For many decades people have relied on their story telling to communicate their truths.Without the use of words many people’s struggle would be lost throughout history. Literature develops story-telling into a permanent mode of transportation. In his novel Senselessness, Horacio Castellanos Moya develops two simultaneous stories. Specifically, in his novel there is a narrator who has been hired to edit indigenous testimonies. While editing the testimony, the narrator details graphic details of systematic oppression and murder. While reading the testimony, the narrator is impacted by the gravity of what he is reading. The narrator of the story has not experienced the trauma he is reading about, and yet, his state of mind begins to deteriorate as he read their stories. With the narrator’s storyline, Moya’s novel Senselessness, vividly details the impact that words have on people. …show more content…
Moya brilliantly laces the novel with bits and pieces of the indigenous experiences as a form to express their story. By having the indigenous narrative told second hand through the narrator, the reader is able to make connections about the indigenous people’s story, because the narrator picks and chooses statements that make an impact on him. The first glimpse into the indigenous people’s mind is on the first page in the novel: “I am not complete in the mind” (1). The latter statement serves as an indicator for both the indigenous experience and as a foreshadowing for the narrators experience while editing the statements. Moya deliberately chooses this line as the first glimpse into the testimony because with this line he shows the great impact the testimonies will have on the narrator. In truth, as the novel develops, the narrator consistently references back to the the words he reads because they have a grave effect on
Alexie uses first hand experiences all throughout his article to depict the reality of American Indian’s lives. By appealing to the pathos, he gives his readers the ability to empathize with him, experiencing both the trials and triumphs. His use of analogies provides his audience with visuals that portray his experiences more accurately. When Alexie writes about himself in
Alexie’s narrator describes a story of assumption and discrimination through not only the thoughts of the narrator and his life, but also how the narrator explains his thoughts and the diction he uses as he recalls certain moments. Throughout the passage, the narrator demonstrates how isolated he is, not only in the country where hia people are shunned, but also with others that are in a situation similar to his. Not only is there a feeling of loneliness and isolation, but also guilt of relation to how Indians are being treated today. Through stories of realistic fiction, Alexie addresses serious issues that others fail to.
Jimmy Santiago Baca’s “Coming into Language” displays a dark, yet uplifting view of the power of literacy. From his beginning in the hospital, toward the end during his imprisonment, Baca moves from the mindset of a rebellious teenager to a poetic adult. Through vivid descriptions, metaphors, the appeal to the audience’s emotions, and Baca sets up a transformational framework to show how literacy can be a way of escape. Baca’s story seeks to explain a point of view that one is more likely to become incarcerated and to struggle in life if he is uneducated. “I wrote to sublimate my rage, from a place where all hope is gone, from a madness of having been damaged too much, from a silence of killing rage” (Baca).
Scott, describes the Indigenous peoples in conflicting ways, wrapping the woman in “with a beautiful crystal shroud.” (Scott, “The Forsaken” 81) to the directly referring to Indigenous peoples as a “...weird and waning race” (Scott “The Onondaga Madonna” 2). This displays a complexity in his views. In “The Forsaken” I sensed sympathy, he describes the unwavering bravery of a mother, “[taking] her own flesh” (Scott, “The Forsaken” 33). Starkly contrasted by his obvious distaste, thinking Indigenous peoples are “savage” (Scott 3) in “The Onondaga Madonna”.
As most people know, storytelling is an important aspect of the Native American culture. That is how many of customs and tribal practices get passed down throughout history. In the short story “This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” the narrator explains how Thomas Builds-the-Fire’s story’s are needed but not appreciated. Through a maim revelation Thomas understands the importance of storytelling. Conflicts between the community and the the main characters are present through the story. Before explaining this story and its meaning, the theme must be recognized.
“The Book Thief” presented a story filled with various themes that comprised a powerful plot line. Although there were many themes in the story, there was one that stood out to me more than others. In the process of reading the book, the theme of suffering affected me the most. The definition of the word suffer is to experience or be subjected to something bad or unpleasant. Different characters within the story are subjected to dreadful feelings and are therefore suffering. Through my analyzation, I observed the three different types of suffering that the characters experienced: guilt, feelings of emptiness, and anxiety. The characters of “The Book Thief” experience these three types of suffering in different ways.
Throughout time, storytelling has evolved and changed with society. While oral storytelling is not as prevalent as it once was, the stories that were once passed down orally have now been written and passed through generations and cultures in this manner. However, the form that the story takes has not had an effect on storytelling as a whole. Storytelling has provided a way for tellers to pass along ideas on culture, ways of life, and traditions that may otherwise have been lost. Oftentimes, stories can become convoluted after being passed on via word of mouth, yet, others keep their integrity. No matter the truthfulness of the story, storytelling has consistently been harmful due to its ability to influence the listeners’ or readers’ thinking. In this paper, I will prove that stories are inherently harmful due to the ability the teller has to influence the listener through relatable or believable stories, whether they be fact or fiction, to solidify the gender hierarchy as shown in literary stories such as Lysistrata, the Tale of Genji, and Sunjata.
The Native people’s stories take on many forms and often times have a deeper metaphorical meaning and importance than your average western story. One such example is a poem called Ceremony which comes from author Leslie Marmon Silko, within the piece it examines the importance of stories and reflects on where the indigenous people might be without them. One line is particularly striking when it says, “You don’t have anything if you don’t have the stories. Their evil is mighty but it can’t stand up to our stories.” (Silko para.
All stories consist of a few common structural elements found universally in myths, fairy tales, dreams, and movies. They are known collectively as The Hero’s Journey. Understanding these elements and their use in modern writing is the object of our quest. Used wisely, these ancient tools of the storytellers craft still have tremendous power to heal our people and make the world a better place (xxvii).
The testimonies that are shared, uncover the hidden stories of trauma and be added towards accounts of history (Kidron). Testimonies can also serve as a warning to not repeat the same mistakes as in the past. As a warning, “Testimonio speaks truth to power; it seeks to break a recessive silence regarding a traumatic event in the spirt of never again, (Gates-Madsen 8).” By sharing their story, people who suffered a traumatic event can break the silence that surrounded the trauma, to serve as a testimony as well as a
Jacobs’ narrative is open and honest in its depiction of sexual harassment, describing the nature of the abuse and the tortured emotional state it leaves its victims in. Though the narrative tells of a girl’s life over one hundred and fifty years ago, it remains timely in its reminder that many suffering women do not have the ability to safely end the harassment they face every day, and yet, they continue to endure the consequential
Storytelling helps other people to emotionally connect themselves to the author so that they know they are not the only ones who are experiencing a painful or exciting experience, and are able to share the same emotions. It often helps other people to know what they should do in order to get over it when it comes to a painful experience. Maya Angelou’s I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings explores the life of Maya Angelou and the struggles she has been throughout her childhood to her adulthood. Richard Wagemese’s Indian Horse explores the life of Saul Indian Horse and the struggles he has been through after departing from his family. The power of storytelling can unfold questions which ask the audience of how and why are the events are unfold the
The recuperative power of language is revealed when Liesel begins an intrepid career in book thievery, finding solace in books and words amidst the cataclysmic historical period of Nazi Germany. Liesel’s unconscious desire to overcome her traumatic experiences is discovered within the confines of the basement. This is symbolic as, in Freudian psychoanalysis, the basement represents unconscious drives, repressed fears, traumas and fantasies. In Liesel’s journey to process her trauma and acknowledge new traumas, she psychoanalytically seeks out the comfort of the womb due to the absence of a motherly figure in the form of the basement. Zusak alters the archetypal image of the basement, picturing it as a metaphorical ‘womb’ for Liesel, a place of salvation and safety. “Liesel revisited those dark rooms of her past.” (p. 117) When Liesel discovers it is unlikely she will ever see her biological mother, she retreads underneath the table in an attempt to alleviate her pain. However, when Liesel feels psychologically strong enough to face the trauma of her abandonment, she is able to leave her place of safety and security and share her story with Max. This demonstrates the complexities of trauma and how an individual utilises differing coping mechanisms to confront their psychological suffering. Liesel, whilst opening herself to the pain of others, learns to express and
To that end, I strive to learn in the areas of peace and social justice. This is because I see that I live in a culture that is unhealthy for many individuals, and for this reason I contemplate, often, how I might create a more healthy culture in my own life and circumstances (and hopefully extending beyond). I strongly believe in linguistic relativity; that is, I believe that how we choose to use our words often shapes our reality. I am concerned that when we focus our attention on competition, conflict, and injustice, rather than that which creates the peaceful world in which we wish to live, the outcome is ongoing suffering for many. Believing that the stories we tell ourselves shape our attitudes and actions explains my interest in storytelling as an agent of social change. I am interested in locating and understanding peace stories. For this reason, this “Stories and Creative Leadership” final project focuses on a story designed to shape a healing paradigm. My expectation is that an in-depth examination and analysis of this story will enhance my understanding of how people, by the use of creative storytelling, intentionally go about promoting wellbeing, social justice, and shaping and maintaining peaceful cultures of cooperation and
How have notions of story telling or marginalization informed and challenged audiences? In your answer, you must refer to at least TWO set texts, at least ONE of which has been studied since the half yearly.