What is your impression of Sal as a narrator? Reliable? Unreliable? Explain and cite the text for support.

Sal is an extremely reliable narrator. He always states things in a way that provides me with a clear picture. Whether discussing scenery or a person Sal always speaks in an extremely descriptive manner that allows me, the chance to visualize the story as it unfolds. "Besides, all my New York friends were in the negative, nightmare position of putting down society and giving their tired bookish or political or psychoanalytical reasons, but Dean just raced in society, eager for bread and love.” (Part 1, Ch. 1) This quote describes both Sal’s New York friends and Dean, and I can almost visualize both parties, the boring New Yorkers and the different Dean. What I especially like about this description is that when Sal is speaking about his droning and boring New Yorkers he drones on and becomes boring. However, when he is explaining Dean he is very short and is almost funny. Another thing that makes Sal a reliable narrator is his successful foreshadowing. “Somewhere along the line I knew there’d be girls, visions, everything; somewhere along the line the pearl would be handed to me.(Part 1, Ch. 1) He gives me enough information so that I am intrigued but still ignorant of what is to come. Sal is reliable because he draws the reader in with his strong descriptive language and the slight foreshadowing.

-Sinéad Brennan