“This is it. This is the real world.”
“A real world. How arrogant are you to think yours is the only one? There are infinite more. You have to open your mind. They touch one another, pressing up in a long line of lands, each just as real as the last. All have their own rules. Some have magic, some don’t. And some need magic. Like this one. And that’s where you come in.”
– “Hat Trick,” 1×7, Once Upon A Time
“You can only believe ONE of the stories is the true story of creation – right?”
– Erika Paterson
Black and white, neat and tidy – the world would be a much simpler place if everything could fit precisely in their own distinct categories, with no one clashing with another, and no room for confusion or uncertainty. But, as we all know, this is not how life works, and the fact of the matter is, there are a vast many shades of grey. The same is true of creation stories, for all of us are different individuals, coming from different cultures, different families, different traditions, different roots. If we all come from diverse origins, then how is it even fathomable to believe that there should be only one story to satisfy how we all began?
In Thomas King’s The Truth About Stories, he presents the reader with two very different creation stories. One is a Native story with Charm and the twins, and how with the mud of the Earth and the help of all of the water animals, they created the world. The other is the classic Christian story, with God creating the heavens and the Earth, and Adam and Eve falling from grace. The issue is not within the stories themselves, but rather, how King positions them. It is true that the two stories form a dichotomy, as all aspects of either story are in opposition with the other; “The Earth Diver” story is about collaboration and keeping elements in balance, while the “Genesis” story asserts an authoritative voice, and is “decidedly martial in nature” (King 24). King goes one step further by juxtaposing the two stories in direct conflict with each other, imposing upon the reader the urgency to pick one over the other, because only one story can be sacred. The suggestion that if one is true, then the other cannot be is an example of a false dichotomy, or a false dilemma.
But why must we accept only one? There are millions of creation stories floating around in the universe, each one reflecting the roots of a culture, a belief system, a tradition. These stories do not even have to be about our world; every day, authors, writers, and movie producers concoct and bring to life complete alternate universes that we, as readers or audience members, are asked to understand and accept. An interesting show to consider on the topic of stories and land is Once Upon a Time. The show is a convergence of several different fairy tales, tales that we are familiar with, but have never before seen colliding together in this fashion, with each one somehow intertwined with the next. The significance lies in the way that although each character has his or her own individual story, encompassing how they became to be who they are, and the unique elements of the realm they came from, they all seem to accept their vast differences, and coexist harmoniously, for the most part – that is, the source of their conflicts are not because they each carry different stories. In my opinion, I think King uses this extreme dichotomous relationship between the two creation stories to highlight precisely the idea that the options presented are not the only legitimate ones, and to think that they could be is ludicrous. Life and the world can not and will not ever fit neatly into tidy dichotomies, wherein we can choose which one we like best, and our decision will render the other option irrelevant. Perhaps, King is suggesting that the only way to truly understand the truth about a story is to first come to terms with the idea that everyone will bring different stories to the table, and that to accept one does not, in any way, take away from the significance of the others.
Works cited:
17cruzi. “Jefferson & Emma “You think you’re the mad hatter?” Once upon a time.” YouTube video. YouTube. 21 Dec. 2012. Web. 15 Oct. 2016.
King, Thomas. The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative. Peterbough:Anansi Press. 2003. Print.
Planking, Jim. “False Dichotomies.” Concept Crucible, 1 Sept. 2012, http://conceptcrucible.com/false-dichotomy/. Accessed 15 Oct. 2016.
Ratcliffe, Amy. “A Guide to the Fairy Tale Characters on Once Upon A Time.” Nerdist, 22 Sept. 2014, http://nerdist.com/a-guide-to-the-fairy-tale-characters-on-once-upon-a-time/. Accessed 15 Oct. 2016.
hi audrey. i really enjoyed your quote from “once upon a time” and your blog on dichotomies. the idea of multiple convergences is one that we mostly seem to avoid in the areas of our life. it seems like our information-sorting brain likes to differentiate things so that information can be sorted in our brain. i find it takes me a bit more work to stop searching the things i am seeing, hearing, feeling for information or truth vs. falseness and to just accept them as they are. i think it takes a different type of thinking and perceiving than what we are generally encouraged to have in a society that values reason and science as higher on the hierarchy of values and often causes people to challenge things that don’t fit into observable science. but how was it determined that science and magic couldn’t coexist? who decided that reason and emotions were contradictory? i do not believe they are. i believe that all things true are true alongside all other truths.
It is so true that the world would be a much simpler place “if everything could fit precisely in their own distinct categories,” but would simpler be better I wonder? I don’t imagine it would.
I like the idea that King is using the comparison of the two creation stories to “highlight precisely the idea that the options presented are not the only legitimate ones.” And I agree that it is important for people to know and understand that there can be as many stories as there are individuals, and that accepting one version does not mean you have to disbelieve the others. To me, creating a dichotomous relationship between the stories has the same function as saying that if you like the colour red you must automatically hate the colour blue; it is representing things as opposing choices that must be mutually exclusive, when in reality that is not the case.
Sadly, I think that many people hold their beliefs with this view and therefore to them “only one story can be sacred.” Many people see other beliefs or stories as challenging them or their belief. In this mindset to “truly” believe one story, for example God created the earth, means that you cannot “waver” or accept any alternative stories as truth. How do you think we, as a culture or society, make a difference in this type of thinking? Is there any way to encourage openmindedness while allowing people to retain the strength of their “true” beliefs? OR does it necessarily follow that once you believe in the truth to all stories, you can no longer believe in the truth of one?