Unreliability as Skillful Survival Tactic: Case Study of Ora in David Grossman’s To the End of the Land

Abstract

Narrators are more than mere transmitters. It is against the backdrop of their narration that a reader becomes implicated or not. When well-crafted, they possess the ability to change a reader’s cognitive, psychological, and emotional state. Gifted readers, however, can assess the reliability of a narrator and the tactics they use to overcome the implications of misbehavior or misunderstanding. However, in situations where themes such as motherhood or death are explored, the lines between reality and fiction and reliability and unreliability blur. Drawing on the rhetorical narratology of Phelan and Gerrard Genette's theory of narrative discourse, this paper attempts to shed light on how the narrator of David Grossman’s To the End of the Land defies the static boundaries between reliability and unreliability, outlining how unreliability becomes a survival tactic in war zones. The study results indicated that while readers are aware that Ora’s unreliability is evident, emotional involvement remains difficult to ignore. The analysis also revealed that death and motherhood are driving forces behind the persistence of unreliability. Moreover, a secret communion between the implied author and implied reader is highlighted. The paper contributes to the study of unreliable narration by demonstrating how, in trauma and war contexts, unreliability can function as a psychological defense mechanism rather than a mere rhetorical tool.