Your task is to take the story about how evil comes into the world, the story King tells about the Witches’ convention in Chapter One of The Truth about Stories, and change it any way you want, except the ending. You can change to place, the people, the time – anything you want. But, your story must have the same moral – it must tell us how evil came into the world and how once a story is told, it cannot be taken back.

First, learn your story by heart, and then tell the story to your friends and family.

After you have told the story a few times,  post a blog with your version of the story and some commentary on what you discovered about story telling.

There were once two immortal spirits who roamed the world by occupying the horizon together, above the skies. At first, they had no great influence on those below them. They would observe whatever interested them, and take on tasks of small miracles and punishments of misfortunes whenever they felt it was right. Slowly, they began to become one presence for all of the members that resided on a planet. They maintained the peace for the alternate beings around them. Even as the world continued to transform, the spirits had this inner understanding that they would continue living in harmony amongst other species, being this perfect entity to look up to: They would see this vast beauty of the sky–of colors they could only imagine in how to recreate, of images they could only fall short of, but would still try out of wonder and attempt of connection. It was a time where everyone thought of these spirits, who represented the good of the collective community, before making any decisions on their own.

All until one day, when there was the first trial of accusations and death on a most interesting case. There were a few beings who had lost interest in living and sacrificing for the long-term good, and began experimenting with risks. A bitter ‘son’ had murdered his own ‘father’. Having never understood the concept of death but of only moving through time, the spirits were unsure of how to deal with the situation. One of the spirits had developed a sympathy for the beings on this planet: They prevailed in forgiveness, believing that those who wronged others always deserved another chance. They also saw the potential in the ‘son’ and how it may have been neglected, and wanted to help. However, the other wanted the son to experience dire consequences, reasoning such from the loss of a ‘father’. For once, they could not agree with each other. This situation was only a catalyst for many more stories on how they disagreed in managing fate’s works.

The one exuding forgiveness wanted to instill some sort of Heaven, while the other became practically cynical of faith as beliefs that ‘do not come true’. This wholesome entity failed to be an example for the other beings around them, as they let their personal perspectives force them apart. They became the Sun and the Moon, holding different reflections on the horizon of life. Their eventual separation created a lot of angst over the years of possibilities and regrets, so that it made light, and at the same time, darkness, having wished upon nonexistence from one another, and having blurred the definition of love and goodness in the world.

And that was how this planet fell apart to create Earth. This is how evil was born, and resides now as a consciousness within us.

In regards to the solar eclipse and how the Sun and the Moon in my story represents this ultimate separation of good and evil, in nature: “What if evil doesn’t really exist? What if evil is something dreamed up by man, and there is nothing to struggle against except our own limitations? The constant battle between our will, our desires, and our choices?” -Libba Bray

King describes the elements in two stories in that “the elements in Genesis create a particular universe governed by a series of hierarchies…that celebrate law, order, and good government, while in our Native story, the universe is governed by a series of co-operations” (23). I initially wanted to bring both elements together, where the downfall comes from letting their own perspectives become their reality. It almost felt like I was recreating the images of “creators”, of a God and Satan that lived as one (at least, in my story). I went through another article about King’s perspective on storytelling, where he mentions that history is stories recounted from the past.

In the future of more intermingling cultures, I wonder if storytelling elements of myths and legends will be recombined in many art and storytelling pieces. For example, the lyrics in this seven minute song called Heaven by Ato x Eden, refer to Christianity (the valley of death), history (Malcolm X), and other beliefs (Yin and yang, the image of Venus) as a manner of connecting to his audience on his philosophy of life and its struggles, as well as the paradox on love and pain: “the dynamics of a lonely journey.” I think that in general, having multiple metaphors and images of other stories can amplify this common connection to understanding our morals and perspectives to begin with.

The people I have told this to have mentioned different things, for example having a particular admiration for the concept of how one of the spirits felt the right to establish a heaven on Earth. I wanted to keep both spirits unnamed and gender-less because for one, it intrigues me that the Christian God is referred to as a “He” while there are some who may use “Her” pronouns instead (an act of feminism, I’m not sure). In general I was able to remember the concept of the story.

A friend of mine commented on my story overall as a “good metaphor for the dissolution of black and white mentality” as the concept of evil in the real world moreso exists through a difference of perspective rather than a clearly evil decision by one particular side. I ended up telling her more about the inspiration I had from my favorite painting in a museum I went to this summer, found here.  This abstract symbolism might be too much to wrap around, but here is more information on William Baziotes’s background and purpose in art. As there was no description by the painting, I came up with my own interpretation in which the middle white wavering line represented the unwavering horizon and two forces drawn in what almost looks like white graffiti (the circle, and another squiggly line). These forces are what reflects from the horizon. So one way to think about it is the separation of good (the circle) and evil (the serpentine line) constantly influencing our horizons.

(Note: Thanks to Chloe, I only updated the story as that involving humans to just alternate, mortal beings, so things might make a little more sense now.)

Works Cited

Ato & Eden. “Heaven”. Lyrics. Genius. Web. September 23, 2016.

Baziotes, William. Serpentine. 1961. Anderson Collection, 314 Lomita Drive Stanford, CA 94305. Anderson Collection. Stanford University. Web. 22 Sept. 2016.

Eastland, Jessie. Neapolitan Sunset. Digital image. Sunrise. Wikipedia, 24 July 2016. Web. 22 Sept. 2016.

King, Thomas. The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative. N.p.: House of Anansi, 2003. Print.

McGonegal, Julie. “Thomas King’s Moment of Truth.” The UC Observer, Sept. 2013, http://www.ucobserver.org/culture/2013/09/moment_truth/.

“William Baziotes Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works.” The Art Story, http://www.theartstory.org/artist-baziotes-william.htm.

Figuring out this place called home is a problem (87).  Why? Why is it so problematic to figure out this place we call home: Canada? Consider this question in context with Chamberlin’s discussion on imagination and reality; belief and truth (use the index). Chamberlin says, “the sad fact is, the history of settlement around the world is the history of displacing other people from their lands, of discounting their livelihoods and destroying their languages” (78).  Chamberlin goes on to “put this differently” (Para. 3). Explain that “different way” of looking at this, and discuss what you think of the differences and possible consequences of these “two ways” of understanding the history of settlement in Canada.

Chamberlin quotes Oscar Wilde: “We should live our life as a form of fiction. To be a fact is to be a failure” (124). If we only focus on the facts, what is and what is not, then we are not truly living and feeling. In We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems, two characters realize they are in a book (here is an animated video), and one asks when the book will end. They spend the rest of the time in trepidation on this particular concept until the book ends. 

Even in this fictional story, the concept can similarly be applied to life–by thinking only of practical goals/timelines we are also disregarding what we personally take and enjoy from life. It is in fiction where we begin using our imagination to apply ourselves to alternate realities and future possibilities. “[Stories] share not so much a common understanding of the world as a common need to make sense of it” (Chamberlin, 202). It is through stories where we begin to understand a reality of our history together as humans.

What connects us to Canada? How has Canada marked us?

However, our stories serve a different purpose than a ‘pure’ narration of settlers filing land claims. Certain stories and cultures are usually unable to be told or translated, left unmentioned in history textbooks or generalized into some event/act of removal, like “Trail of Tears”. In truth, does Canada represent a home for everyone who resides in it, if some people are left out of the narrative, if “aboriginal people around the world will tell you they feel like strangers in the languages they now speak?” (Chamberlin, 81). Their sense of self is missing in many ways, and the path to finding home signifies much cultural reconciliation and rebuilding in bridging communication between both communities.

In Canada’s history of settlement, those who tell the story demean the value of the people conquered and claim such under their own purposes. It is the people they portray poorly (or fail to) that suffer with the consequences. Chamberlin describes the two ways of understanding this history as 1) “a history of dismissing a different belief or different behavior as unbelief or misbehavior” and 2) “of discrediting those who believe or behave differently as infidels or savages” (78).

Both approaches project superiority but differ in ethics. The former allows the aggressor to ‘correct’ behaviors or beliefs, convinced that they are helping, not hurting. While they eventually occupy the land, it can be seen as a more passive approach. The consequences of this approach is most often a feud of ethics. A retaliation of sorts is likely to ensue from expropriating that which isn’t necessarily in one’s domain. This approach states that other cultures are perversions and misguided in comparison to their own, which then leaves a void for cultures that are overcome by said logic.

The latter‘s belief system allows them to demonize their subjugate to the extent of savages. This approach lacks empathy and humane compassion. Physical retaliation is the immediate response and in these acts of violence, culture is destroyed, and ethical debate remains. Warfare is expected when one group believes it has the right to decide for the other group’s lives and for removal of human conscience. Due to both ways’ portrayal of the oppressed group, they are incapable of creating a cohesive community.

This “different way” of looking at settlement, what is ultimately imperialism, is the principle of many conflicts in the world. In this case, they fail to portray that Canada is “not the soil of spot of earth on which we happen to have been born … but that community of which we are members [of]” (Price, 1). Instead, they use the stories’ perspective to undermine settlement issues and change the power dynamics. They altered reality to their fit, without consideration of the community as a whole, from how they removed the credibility of those oppressed, and whose history they silenced.

(Note: I use ‘they’ & ‘them’ to describe both settlers and those they have oppressed, in terms of bringing them together from previous mentions like “us” vs “them”).

Works Cited

“A Brief History of the Trail of Tears.” Cherokee Nation. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2016.

Chamberlin, Edward. If This is Your Land, Where are Your Stories? Finding Common Ground. Toronto: AA. Knopf. 2003. Print.

Chemistryguy. “Elephant and Piggie – We Are In a Book (Animated).” Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube, 19 Apr 2016. Web. 17 Sep. 2016.

Kurious. Canada Fingerprint Country Pride. Digital image. Pixabay. 2 Mar. 2015. Web. 15 Sept. 2016.

Price, Richard. “A Discourse on the Love of Our Country.” Commemorating the Revolution in Great Britain. Meeting-House in the Old Jewry, London. 4 Nov. 1789. Speech.

Willems, Mo. We Are in a Book! New York, NY: Hyperion, 2010. Print.

Hello, and welcome! This is my first online English class, but I am fairly excited to have a place for my thoughts and to be able to respectfully read/discuss stories and perspectives with everyone else. My name is Jenny Lu, and I am a second-generation immigrant who was born in Canada but grew up in California. I plan to major in English Literature and minor in Commerce. I like eating ice cream on cold days, drinking smoothies any day, and reading/writing poetry when I feel up to it.

Part of the main reason I chose UBC was due to the multicultural experience I had missed in my childhood—I suppose I felt such was lacking in my current environment. I wrote a high school research paper about the need to include more multicultural literature to be taught in American schools (their unofficial curriculum mostly comprises of The Great Gatsby, Lord of the Flies, Shakespeare’s classic plays, etc.), which would in turn expand students’ minds. In fact, this topic is still discussed today as some issue yet to be resolved.

I still believe much creativity and open-mindedness is cultivated when we immerse ourselves into different cultural experiences, whether it be from reading literature, traveling to foreign countries, or simply listening to other people’s stories. English 470 provides the potential to learn about the intricate relations of Canadian colonization, literary canonization, and historical tensions. From studying abroad, I have been exposed to native history and art via MOA, and through readings in my ASTU class. Our class was able to get a sneak-peek on their website, (the public one up is here) which gave an online tour of campus places and native acknowledgments, one being the native host signs.

These scattered signs do not occupy much space nor do they subtly serve as a learning space for native culture and tradition, but as a mere acknowledgment in what we all must share—one that starts with reading the sign and sparks a curiosity to question; a willingness to learn, a desire to listen. The words can only speak to those who are willing and aware of the living blood of the Indigenous people, and the renewal of their absence in history.

Lisa Brooks refers to Samson Occom when addressing the essence of Native nationalist literature, that this “insistence to keep telling and creating stories” allows “Indian life [to continue], and it is this resistance against loss that has made that life possible” (231). These signs can spark reflection on the shadows of society and the importance of words as a means of a culture’s survival, in creating stories and different perspectives or truths.

Similarly, in this course, I hope to develop more perspective on the intersections in the Canadian literature realms in regards to historical context and understand the distinctions between what is written and what was promptly ignored or yet to be known. 

Ending on a more lighthearted note, here is a short animated video taken from Brené Brown’s Ted Talk on ‘The Power of Vulnerability.’ While the approach we take is context dependent when someone we know is suffering, empathy can be related to storytelling: When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we are forging this path for connection, active thinking and listening, and ultimately some means of understanding.

Works Cited

Brooks, Lisa. “At the Gathering Place.” American Indian Literary Nationalism. Eds. Jace Weaver, Craig S. Womack, and Robert Warrior. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2006. 225-41.

Flood, Alison. “Yale English Students Call for End of Focus on White Male Writers.” theguardian, 1 June 2016. Web. Accessed 10 September 2016.

The RSA. “Brené Brown on Empathy.” YouTube. YouTube, Web. 10 Dec. 2013. Web. 11 Sept. 2016.

Vellum, Guilhem. Today Your Host is Musqueam. 2011. Photograph. UBC. flickr. Web. 9 September 2016.