- Ambiguous and Contradictory Statements: Poe's narrators often offer conflicting accounts or make contradictory statements, creating a sense of confusion and doubt. They may present certain events or emotions in a contradictory manner.
- Shifting Perspectives: The narrative perspective might shift unexplicably, making the reader question who is narrating the story and from which point of view.
- Irrational Beliefs and Thoughts: The narrators may express illogical thoughts, unfounded beliefs, or make wild connections that seem detached from reality.
- Heightened Emotional States: Poe's narrators often display intense emotions throughout the story, including fear, anxiety, and paranoia, which can make their perspective appear biased and unreliable.
- Lack of Self-Awareness: The narrators may be unaware of their own instability and bias, presenting themselves as rational while exhibiting signs of mental unbalance.
- Unconventional Vocabulary and Syntax: Some narrators use unusual words or grammatical structures, affecting their credibility and suggesting their unique or distorted perspective.
- Fragmentary and Incomplete Narratives: The narrators may present fragmented details, leaving out important information or providing only partial accounts.
- Use of First-person POV: Employing the first- person point of view limits the reader's perspective to that of the narrator, reinforcing their unreliability without offering an external, objective viewpoint.
- Symbolism and Metaphor: Poe's narrators use metaphors and symbols to convey their subjective emotional states and perceptions rather than providing objective descriptions.
- Lack of Certainty: The narrators often express doubt, hesitation, or uncertainty, making their accounts seem less reliable and potentially biased by their insecurities.
Through these techniques, Poe creates a sense of unease and suspicion, making the reader doubt the reliability and stability of the narrators, adding depth and complexity to his tales of mystery and horror.