In A Dark Dark Wood

A main theme of this novel concerns the relationship between memory and truth. Cliff presents Nora as an unreliable narrator: Nora can’t remember all the details about what happened the night of James’s death, so she can’t adequately defend herself from allegations that she conspired to kill James. Unable to determine who is responsible, Nora doubts herself and questions her part in James’s death. Not only does Nora distrust herself, she distrusts her former friends and new acquaintances at the hen do.

Cliff intertwines memory and truth: Nora’s journey to uncover the truth parallels her struggle to regain her memory. Nora conceals the truth of her past. As she confronts her memories, she gradually reveals the truth to both the reader and herself. In this way, the author shows memory to be less than reliable. Nora thought she understood what happened in her past and left her old life to protect herself from James’s betrayal. When Nora realizes that Clare sent the breakup text, Nora’s whole perception of her past changes. The truth both heals Nora’s fracture memory and allows Nora to heal herself.