Basic rules for analysing fiction, an incomprehensive list jotted down in a hurry:
- The protagonist isn’t always right
- The protagonist isn’t always good
- The protagonist isn’t always written to be relatable or likeable
- The narrator isn’t always right
- The narrator isn’t always good
- The narrator isn’t always telling the truth
- The narrator isn’t always the author
- The protagonist’s moral compass, the narrator’s moral compass and the author’s moral compass are three entirely different things that only occasionally overlap
- Pay attention to what characters do and not just what they say
- Pay special attention when what the characters do is at odds with what they say
- A lot of the time the curtains are blue for a reason. If they aren’t, you should read better books
One more:
12. The antagonist isn’t always telling the truth
So many times I have seen people apparently just … forget that it’s possible for fictional characters to be (a) mistaken or (b) lying, and say things like “we know this to be true because [character] said so here” (or, worse, “this fact is canon because [character] said it”).
The antagonist isn’t always telling the truth, the protagonist isn’t always telling the truth, the secondary and minor characters aren’t always telling the truth, the narrator may be telling the truth but if the narrator is also a character in the story then don’t count on it.