The Construction and Deconstruction of the Other--On Unreliable Narratives in Othello

Abstract

Starting from the relationship between East and West, based on the theory of "Other" and the theory of unreliable narrative of narratology, this paper compares the texts of the story and the play and analyses Shakespeare's reconstruction of Othello's image and the three axes of unreliable narratives in the play. It comes to the conclusion that there is an interactive relationship between the construction of the "Other" and unreliable narratives and that the latter not only contribute to the construction of the "Other" but also deconstruct the "Other". The significance of this paper lies in the reflection on the colonial discourse, the deconstruction and critique of the ideology of the "Other", which is of great relevance in the post-colonial era. It also points out the theoretical gaps of narratology with regard to genres other than fictions and expects to see comparisons of the different narrative styles and effects of different narrative genres.