In A Grove

An unreliable narrator tells a story that the reader cannot trust to be accurate. Unreliable narrators may set out to deceive, but they can also do so unintentionally due to self-deception, mental illness, or simple ignorance of events. Some famous examples of unreliable narrators include the narrator of Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club and Chief Bromden in Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Akutagawa’s characters are clearly unreliable since the details of each account of the murder conflict with the other accounts. However, the story leaves the motivation for and extent of this unreliability open to interpretation. By omitting any definite resolution, Akutagawa creates a mood of unease and distrust.

When a character is narrating a story—or when multiple characters take turns narrating—the author will often use a framing device for context. “In a Grove” primarily tells the story of the interaction between the bandit, the samurai, and the samurai’s wife within the bamboo grove. However, this story is framed within the police commissioner’s investigation of the murder (with a brief journey over to the Kiyomizu temple to hear Masago’s confession). Although this isn’t Akutagawa’s true focus, using a framing story binds the multiple accounts together in a cohesive manner.