FIGURE 12.4. General kinds of deficient narration.
FIGURE 12.5. A detailed taxonomy of deficient narration.
rative. For example, Huck Finn’s narration in the Evasion section of Twain’s
novel is deficient because its ethical endorsement of Tom Sawyer’s plans for
the Evasion, which entail a demeaning treatment of Jim, contradicts Huck’s
hard-won decision to go to hell rather than tell Miss Watson where she can
find her slave. Here the deficient narration has estranging effects on many
readers’ relationship not only with Huck but also with Twain.
Typically, the deceptive subtype of deficient narration will have greater
estranging effects than the inadvertent subtype. Hence the above spectra, with
the second offering the more fine-grained description.
RELIABLE, UNRELIABLE, AND DEFICIENT NARRATION • 237