Modern Social Science Research

Mark Twain, an iconic figure in American literary history, is renowned for his unique humor and satirical style. The Stolen White Elephant, a classic short story by Twain, recounts a series of absurd tales triggered by the theft of a precious white elephant. With its exaggerated plot, humorous language, and profound social critique, the work has attracted extensive attention from readers and scholars alike. The development of narratological theories has provided new perspectives and methods for literary analysis. Among them, unreliable narration—an essential concept in narratology—reveals the complex relationship between the narrator and the reader, as well as the deep-seated meanings and artistic values of a text. By applying the framework of unreliable narration to The Stolen White Elephant, this study aims to excavate the hidden satire and critique in the work, thereby enhancing the understanding of Twain’s creative intentions and artistic characteristics. This research employs the theory of unreliable narration to analyze the manifestations of the narrator’s unreliability in The Stolen White Elephant and the resulting narrative effects. It seeks to reveal the social critique and cultural connotations embedded in the work, so as to enrich the studies on Mark Twain’s oeuvre and provide readers with new perspectives and approaches for interpretation.

Unreliable narration; Mark twain; The Stolen White Elephant