Lesson 2.2: Question 5

Harry’s story would have been more insightful if it pertained details about the characters involved. For instance, if Harry had elaborated upon what kind of intentions the younger twin had by stealing the document, or what kind of duties he was assigned by his superiors, perhaps the story would have been less biased. Harry’s story immediately begins to convey the older twin as being the protagonist, and the younger twin as being the antagonist, without any background or description of the younger twin’ actions. The story leads the listeners and readers to believe the older twin to be obedient and the younger twin to possess malintent. In that regard, the story is told in a context of referring back to colonization, and the oral stories and traditions of First Nations people in North America. As interpreter readers and listeners read and hear stories, mustn’t they be aware of biases in the stories? Perhaps the purpose of Harry’s story was to simply summarize, and state the major points and events, while achieving a conclusion that explains affairs between while settlers and First Nation’s people, from the perspective of a First Nation’s person. Regardless, the story does possess biases, and as a reader, I cannot completely agree with the way the story was told.

Harry tells his stories in an intriguing and whimsical manner. The story begins by mentioning “a pair of twins charged to undertake a series of important tasks related to the creation of the earth and its first inhabitants” (Robinson, 9), and precedes by only describing what the older twin was instructed to do by his mentors. Why was there no mention of what the younger twin’s duties were? The story only mentions that “the younger twin stole a written document – a “paper” – he had been warned not to touch”, and fails to mention what duties he was assigned from his superiors. The younger twin was “banished to a distant land across a large body of water” (9) for lying about his act of stealing, while the older twin stayed in North America. The story conveys that the older twin is more honest and obedient, while the younger twin is deceitful and a liar. I find the story pigeon holes the younger twin as being a deceitful liar. Additionally, there was no mention as to why the younger twin had intentions to stealing the written documents in the first place. Harry’s stories lack content. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and thought it was recited in a simplistic manner that really gets to the point although it lacks detail about the characters.

Work Cited

IMGSoup. Devil vs Angel Painting. Web. 11 June 2015. <http://imgsoup.com/1/devil-vs-angel-painting/>

Reel Life Wisdom. James Stewart. Doug Manning. 2015. Web. 11 June 2015. <http://www.reellifewisdom.com/don_t_believe_everything_you_hear_and_only_half_of_what_you_see>

Robinson, Harry. Living by Stories: a Journey of Landscape and Memory. Compiled and edited by Wendy Wickwire. Vancouver: Talon Books 2005. (1-30)

UBC News. Analytic thinking can decrease religious belief: UBC Study. Public Affairs. 26 April 2012. Web. 11 June 2015. <http://news.ubc.ca/2012/04/26/analytic-thinking-can-decrease-religious-belief-ubc-study/>