Ishiguro’s use of Symbols to Depict an Unreliable Narrator in ‘An Artist of the Floating World’
Abhishek Appasaheb Phand
Assistant Professor,
Head of Dept. English
L. B. S. Sr College, Partur
“Symbolism is no mere idle fancy or corrupt degeneration: it is inherent in the very texture of human life.” – (Whitehead 5)
Abstract: Symbolism is a device that is generally used in literature to denote a deeper meaning with a superficial image or event or character. Ishiguro uses symbols to depict an unreliable narrator in his ‘An Artist of the Floating World’. An unreliable narrator tries to distort the reality by narrating false events. To put it simply, “An unreliable narrator can be defined as any narrator who misleads readers, either deliberately or unwittingly” (Seddon). Ishiguro uses symbols to explore theme of memory, self-deception, and distorting reality. Masuji Ono, the narrator of the novel, distorts his narration to attain self-worth along with hide his own guilt. This distortion of his narration is contrasted by Ishiguro by placing striking symbols with help readers realise the unreliability of Ono’s narration. This research paper aims to highlight the unreliability of Ono’s narration depicted by Ishiguro in the novel.
“An unreliable narrator is one whose account is suspect because he or she proves to have a limited knowledge of the events recounted either because his or her personal involvement in those events introduces bias, or because his or her values are in conflict with those of narrative itself” (Macey 387).
Keywords: Self-deception, Kazuo Ishiguro, Symbolism, Unreliable Narrator, An Artist of the Floating World, Propaganda Art, Memory.
DOI link – https://doi.org/10.69758/GIMRJ/2507S01V13P015
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