# Unknown Narrator — Short Fiction character guide

> Unknown Narrator in Short Fiction by Edgar Allan Poe.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** myself, me, I

**First appearance:** 0004-metzengerstein

## Snapshot

A self-assured drinker who, mid-carouse, is accosted by a talking wine-pipe calling itself the Angel of the Odd—and finds his skepticism rudely tested.

## Who they are

He is the skeptical, slightly tipsy consciousness through which Poe stages one of his strangest comic hauntings, a man who trusts print and reason over apparitions. When a puncheon-bodied visitor with bottle arms insists on being seen, the narrator's dignity collides with a reality he cannot ring for a footman to remove. His stubborn disbelief sets up the story's central joke: that the odd may be exactly as real as what is printed.

## Relationships

### [William Legrand](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/characters/william_legrand)

_friendship_

The narrator is a close friend and confidant of Legrand, often accompanying him on his adventures and investigations.

### [Edgar Allan Poe](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/characters/edgar_allan_poe)

_professional_

Poe is the author who creates the narrator as his fictional stand-in or storytelling device across multiple tales.

### [Cornelius Wyatt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/characters/cornelius_wyatt)

_social_

Wyatt is a fellow passenger on a ship whom the narrator observes with curiosity and suspicion.

### [Thomas Bob](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/characters/thomas_bob)

_friendship_

Thomas Bob is a friend and companion of the narrator, often involved in shared adventures or conversations.

### [Pierre Bon-Bon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/characters/pierre_bon_bon)

_social_

The narrator encounters Bon-Bon, a philosopher and restaurateur, in a comedic and philosophical dialogue.

### [Mr. Talbot](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/characters/mr_talbot)

_friendship_

Mr. Talbot is a friend of the narrator who provides companionship and occasional assistance.

### [Doctor Ponnonner](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/characters/doctor_ponnonner)

_professional_

Doctor Ponnonner is a scientific colleague who involves the narrator in experiments and discoveries.

### [Fortunato](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/characters/fortunato)

_rivalry_

Fortunato is the narrator's enemy, whom the narrator lures into a catacomb to exact revenge for unspecified insults.

### [Roderick Usher](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/characters/roderick_usher)

_friendship_

The narrator is an old childhood friend summoned to comfort the ailing and morbidly sensitive Roderick Usher.

### [Morella](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/characters/morella)

_romantic_

Morella is the narrator's wife, whose intense intellectual and metaphysical bond with him becomes a source of dread and obsession.

### [Von Kempelen](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/characters/von_kempelen)

_professional_

The narrator investigates and reports on Von Kempelen's alleged discovery of a method to turn lead into gold.

### [Charles Goodfellow](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/characters/charles_goodfellow)

_friendship_

Charles Goodfellow is a friend of the narrator, though his true motives and identity are later revealed to be deceptive.

## In the story

### [Short Fiction](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/short-fiction)

Appears in multiple stories as the first-person observer or participant in uncanny events.

### [Metzengerstein](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/metzengerstein)

The narrator recounts the story of the Metzengerstein and Berlifitzing feud, providing background and describing events.

### [The Duc de l’Omelette](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-duc-de-l-omelette)

The narrator recounts the tale of the Duc de l’Omelette's death and his encounter with the Devil.

### [A Tale of Jerusalem](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/a-tale-of-jerusalem)

The narrator recounts the story of the Gizbarim at the walls of Jerusalem.

### [Loss of Breath](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/loss-of-breath)

The protagonist who loses his breath after a quarrel with his wife, later finds himself in a vault, and engages in a bizarre conversation with another corpse.

### [MS. Found in a Bottle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/ms-found-in-a-bottle)

The rational, skeptical narrator who survives the initial shipwreck and boards a mysterious ghost ship, documenting his descent into the southern whirlpool.

### [The Assignation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-assignation)

The narrator meets the mysterious man in Venice, observes his art and demeanor, and witnesses his death by poison.

### [Berenice](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/berenice)

Egaeus, the narrator; a reclusive scholar with a monomaniacal disorder; becomes morbidly obsessed with Berenice's teeth after her transformation.

### [Morella](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/morella)

The narrator is the husband of Morella, whose initial fascination turns to horror and alienation as he becomes obsessed with her mystical studies and the uncanny resemblance of their daughter.

### [Lionizing](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/lionizing)

The narrator, Robert Jones, is the protagonist who rises to fame through his nose and Nosology.

### [The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-unparalleled-adventure-of-one-hans-pfaall)

The frame narrator who reports the events in Rotterdam and introduces Hans Pfaall's story.

### [King Pest](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/king-pest)

The narrator describes the adventures of Legs and Tarpaulin, and the scene in the undertaker's shop.

### [Shadow](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/shadow)

The narrator, identified as Oinos, leads the group and confronts the shadow.

### [Four Beasts in One](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/four-beasts-in-one)

The narrator acts as a guide, describing the city of Antioch and the events unfolding, including the king's flight and the mob's behavior.

### [Mystification](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/mystification)

The narrator recounts his friendship with the Baron Ritzner von Jung and his observations of the Baron's mystifications, including the incident with Hermann.

### [Silence](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/silence)

The narrator listens to the Demon's fable and cannot laugh at its end.

### [Ligeia](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/ligeia)

The grief-stricken husband who idealizes Ligeia and later marries Rowena, experiencing a supernatural event.

### [The Devil in the Belfry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-devil-in-the-belfry)

The narrator describes the borough and its calamity, and appeals for aid.

### [The Man That Was Used Up](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-man-that-was-used-up)

The narrator is obsessed with uncovering the mystery behind General Smith's remarkable appearance and heroic past.

### [The Fall of the House of Usher](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-fall-of-the-house-of-usher)

The narrator arrives at the House of Usher, describes the oppressive atmosphere, and attempts to comfort Roderick Usher.

### [William Wilson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/william-wilson)

The first-person narrator, revealed to be William Wilson himself, reflecting on his past.

### [Why the Little Frenchman Wears His Hand in a Sling](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/why-the-little-frenchman-wears-his-hand-in-a-sling)

The narrator and protagonist, a boastful Irish baronet who competes for the widow's attention.

### [The Business Man](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-business-man)

The narrator, Peter Proffit, a self-proclaimed methodical business man who recounts his various trades.

### [The Man of the Crowd](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-man-of-the-crowd)

The convalescent narrator who becomes obsessed with following the old man through London's streets.

### [The Murders in the Rue Morgue](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-murders-in-the-rue-morgue)

The narrator reflects on analytical reasoning and accompanies Dupin to the crime scene.

### [A Descent Into the Maelström](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/a-descent-into-the-maelstr-m)

The narrator accompanies the old fisherman to the summit of Helseggen and listens to his tale.

### [The Island of the Fay](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-island-of-the-fay)

The narrator is the sole human presence in the chapter, engaging in solitary contemplation of nature and recounting a visionary encounter with a Fay on a remote island.

### [Never Bet the Devil Your Head](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/never-bet-the-devil-your-head)

The narrator tells the tale of Toby Dammit, defending his own moral storytelling and observing Toby's fate.

### [Eleonora](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/eleonora)

The narrator, a man of passionate and possibly mad lineage, recounts his life in two epochs: one with Eleonora, one after her death.

### [Three Sundays in a Week](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/three-sundays-in-a-week)

The narrator, Bobby, is the young man seeking to marry his cousin Kate. He describes his granduncle's character and his own frustrations.

### [The Oval Portrait](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-oval-portrait)

The wounded narrator who seeks refuge in the château and becomes obsessed with the oval portrait.

### [The Masque of the Red Death](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-masque-of-the-red-death)

The narrator describes the events of the masquerade and the appearance of the Red Death.

### [The Landscape Garden](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-landscape-garden)

The narrator recounts his conversations with Mr. Ellison and reflects on the philosophy of landscape gardening as a poetic art.

### [The Mystery of Marie Rogêt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-mystery-of-marie-rog-t)

The narrator recounts the case and presents Dupin's reasoning.

### [The Pit and the Pendulum](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-pit-and-the-pendulum)

The condemned prisoner who endures the horrors of the Inquisition's dungeon, the pit, and the pendulum.

### [The Telltale Heart](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-telltale-heart)

The unnamed narrator who insists on his sanity while detailing his obsessive murder of the old man.

### [The Gold-Bug](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-gold-bug)

The narrator is Legrand's friend who accompanies him on the treasure hunt and documents the events.

### [The Black Cat](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-black-cat)

The narrator recounts his transformation from a gentle animal lover into a violent alcoholic who murders his wife and his cat.

### [Diddling Considered as One of the Exact Sciences](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/diddling)

The narrator defines and analyzes the art of diddling, presenting himself as a philosophical observer of human nature.

### [The Spectacles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-spectacles)

The protagonist, a young man with poor vision, who falls in love at first sight and is later deceived by his own vanity.

### [A Tale of the Ragged Mountains](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/a-tale-of-the-ragged-mountains)

The narrator who recounts Bedloe's story and interacts with both Bedloe and Templeton.

### [The Premature Burial](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-premature-burial)

The narrator recounts his own catalepsy and obsessive fear of premature burial, detailing his precautions and a harrowing awakening.

### [Mesmeric Revelation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/mesmeric-revelation)

The mesmerist who conducts the experiment and records the dialogue with Mr. Vankirk.

### [The Oblong Box](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-oblong-box)

The narrator is a former fellow student of Cornelius Wyatt, prone to morbid curiosity and obsession, who becomes fixated on the mystery of the oblong box.

### [The Angel of the Odd](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-angel-of-the-odd)

The narrator, after a heavy meal and reading, becomes irate at a newspaper account of a strange death and is visited by the Angel of the Odd.

### [Thou Art the Man](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/thou-art-the-man)

The detective-like figure who uncovers the truth and orchestrates the confession.

### [The Purloined Letter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-purloined-letter)

The narrator accompanies Dupin and recounts the detective's methods in solving the case of the purloined letter.

### [The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Scheherazade](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-thousand-and-second-tale-of-scheherazade)

The narrator who claims to have discovered the true account of Scheherazade's fate in the Tellmenow Isitsöornot.

### [Some Words with a Mummy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/some-words-with-a-mummy)

The narrator is awakened by a note from Doctor Ponnonner and joins the examination of the mummy.

### [The Imp of the Perverse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-imp-of-the-perverse)

The narrator is the condemned murderer who explains the principle of perverseness and confesses to killing a man with a poisoned candle.

### [The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-system-of-doctor-tarr-and-professor-fether)

The traveler who visits the madhouse and recounts the events.

### [The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-facts-in-the-case-of-m-valdemar)

The mesmerist and narrator of the story, who conducts the experiment on M. Valdemar.

### [The Sphinx](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-sphinx)

The narrator is deeply affected by the cholera epidemic and prone to superstition; he sees a monstrous vision that terrifies him.

### [The Cask of Amontillado](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-cask-of-amontillado)

Montresor, the vengeful narrator, meticulously executes his plan to murder Fortunato.

### [The Domain of Arnheim](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/the-domain-of-arnheim)

The narrator recounts Ellison's theories and describes his own struggle to convey the marvels of Ellison's creation.

### [Mellonta Tauta](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/mellonta-tauta)

The narrator, Pundita, writes the letter from the balloon, sharing her observations and opinions on the journey and the state of the world.

### [Von Kempelen and His Discovery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/von-kempelen-and-his-discovery)

The first-person narrator who had a casual acquaintance with Von Kempelen at Earl's Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island, and provides personal details and commentary on the discovery.

### [Landor’s Cottage](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/chapters/landor-s-cottage)

The narrator recounts his journey and observations of the landscape and cottage.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/characters/unknown_narrator
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_14_se/characters