Consider the passage:

"I could see the river glinting in the moonlight, a silver ribbon that seemed to whisper secrets. I felt the night's cool breath on my skin, and for a moment I believed I was part of the water itself."

Later the narration switches to: "She watched the river from the porch, noting how the water moved without her. It was as if the world continued its own story, indifferent to her thoughts."

Identify the narrative technique employed by the shift and discuss its effect on the reliability of the narrator.

Question

Consider the passage:

"I could see the river glinting in the moonlight, a silver ribbon that seemed to whisper secrets. I felt the night's cool breath on my skin, and for a moment I believed I was part of the water itself."

Later the narration switches to: "She watched the river from the porch, noting how the water moved without her. It was as if the world continued its own story, indifferent to her thoughts."

Identify the narrative technique employed by the shift and discuss its effect on the reliability of the narrator.

Accepted Answer

Alternating focalisation (shift from first‑person to third‑person); it undermines narrator reliability by juxtaposing a subjective inner view with an objective external view, forcing the reader to question which perspective is trustworthy.

Neco Model Questions Vol1 2023 Literature In English Question 13

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