Indra's English 372 Blog

Write a blog that hyper-links your research on the characters in GGRW using at least 10 pages of the text of your choice. Be sure to make use of  Jane Flicks’ GGRW reading notes on your reading list.

For my blog post I have chosen to focus on pages 9-19 of the Green Grass, Running Water ebook. Analyzing these pages along with Jane Flicks’ reading notes provides rich insight into the meanings behind King’s characters and references. 

Lone Ranger, Hawkeye, Ishmael and Robinson Crusoe

On page 9, four characters are introduced whose names are all allusions to popular figures. Jane Flicks explains how the Lone Ranger is a prominent hero of the Western genre (Flicks 141). He is a character seen in radio, books, television and films which is part of the Western genre that perpetuates racist and harmful stereotypes of Indigenous people. Hawkeye is the nickname of the protagonist of James Fenimore Cooper’s novels, The Leatherstocking Tales, who Flicks describes as “a white woodsman and guide” and like the Lone Ranger, is a prominent American cultural figure, appearing in several films and series (142). Ishmael is a name with Biblical connections as well as being the name of the narrator in Moby Dick written by Herman Melville. Robinson Crusoe is a classic novel written by Daniel Defoe, which follows the titular character who is stranded on an island alone. 

Once upon a time… and A long time ago in a faraway land

This is an allusion to two common phrases that are often used when beginning stories – especially fairytales. The way in which both phrases are used by King highlights the contrast of these very Western style and English-speaking storytelling techniques with the Indigenous language of Cherokee which is later used by the characters to begin the story. King emphasizes how it is “best not to make [mistakes] with stories” which emphasizes the importance of oral storytelling, something which is alluded to with the Lone Ranger beginning the story with the Western- style  rather than with the Indigenous language the others are expecting (10). 

“Gah!” said the Lone Ranger “Higayv:ligé:i.”

Flicks highlights how this is the first instance of Cherokee being spoken by the characters, which is the “ceremonial opening of storytelling in a Cherokee divining ceremony” (144). This highlights the importance of the use and inclusion of Indigenous language, which is emphasized by Hawkeye’s line “That’s better” once the Lone Ranger begins the story in Cherokee (King 10). 

Dr. Joseph Hovaugh

Flicks explains how this character name is an allusion to the name of God in the Old Testament. He is presented as an authoritative man who can be representative of the colonization of Indigenous people, as he manages the mental institution from which the Lone Ranger, Hawkeye, Ishmael and Robinson Crusoe have escaped. 

Alberta Frank

Alberta is an allusion to the province which Flicks highlights King himself lived in from 1980-1990. Frank is also the name of a town in Alberta in which a devastating rockslide occurred in 1903. 

Students: Henry Dawes, Mary Rowlandson, John Collier, Hannah Duston

Alberta’s students have names which relate to historical figures, including politicians and social reformers. Mary and Hannah were both women who became famous for their captivity narratives. The students all make reference to real life events and important points in history concerning Indigneous people and the effects of colonial narratives. 

Babo Jones and Sergeant Cereno

Both of these names are allusions to Herman Melville’s novella “Benito Cereno” which focuses on a Spanish slave ship. Babo is a character in the story who is “the leader of the slave revolt on board the San Dominick” while Benito Cereno is the captain of the San Dominick (Flicks 145). Again, King makes references to other narratives concerning colonialism and does so to connect them to his own exploration of similar themes, allowing for each character to have a symbolic purpose and role throughout GGRW. 

 

Works Cited:

Defoe, Daniel. “Robinson Crusoe.” Penguin Books UK, Imprint: Puffin Classics, www.penguin.co.uk/books/31388/robinson-crusoe/9780141377636.html.

Elwell, Walter A. “What Does the Name Jehovah Mean?” Bible Study Tools, www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/jehovah/.

Flick, Jane. “Reading Notes for Thomas King’s Green Grass, Running Water.” Canadian Literature, 161/162, 1999, pp. 140–172.

King, Thomas. Green Grass, Running Water. Ebook, Harper Collins, 2012. 

“Learn.” Frank Slide Interpretative Centre, frankslide.ca/learn.

Madrid, Anthony. “‘Once Upon a Time’ and Other Formulaic Folktale Flourishes.” The Paris Review, 23 May 2018, www.theparisreview.org/blog/2018/05/23/once-upon-a-time-and-other-formulaic-folktale-flourishes/.

Melville, Herman. “Benito Cereno by Herman Melville.” Penguin Random House, www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/643298/benito-cereno-by-herman-melville/.

Simkin, John. “Henry Dawes.” Spartacus Educational, spartacus-educational.com/WWdawesC.htm.

“The Lone Ranger 1949 – 1957 Opening and Closing Theme.” YouTube, uploaded by Teevees Greatest, 23 February 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9lf76xOA5k.

 

3. What are the major differences or similarities between the ethos of the creation story or stories you are familiar with and the story King tells in The Truth About Stories?

The creation story that I am most familiar with is Adam and Eve, which has been represented in artwork throughout history and is one of the main ways by which I have learnt about the story, so I did some searching to find some artwork that reflected Indigenous creation stories as I think it’s an engaging way to see these stories represented. I was able to find several similarities, but more differences, when comparing Adam and Eve’s story to Thomas King’s Earth Diver creation story. 

One of the main differences that King himself points out is how in contrast to the Adam and Eve story in which the world is “governed by a series of hierarchies — God, man, animals, plants — that celebrate law, order, and good government,” the Earth Diver story outlines the creation of a balanced, equal world in which the different animals, humans and Charm all play a role in creating their “beautiful world” (King 23). This results in a more harmonious world based on unity rather than one that is created and controlled by one entity, such as God in the Adam and Eve story.

Another difference is the role of the women in these stories. While Charm is first introduced as already existing, Eve is created from Adam’s rib and is thus immediately linked to the man in the story. She is already placed in an inferior place from the start of the story, and she is later blamed for the fall of man. Charm on the other hand drives the story, and her independence, interactions and curiosity play an important role in the story, allowing her to exist without having to be connected to a male figure. Lastly, the Earth Diver story ends with a positive, harmonious world and the emphasis on how everyone worked together to create it. In stark contrast, the Adam and Eve story creates a sense of discord and conflict as it serves to convey what people should not do and the introduction of sin into the world. 

The similarities I found include how both stories have dichotomies, such as men/women and good/evil in the Adam and Eve story and the twins who represent dichotomies such as boys/girls, lightness/darkness and left-handed/right-handed in the Earth Diver story. Both stories also emphasize the roles of animals, although with contrasting effects as the serpent in Adam and Eve encourages Eve’s temptation and is thus presented as being evil while the various animals that Charm interacts with are not. The main similarity I found between the two creation stories is that they both require for the listener/reader to believe – knowing that there is no way to prove the events in the stories. 

While there are similarities to be found between the two stories, I think that they are most notable in their differences as they have very different overall tones and messages. While Adam and Eve are highlighted as an example of sin and the consequences that come from that, the Earth Diver story presents a view on how unity and teamwork can create the best outcomes. Overall, they use very different techniques and display contrasting ideals concerning the creation of the world.

 

Works Cited:

“Adam and Eve by Lucas Cranach the Elder.” The Courtauld Institute of Art, www.courtauld.ac.uk/gallery/collection/renaissance/lucas-cranach-the-elder-adam-and-eve.

King, Thomas. The Truth About Stories. House of Anansi Press Inc., 2003.

Lavallee, Kenneth. “Creation Story.” Kenneth Lavallee, www.knnth.com/creation-story.

 

2. In this lesson I say that it should be clear that the discourse on nationalism is also about ethnicity and ideologies of “race.” If you trace the historical overview of nationalism in Canada in the CanLit guide, you will find many examples of state legislation and policies that excluded and discriminated against certain peoples based on ideas about racial inferiority and capacities to assimilate. – and in turn, state legislation and policies that worked to try to rectify early policies of exclusion and racial discrimination. As the guide points out, the nation is an imagined community, whereas the state is a “governed group of people.” For this blog assignment, I would like you to research and summarize one of the state or governing activities, such as The Royal Proclamation 1763, the Indian Act 1876, Immigration Act 1910, or the Multiculturalism Act 1989 – you choose the legislation or policy or commission you find most interesting. Write a blog about your findings and in your conclusion comment on whether or not your findings support Coleman’s argument about the project of white civility.

The Immigration Act of 1910 served to regulate and limit immigration to Canada. The Act outlined people who would be prohibited from immigrating to Canada and gave Cabinet power to refuse immigration to people who they did not consider qualified to enter Canada. This also meant that any immigrants who had been living in Canada for under three years, and as a result had not yet gained permanent residence status, could be deported if they failed to fit into the criteria decided by the government.

The Act sought to control immigration and limit who exactly was allowed to enter Canada – people with disabilities, prostitutes, jail inmates and political protesters were all catalogued as being prohibited from immigrating. There was also a minimum requirement for the amount of money that people had to have when immigrating, ranging from $25 to $200 depending on the individual’s race. This clearly outlines how the Immigration Act of 1910 sought to have intense control over who was allowed in Canada and what kind of society was to be created. 

I think my findings on the Immigration Act of 1910 do support Coleman’s argument about white civility, as the act of prohibiting and deporting certain people from Canada added to the “fictive ethnicity” dominated by British colonialism (Coleman 7). By creating such guidelines, the idea of what it meant to be Canadian was constructed, allowing for the exclusion of people who did not fit into this “construction” of Canadian “whiteness based on the British model of civility” (Coleman 5).

Coleman outlines how Britain wanted to ensure that its ideals dominated Canada, with the effects of British colonialism still existing today and influencing Canada’s identity despite the country being multicultural. The way in which hurtful policies such as the Immigration Act of 1910 have been ignored or forgotten by society (and perhaps are not known about by many) illustrates the need for Canada to recognize the hurtful and discriminatory ways that built the idea of Canadian identity, as it no doubt still continues to impact Canadian society and its prejudice and racism.

 

Works Cited:

Cole, Desmond. “The Skin We’re In by Desmond Cole.” Penguin Random House Canada, www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/536075/the-skin-were-in-by-desmond-cole/9780385686341.

Coleman, Daniel. White Civility: The Literary Project of English Canada. University of Toronto Press Incorporated, 2006. 

“Immigration Act, 1910.” Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, pier21.ca/research/immigration-history/immigration-act-1910.

Officer, Charles. “Don’t Believe The Hype: Canada Is Not a Nation of Cultural Tolerance.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, www.cbc.ca/firsthand/m_blog/dont-believe-the-hype-canada-is-not-a-nation-of-cultural-tolerance.

 

I have chosen to submit the following 3 blogs for midterm evaluation:

1. Assignment 1.3 – Question #7

In this post I wrote about the impact that technology and social media may have on literature and storytelling.

1. Assignment 1.5 – Introduction to Thomas King and Story

In this post I wrote my story about how evil first came into the world.

1. Assignment 2.6 – Question #5 

In this post I wrote on Carlson’s Orality about Literacy: The ‘Black and White’ of Salish History. 

5. “To raise the question of ‘authenticity’ is to challenge not only the narrative but also the ‘truth’ behind Salish ways of knowing “(Carlson 59). Explain why this is so according to Carlson, and explain why it is important to recognize this point.

In his article, Carlson details how non-Indigenous people tend to dismiss Indigenous narratives and stories as they fail to fit their “criteria for historical purity” (56). In order to understand this concept, Carlson outlines the different ways in which historical accuracy is defined by Western and Salish audiences. The Western point of view sees evidence as being a key part of historical accuracy as scholars must prove the connection ‘between evidence and interpretation” or they may be accused of being dishonest in their communication of history (Carlson 57). As a result, the written, evidence-based method of conveying history is what Western society considered to be most accurate and authentic. Salish criteria for historical accuracy is instead based on the memories of previous versions of narratives, on verbal references made to the sources of the narrative, as well as family legacy and status of the teller. Western scholars face criticism if they provide inaccurate historical accounts, and Salish people who convey “poor history” also face a loss of status and reputation as they will no longer be invited to tell their stories (Carlson 57). 

The difference between these two accounts of historical accuracy resulted in hurtful and destructive policies, as Carlson states that American policy makers used this dismissal of Indigenous accounts to promote “their political, economic and cultural disappearance” (58). Questioning the authenticity of Salish narratives leads to a failure to recognize that what is considered authentic for Western society is not the same as what Salish people consider to be authentic. As a result, this questioning leads to Salish culture and history being treated as unimportant by Western society. This leads to the “‘truth’ behind Salish ways of knowing“ also being questioned because by doubting the authenticity of Salish narratives, which are such an important part of Salish culture, Western society seems to disregard and question the Salish culture as a whole (Carlson 59). 

This is an important point to recognize because this inclination to dismiss Indigenous voices and narratives is evidently linked to the Western tendency to search for hard facts and evidence as a way to validate ideas or narratives. As a result, the Salish narratives that are such an important part of their history and culture are ignored or treated as fiction, which undermines the historical importance and intelligence of these narratives. This creates the opportunity for more division, prejudice and marginalization of Indigenous people. Because Western society has questioned all aspects of Indigenous history and culture, it is evident that Western society has not trusted or believed Indigenous voices. If this need to ascertain what is or is not authentic is removed, then the focus can shift to what is most important – Indigenous history, culture, language and traditions being truly valued. 

 

Works Cited

Carlson, Keith Thor. Orality about Literacy: The ‘Black and White’ of Salish History. Ed. Carlson, Kristina Fagna, & Natalia Khamemko-Frieson. Toronto: Uof Toronto P, 2011. 43-72.

“Explore Languages.” FirstVoices, www.firstvoices.com/explore/FV/sections/Data. 

“Historical Timeline.” Our Past Is Our Future | Sqwélqwel | Sq’éwlets – A Stó:Lō-Coast Salish Community in the Fraser River Valley, 1 Nov. 2016, digitalsqewlets.ca/sqwelqwel/past_future-passe_futur/timeline_chronologie-eng.php.

 

2. In this lesson I say that our capacity for understanding or making meaningfulness from the first stories is seriously limited for numerous reasons and I briefly offer two reasons why this is so: 1) the social process of the telling is disconnected from the story and this creates obvious problems for ascribing meaningfulness, and 2) the extended time of criminal prohibitions against Indigenous peoples telling stories combined with the act of taking all the children between 5 – 15 away from their families and communities. In Wickwire’s introduction to Living Stories, find a third reason why, according to Robinson, our abilities to make meaning from first stories and encounters is so seriously limited. To be complete, your answer should begin with a brief discussion on the two reasons I present and then proceed to introduce and explain your third reason from Wickwire’s introduction.

I will begin my response to this question by discussing the two main reasons why it is beyond our reach to truly understand, appreciate and interpret first stories which we began to explore in this lesson and are outlined in the question.

Reason # 1: the social process of the telling is disconnected from the story and this creates obvious problems for ascribing meaningfulness

This first obstacle illustrates how important it is in storytelling for there to be a connection between the storyteller and the listener in the space where the story is shared and told, which is not possible in the case of first stories since in the present day we are looking at the stories from a distant perspective. As Lutz outlines, “We cannot help but put our own spin on the stories, which have themselves been spun by someone else” (15). As a result of first stories being changed or altered throughout the years, it is difficult to fully ascribe meaningfulness to them since other voices have managed to blur the original voices who told the stories. To be present while someone tells a story that is a part of their history cannot compare to simply reading this story, especially because it has probably been altered over the years. 

Reason # 2: the extended time of criminal prohibitions against Indigenous peoples telling stories combined with the act of taking all the children between 5 – 15 away from their families and communities

This time gap when Indigenous peoples were prevented from continuing their storytelling, traditions and children were no longer able to learn about their own history and culture meant that storytelling was severely disrupted. Indigneous peoples did not have the freedom to continue their traditions and many generations did not grow up living within their own culture and with their families. Although Indigenous stories, traditions and voices have continued on with new generations, the missing time had a profound impact on stories being passed on. 

Reason # 3:

In Wickwire’s introduction I found a third possible reason Robinson suggested for our inability to fully understand first stories, which is that stories contain so much information, details, symbols and references that they need to be heard and explored many times, which many people may not do. Wickwire states that Harry had “stressed that [his stories] contained hidden messages and connections that would take time to decipher” (21) which illustrates how the complexity of stories is something that cannot be fully appreciated by only hearing or reading them a few times, they have to be constantly analyzed and experienced.

Wickwire also writes: “Harry had expected me to listen to his stories many times before drawing any conclusions,” which I think is a very important point as it is very easy for us to draw conclusions quickly about stories we hear or read at first glance (21). This emphasizes the need for us to appreciate stories on a deeper level, which I think is unfortunately a difficult thing as it requires much time, devotion and engagement. As a result, I see the need to re-explore stories time and time again a significant obstacle for us to make meaning from first stories, as it requires us not to just read a story once and accept it, but to instead give our time, attention, patience and willingness to really engage with the different possible “hidden messages and connections” that storytellers use in their stories. 

 

Works Cited

Lafferty, Catherine. “Northern Wildflower | CBC Books.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 8 Aug. 2018, www.cbc.ca/books/northern-wildflower-1.4761615.

Lutz, John. “Myth Understandings: First Contact, Over and Over Again.” Myth and Memory: Rethinking Stories of Indigenous-European Contact. Vancouver: U of British Columbia P, 2007. 1-15. Print.

Robinson, Harry. Living by Stories: a Journey of Landscape and Memory,edited by Wendy Wickwire, Talonbooks, E book 2013. 

Young People’s Theatre. “Tell Me That Story Again: The Indigenous Tradition of Oral Storytelling.” Youtube,  16 Jan. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPACZQ21Fgw. 

For this assignment I focused on the blogs of Chase Thomson, Grace Owens, Jacob Kosh, Emily Homuth, Gaby Reinhart and Joseph Um.

Similarities I found between all of our blogs:

-The people in our lives whether that be family, friends, co-workers, partners, neighbours

-Feeling of security and safety

-Personal sense of freedom

-Memories and experiences that have shaped us

-The ability to be ourselves

-Sense of community and belonging

-The connections we have with those we care about most

Differences:

-Grace and Gaby expressed that an important component of home for them was either the physical house or state in which they lived, which differs from my own perspective of not holding much attachment to the physical houses I have lived in or my hometown

-Joseph’s experience of living in different places and them all forming an important part of his sense of home is different from my own as I have only ever lived in Vancouver, so I have not yet had this experience of different countries informing my sense of home

Commentary:

It was really interesting to read about everyone’s own sense of home, as it was great to find that even though we are all unique and have different stories, so many of the same values kept coming up in the blogs. I found that while home can hold different meanings for everyone, there is a common need to feel secure, loved, and free. The people that surround us also play important roles in home, as it seems that connections with loved ones are highly valued by most of us in forming this sense of home. This assignment gave me a great perspective of how each and every one of us is given the opportunity to create and build our own definition of home and how there are so many shared values between us, no matter our backgrounds or experiences, that illustrate how we can always find a way to connect to others. 

Works Cited:

Homuth, Emily. “Assignment 2:2 Home.” OH CANADA ENGL 372, 27 Jan. 2020, https://blogs.ubc.ca/ehomuth/2020/01/27/assignment-22-home/.

Kosh, Jacob. “Home Is The Place I Am.” Jacob Kosh’s Blog, 27 Jan. 2020, https://blogs.ubc.ca/jacobkosh/2020/01/27/home-is-the-place-i-am/.

Owens, Grace. “Lesson 2:2 – A Sense of Home.” Grace Owens’s English 372 Blog, 27 Jan. 2020, https://blogs.ubc.ca/graceowensengl372/2020/01/27/lesson-22-a-sense-of-home/.

Reinhart, Gaby. “The Story of Home.” Explorer Gaby’s Blog, 28 Jan. 2020, https://blogs.ubc.ca/gabyliteratureexplorer/2020/01/28/the-story-of-home/.

Thomson, Chase. “Assignment 2:2 – Home is More.” Chase Thomson’s ENGL 372 Blog, 28 Jan. 2020, https://blogs.ubc.ca/chasethomsonengl372/2020/01/28/assignment-22-home-is-more/.

Um, Joseph. “Assignment 2.2 Home Sweet Home.” JOSEPH UM ENGL 372, 28 Jan. 2020, https://blogs.ubc.ca/josephum/2020/01/28/assignment-2-2-home-sweet-home/.

Home is a term that can hold such a variety of meanings for different people that it can be hard to establish just one definition. I feel that during childhood, we are taught the basic sense of home as being the house where you live, and I remember as a child not questioning this notion as I didn’t know to look anywhere else to find my own definition of what home is or should be. In the past few years, I have arrived at the conclusion that my sense of the concept of home is based on the idea that my home is not a physical house or location, but rather a combination of the people and experiences that have influenced me throughout my life that I carry within me. I think we can all carry this notion of home wherever we are, so that we don’t have to be in just one place to feel that we are home. For me, what I value the most is the people I share my life with and learn from and the experiences that help me grow and give me joy, which can all be encapsulated by my notion of home. 

Since so many people move away from their hometown and build their lives elsewhere, I don’t see moving away as being equivalent to leaving your home. I think this notion is highlighted really well in a video which shows a montage of a man’s experience travelling for 3 years around the world. He ends the video with the quote “we call this home” interposed between several images of the cities he visited, meaning that he considers the whole world to be his home. I have felt this while travelling as well, such as when I went to Europe for the first time with my parents. During our travels, despite the constant change of going from city to city and staying in hotels and with family, I still felt connected to home because I was doing something I love with the people I love. In fact, I think I felt an even deeper connection to home because it was the first time I realized that I was not as happy in Canada as I felt in Europe. Because my sense of home exists within me, I realized that no matter where I go I will always carry my memories, experiences and connections to the most important people in my life with me, which gives me the freedom to discover new experiences and places in the world without feeling like I am leaving behind a “home” but rather creating my own.  

I think that another important reason why I don’t see home as being a physical house or location is because nobody is able to choose the place they are brought home to when we first enter the world, as this is chosen for us by someone else, whether that is our parents or guardians or anyone else who may be in our lives when we are born. I think everyone deserves the opportunity to create their own sense of home, rather than being restricted to the house or situation they were brought home to without a choice. If everyone can create their own definition of home, I think it enables more freedom to develop our own criteria for happiness and security, rather than being subject to the more basic definitions of what a home should be. Everyone has different values and beliefs, so it makes sense that each unique individual should formulate their own sense of home. 

 

Works Cited:

Chang, Walter. “We Call This Home – 3 Years Around the World Travel.” Youtube,  28 July 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioYqFtr2D0Q. 

“Home.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/home. 

Selfors, Caroline. “Pile of luggage.” Unsplash, https://unsplash.com/photos/r2jpr8MDw0I. 

Sousa, Hugo. “White and red concrete house.” Unsplash, https://unsplash.com/photos/m7_lccaGaYA. 

 

On a cold morning in the middle of winter, a girl was sitting at the kitchen table. She looked to her father, who was seated across her, and asked him a question.

“Why is everyone so unhappy all the time?”

The father took a deep breath. He had been waiting for the day when his daughter would ask him about this, as he had already thought of how he would respond. He replied to her with a story, one that he had been waiting for years to tell.

“There was once a city, full of sleek buildings, colorful storefronts and people happily going about their lives. There was a peaceful sense of harmony and light in this city, with everyone helping each other and doing their part to help maintain the city’s success. There was enough food and clothing for everyone, and the city thrived. One day, however, this all changed. People began noticing that all the supplies, food and resources began to diminish faster than ever. This had never happened before, so everyone was confused and frightened as to how they would regain the stability and happiness that they had previously known. As more and more resources disappeared, more and more people began to struggle. Nobody knew what the cause was, until one day when a man discovered that his neighbour had a secret.

One night, when the rest of the city was asleep, the man was awake and worrying about how he could help his family and his city regain the happiness they once had. While he was thinking, he suddenly heard a large crash outside the door of his apartment. He went to his door and looked through the keyhole. He saw his neighbour in the hallway, and a large box flipped over on the floor with all sorts of food and clothing spilling out. The man opened the door, and his neighbour was frozen in place. The man asked his neighbour where the box of supplies had come from, but the neighbour did not respond. The neighbour tried to block the man from seeing into his apartment, so the man became suspicious. He pushed past the neighbour and saw that the apartment was full of supplies and food and everything that had been running low in the city.

Unbeknownst to the man, several other similar incidents had been taking place, with people discovering that their neighbours or friends or even family members had been secretly hoarding the city’s resources for themselves. The city was thrown into chaos, not only because of the diminishing supplies, but because of the newly realized greed and selfishness of the city’s people. Ever since, the city has struggled to maintain its sense of goodness, as people have become more and more desperate. The day that evil entered our world was the day that more and more of us started to become unhappy.”

Once the father finished his story, he was relieved in a way that his daughter now knew the truth about the place she called home. However, he also felt the weight of this revelation, for once a story is told, it cannot be called back. Once told, it is loose in the world.

Commentary:

This assignment proved to be quite challenging for me, as I have not done much creative writing in the past. It gave me a further appreciation for the art of storytelling since it’s not an easy task to put ideas into the format of an enjoyable, comprehensible story. It was interesting reading this out loud to my family and seeing how my tone or pauses influenced how my story came across. I realized that the story as written on page can be interpreted in different ways when told out loud, and of course the storyteller plays an important role in how a story is portrayed. This assignment emphasized how complex storytelling is, and I think it’s fascinating that our understanding of stories continues to develop as more and more mediums allow us to dive into all sorts of narratives. With that being said, I think the act of simply telling a story, face to face is such a simple, traditional way to connect with others and that is why it continues to be a special part of our society.  

Works Cited

Ted. “How to Tell a Story.” TED Talks, www.ted.com/playlists/62/how_to_tell_a_story.

“The Untold Storytelling Festival.” BBC Radio 4, BBC, 17 Aug. 2019, www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0007psh.

Hi everyone,

For this assignment I chose to answer Question #7: At the beginning of this lesson I pointed to the idea that technological advances in communication tools have been part of the impetus to rethink the divisive and hierarchical categorizing of literature and orality, and suggested that this is happening for a number of reasons.  I’d like you to consider two aspects of digital literature: 1) social media tools that enable widespread publication, without publishers, and 2) Hypertext, which is the name for the text that lies beyond the text you are reading, until you click. How do you think these capabilities might be impacting literature and story?

The popularity of technology and social media in the 21st century has allowed for storytelling to develop and flourish in new ways as more and more options for telling stories appear in the digital world. Social media and hypertext are two components of the digital medium that have shifted the way in which stories are shared and experienced, and have led to changes in the definition of literature as being strictly a printed medium. 

While traditional forms of media, such as publishing houses and newspapers for example, continue to produce texts and interest society, social media and the internet have provided new outlets for stories to be told. Social media provides an outlet that is very quick, allowing for posts to reach a wide audience in a matter of seconds and providing an array of options for conveying stories in creative ways. By removing the need for an intermediary, the mode of storytelling allows for more people to be included, as traditional forms of publishing and media have traditionally necessitated for storytellers to be accepted by people in positions of power. With social media, anyone can take the power into their own hands and use it in order to voice their story. With this power also comes the possibility for error and deception in what stories are portrayed online, and the very real negative consequences this can have on society. It is important to notice not only the positive impact on storytelling that media can have, but the negatives as well as these consequences can really influence the mental health and well-being of society.

Social media allows for stories to be told in both written, oral and visual formats, sometimes all at the same time. As a result, this expansion of formats allows for storytellers to be more creative and have more freedom in the different methods they use to convey their voice. For example, the increasing prevalence of podcasts illustrates how technology has helped to popularize oral storytelling. The range of different types of podcasts that are available illustrates how this format of storytelling has something for everyone, and provides a way for orality to merge with digital media. This also allows for individuals who may not otherwise be intrigued by stories in a text format to be immersed in the world of storytelling through a connection with audio. 

Hypertext also allows for a very expansive way of storytelling, as the reader can click on a hypertext that will provide further information on a smaller topic that may not have as much prominence in the initial story. As a result, a story can give rise to various other stories that are built upon the various ideas that are hyperlinked in the original text. This sort of expansion provides a framework that allows for faster access to a range of ideas, as it would be more difficult to do so in traditional forms of media. This leads to countless possibilities for new stories to emerge and for one storyteller to give a voice to another. 

It is inevitable that evolving technology and communication methods have had a strong impact on storytelling in the 21st century, and will continue to do so in the future. While the way in which stories are shared may be constantly evolving and shifting as new trends come and go, storytelling itself is what remains an integral part of creating connections in our society.

 

Works Cited

Brown, Jessica. “Is Social Media Bad for You? The Evidence and the Unknowns.” BBC Future, BBC, 5 Jan. 2018, www.bbc.com/future/article/20180104-is-social-media-bad-for-you-the-evidence-and-the-unknowns.

Owens, Jakob. “Smartphone in city.” Unsplash, https://unsplash.com/photos/WUmb_eBrpjs.

Walters, Helen. “Looking for a New Podcast to Try? 45 Great Picks from the TED Staff.” TED Blog, 22 May 2015, https://blog.ted.com/45-great-podcast-picks-from-the-ted-staff/.