Question 1: First stories tell us how the world was created. In The Truth about Stories, King tells us two creation stories; one about how Charm falls from the sky pregnant with twins and creates the world out of a bit of mud with the help of all the water animals, and another about God creating heaven and earth with his words, and then Adam and Eve and the Garden. King provides us with a neat analysis of how each story reflects a distinct worldview. “The Earth Diver” story reflects a world created through collaboration, the “Genesis” story reflects a world created through a single will and an imposed hierarchical order of things: God, man, animals, plants. The differences all seem to come down to co-operation or competition — a nice clean-cut satisfying dichotomy. However, a choice must be made: you can only believe ONE of the stories is the true story of creation – right? That’s the thing about creation stories; only one can be sacred and the others are just stories. Strangely, this analysis reflects the kind of binary thinking that Chamberlin, and so many others, including King himself, would caution us to stop and examine. So, why does King create dichotomies for us to examine these two creation stories? Why does he emphasize the believability of one story over the other — as he says, he purposefully tells us the “Genesis” story with an authoritative voice, and “The Earth Diver” story with a storyteller’s voice. Why does King give us this analysis that depends on pairing up oppositions into a tidy row of dichotomies? What is he trying to show us?
The relationship between creation stories and its teller is also the relationship between the West and the Indigenous people. The dichotomies presented by Thomas King emphasize the ways readers interact with the Bible as opposed to oral stories in ways that diminish the latter’s significance. King’s image that one story is more believable is a reflection of the way each individual story is being presented through the written word. The row of dichotomies that King uses to supplement his argument implores readers to acknowledge their binary thinking and address the issues in these dichotomies. Thomas King is trying to highlight a long-standing dehumanizing relationship between the natives and the settlers that extends into cultural traditions; therefore, the comparison between “The Earth Diver” and “Genesis” is a reflection of the way that contemporary society interact with Indigenous peoples and Western thought.
“The Earth Diver” and “Genesis” are both stories that are vital to explaining the beginning of life, regardless of either’s authenticity, because they are the foundation of cultural evolution. The creation myth is an explanation for the creation of the world and the steps that it took to create contemporary society. The myths bear a religious and spiritual significance for the believer, and it should strike a chord with the listener. In the case of “The Earth Diver” and “Genesis,” the latter is the most widely recognized creation story due to the spread of Christianity, while the former is often considered a myth. The mainstream nature of Christianity has rendered other religious myths and stories as fictional and, thus, unbelievable. This effect is seen in the various portrayals of Ancient Greek and Ancient Egyptian deities in books or films. On the other, most of the characters based on Christian mythic figures tend to be tamer and follow the Bible a little closer. The distinct differences highlight the systematic and historical oppression of indigenous peoples. The dichotomies presented to emphasize the critical differences between Western regimes and native peoples: the former focuses on a single person with immense power versus the power of a community. In a way, King is critiquing the way the West diminishes and discredits Indigenous peoples. The relationship between creation stories and its teller is a mirror of the relationship between the West and the Indigenous people.
The emphasis on the “Genesis” presents the notion that it is better because the tone used in the story is far more authoritative and, thus, more controlling. Meanwhile, the casual tone of “The Earth Diver” tends to leave the impression of the myth being less serious and perhaps less real. King is emphasizing the parallel between the listener and the stories – the creation stories that people hear and the one people choose to believe – the stories are a reflection of the beliefs and the upbringing of the listener. King’s comparison between the creation stories is presenting the notion that each story builds a different person. King presents “The Earth Diver” and “Genesis” as options for the creation story, but for those who believe in the Big Bang – that is a creation story too. King’s emphasis on one’s believability over the other forces listeners to give a reaction towards his choices. In making a decision, the listener recognizes their own beliefs and thus, exposes the tension between religious beliefs and cultures. The importance is understanding that creation stories are not only myths; they are the foundation of a belief system and the one that we choose to believe defines who we are as individuals. The listener of these creation myths are never just listening to a story; they are partaking in the teaching of a people. By choosing one account over the other, the listener is denouncing one lesson in favour of another.
Works Cited:
Nasa, “Photo of Outer Space.” Unsplash. 26 Dec. 2015. https://unsplash.com/photos/Q1p7bh3SHj8.
Riordan, Rick. /Rick Riordan/. http://rickriordan.com.
Powell, Barry B. “The Big Bang is Hard Science. It Is Also A Creation Story.” /Nautilus/. September 2014, http://nautil.us/issue/17/big-bangs/the-big-bang-is-hard-science-it-is-also-a-creation-story.