Thomas King's The Truth About Stories

Chief Seattle questions the Americans on why they sell and buy land also treat it as if it is nothing. Chief Seattle explains that the Americans want power using personification. Chief Seattle says, “His appetite will devour the earth and leave behind only the desert.”(Paragraph 13). He gives ‘appetite’ a human ability which he uses to show how the Americans want power. That the Americans will take up everything the earth has offered and basically leave nothing. Some of his audience are the Americans and some Native Americans. He intended to evoke the Americans to get them to understand that the earth is not a selling product nor a place to mistreat. He wants the Americans to be able to see the Native American's point of view to understand

According to Deborah Rhode in her essay “Why Looks Are the Last Bastion of Discrimination”looks and discrimination are based on physical appearance. This includes height, weight, body shape, disfigurement,skin conditions, scars, and even birthmarks. Rhode’s ideas do apply to discrimination, because nearly thirty percent of women reported experiencing discrimination in 2013.

Folks" We're all equal and the same, we just have things and quirks that make us stand out from everyone else.

In the book, the Truth About Stories, Thomas King sheds light on the power of stories. King explicitly enforces that one must take caution in the way he or she tells a story, since it will shape one’s thoughts, decision-making and future (2). Through the use of literature, King weaves his way through native history, anecdote by anecdote, informing his readers about the importance of storytelling. “Stories are wondrous things,” the author writes. “And they are dangerous.” (9). To prove this, King mentions two creation stories; the differences in these stories is the way in which they are told. The first is a famous native story called, “the woman who fell from the sky”; this story is told in a complex, persuasive way (10-20). This story discusses a society emphasizing the value of cooperation as the animals work together to create a better world (21-22). The second story, a Judeo-Christian biblical story, describes a Western Capitalist society. It is told in a historical, punitive and direct fashion, underlining a society of boundaries and punishment. King highlights that storytelling is not just simply telling a story, rather it is how the stories are told. King uses these particular stories to show how different stories shape people’s perspectives, which impacts their ideas, thoughts and decision making. Therefore he addresses how sensitive storytelling may be, for once a story is told, it can never be taken back (10). This is true in all realms of life, cautioning

What makes us different from one another? Is it the color of our hair, the different shades of pigment in our skin, or the intelligence and beauty that a person may have?

In the memoir On Writing by Stephen King, there are several differences with the structure when compared to fiction novels. First and foremost, considering the memoir is about his writing techniques, King goes into detail about how he engages the audience. He explains what he calls the “toolbox”, which contains the essential resources every writer needs in order to improve their style. A few of his tips include using basic vocabulary you know the audience will relate with, avoiding adverbs at all costs, and avoiding a passive voice in narration. After going through the many tips he had to offer, I realized the difference between the way his words flow together versus other author’s. A strategy King utilizes for engaging the reader is remaining dominant and straight-forward in his words. He mentions that the reader is always the main concern, and making sure they will understand the point is necessary. Another way King connects with the audience is by using his sense of humor. This memoir doesn’t have a formal tone, which is half of what makes it enjoyable. There are several times where he is satirical, sarcastic, and making jokes to keep the reader engaged. With that being said, the overall diction is a balanced mixture between informative and humorous. An additional difference between King’s memoir and fiction novels is the way he is direct with the audience. Considering fiction novels are generally telling stories to the reader, there isn’t a connection with the narrator.

They are different than me because they know oppression in a way I never will. To say that we are the same would be an insult. I get that

Everyone is different. No two people are alike. This world has been influenced by people reacting to other people being different. For example, race, religious beliefs and appearances. I believe everyone should be treated with respect because we are all equal and should be treated accordingly.

In “The Truth about Stories”, Thomas King, demonstrate connection between the Native storytelling and the authentic world. He examines various themes in the stories such as; oppression, racism, identity and discrimination. He uses the creational stories and implies in to the world today and points out the racism and identity issues the Native people went through and are going through. The surroundings shape individuals’ life and a story plays vital roles. How one tells a story has huge impact on the listeners and readers. King uses sarcastic tone as he tells the current stories of Native people and his experiences. He points out to the events and incidents such as the government apologizing for the colonialism, however, words remains as

“I’m gonna go after Sarah!” Luke screamed over the noise and without second thought, he took off running. My eyes went wide as he was immediately lost in the crowd of walkers.

Other people think that people should be created equal so we don’t get bullied, have the same beauty features as others, and not be self conscience. They’re wrong because God made us unique for a reason, we should flaunt our beauty and our flaws, and everyone is unique in a certain

When I was only a little girl, I had been told that true beauty came from within. Yet as I grew up, I noticed that looks mattered. From their attractiveness, race, age, or gender, anyone’s image was always up for scrutiny. Under those circumstances, I grew up thinking that if people were to judge me based on my appearance, that I should judge them the same way. Though, as I became older, I at some point learned that how a person looked wasn’t always in their range of control. A person simply isn’t born with the choice of picking what they look like, nor are they born with the choice of having a genetic disorder or disease. In that case, I believe that nobody should be defined purely based on what they look like.

Many people tell stories to inform others about themselves. Throughout my life people in my family have told me many stories, and behind each story there is a purpose. The stories I was told growing up were about experiences that people in my family have had or things that I have done. These stories mean a lot to me because through these stories different family members reveal many things about themselves. They want me to understand their ideas, beliefs, or feelings about a certain subject. They want people to praise or admire what they have done or accomplished. Funny stories are told to humor or embarrass someone, usually me. Other stories express that we are not alone in the world, and there are other people,

Being different has never occurred to me before. I believed that since everyone is human, we are all connected, that we should not be judged based on what we look like. I was wrong.

The effect globalization has on the slums, informal settlements, and poverty in Cairo takes on more specific forms as seen by the impact privatization has on industries that are key sources of income for many. The Zabaleen, who live in makeshift settlements on agricultural land at the western and northern fringes of Cairo metropolitan region, have been the traditional garbage collectors and recyclers in Cairo for decades (Fahmi, 2005). It is estimated in 1997, the Zabaleen collected up to 3,000 tonnes of garbage every day on average, with “85 percent being recycled directly through micro-enterprises that generated jobs and incomes for the local community” (Fahmi, 2005). This system of collection makes up the livelihoods for many of the families over the course of generations. However, the Zabaleen’s “small scale, family owned businesses of door-to-door collection and recycling have been officially perceived as lacking modern equipment and hygienic practices” (Fahmi & Sutton, 2006). Instead, as a result of Cairo reaching out internationally and seeking multi-national partnerships with the technology-intensive waste management corporations, the Zabaleen risk losing their way of life and source of income (Fahmi, 2005). Having their jobs being taken up by foreign companies would be devastating to the already struggling Zabaleen. As Fahmi and Sutton (2006) state, the authorities do not intend to compensate them for these changes and transition to a more technologically intensive