This master's thesis attempts to illuminate the problem of an unreliable narrator in holocaust literature. The narrator is the medium that allows the reader to enter the narrated world and to create an illusion of direct communication between the two. The manner in which the narrator is depicted and used can contribute to the reader's identification with the narrative and its normalization. However, when it comes to holocaust literature, authors seek to establish new, more authentic forms of narration, and a form of writing that prevents such normalization and familiarization, and instead enables continuous confrontation with the topic. A way to reinvoke the initial shock and horror is to write from the perspective of an unreliable narrator, whose narrative often raises doubts about his/her reporting, interpretation and judgement of events, affecting the reader on an emotional and critical level. I have developed this understanding through an analysis of three literary texts: The Boy in Stripped Pyjamas by John Boyne, The Kindly Ones by Johnatan Littell and Max by Sarah Cohen-Scali. I have established that fiction and unreliability enable the reader to feel greater empathy with others, and allow for a greater openness of literature - when it comes to the topic of holocaust these facts prevent us from not thinking, not being aware, and not being able to reflect on our past and future, and allow us to broaden our perspective and imaginative empathy.
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