more contextual Myers-Simms. 1989:98. The use of theory of symbol in this study is to reveal the
dynamic of the narrator’s unconscious mind.
L.Perrine 1974 also suggests another explanation of symbol. Perrine said that symbol is something which has more meanings than what it is. It may
represent an object, an action, a person, a certain situation or some other items that may contain literal meaning in a particular story but may also represent other
meanings as well Perrine, 1974:213. Perrine also suggests some ways of interpretation literary works for the
readers. First, the story must have series of clues which have to be taken symbolically. The symbols must have consistency throughout the story and can be
