earticle

영어

This paper explores how Jess Walter employs the narrative strategy of an ‘unreliable narrator’ not only to deconstruct ‘Americanness’ but also dismantle the boundary between the Muslim world and the Western world in The Zero. A hero of the 9/11 terror and mainstream American representative, Brian Remy is a character symbolizing the post 9/11 trauma. Through the aspects of the split of Remy’s whole identity into two selves, the author questions the ‘unreliability’ of the narrator and reveals how America with its exceptionalism and exclusive immigration politics makes the Third world the Other in order to maintain the current system of globalization. The author dismantles the dichotomy of the Western world and the Muslim world by having a Muslim character, Jaguar, speak the truth of the narrative as opposed to the unreliable narrator, thus making the reader sympathize with the Other and understand the American politics. As such the author’s narrative strategy fosters a sense of tension for the reader to delay their judgement and critiques the false image of ‘Americanness’. The paper examines how the novel looks at the 9/11 terror from a new perspective and suggests the possible solution of the conflict between the Muslim world and the West world through the sincere communication with the Others.