In a lecture from November 18th 2014, professor Laurie McNeill walked the class through a textual examination of What is the What, applying her research question: “What purpose does storytelling serve?” As I reflect back upon my first term of ASTU, this question seems applicable to the many life narratives we have studied: individuals tell their life story, but what has compelled them to do so?
The subjectivity of stories raises concerns about authenticity, as I explored in my previous blog post, and author Nathan Bransford suggests that the variations between interpretations of the same event are at the root of many conflicts. Stories cannot be entirely “factual” because they are from a particular point of view, and rely on the brain’s creation.
Yet, despite, or perhaps thanks to its subjectivity, storytelling carries out important functions, such as the creation of acceptable memories. In his blog post, Jason Gots presents cognitive neuroscientist Michael Gazzaniga who has done extensive research about the way in which the brain creates narratives from memories. The brain is known to tells stories in order to make sense of past events, often modifying experiences and filling in gaps, and he emphasizes that “accuracy is not the main objective – coherence is.” Gazzaniga further explains that this function is crucial for individuals to develop a sense of direction: “where (they)’re coming from and where (they)’re headed.”
This innate need for storytelling also helps people give justification to experiences, more specifically to hardship and loss, according to Kirsti A. Dyer. She explains that, assuming grief becomes a part of one’s identity and experience of the world, it is important for a victim to tell a story about the hardship they have experienced in order to acknowledge it, construct its meaning, and “understand their new role in a world forever changed.”
It seems then that the life narratives we have studied not only fulfill needs of the reader as we have discussed by looking at the way they are consumed, but provide an important platform for and process of remembrance and acknowledgement for each memoirist.
Bransford, Nathan. “Stories Are How We Make Sense of Life.” Nathan Bransford Blog. n.p., 14 July 2011. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.
Gots, Jason.“Your Storytelling Brain.” Big Think. The Big Think, 15 Jan. 2012. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.
Dyer, Kirsti A. “The Importance of Telling (and Listening) to the Story.” Professional Course on the Somatic Aspects of Loss & Grief. Journey of Hearts A Healing Place in CyberSpace, 2001. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.