{"id":21,"date":"2016-06-17T23:58:43","date_gmt":"2016-06-18T06:58:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/summer2016canadianstudies\/?p=21"},"modified":"2016-06-18T00:10:48","modified_gmt":"2016-06-18T07:10:48","slug":"24-response-to-question-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/summer2016canadianstudies\/2016\/06\/17\/24-response-to-question-1\/","title":{"rendered":"2:4–Response to Question 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the end of this lesson, you will find a list of questions. Read each of the questions and select one that you would like to answer for your blog assignment. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

In order to respond to the assignment in this lesson, I chose question 1, which examines more closely the two creation stories described by King in his book The Truth About Stories.<\/em>\u00a0 The first part of this question is why does King create two distinct and separate dichotomies for the reader to examine the creation stories he provides? \u00a0I think his reasoning goes back to Chamberlin’s description that humans are “animals who have language” (13). \u00a0Chamberlin argues that it is this basic understanding that has caused human beings to develop categories of civilized and barbaric based on language and its usages. \u00a0In the case of these two stories, one of the dichotomies created is that of co-operation and competition. \u00a0Based on King’s descriptions, for our purposes, the story of “The Earth Diver” is the story of co-operation, and also the “barbaric” story. \u00a0The other creation story is the bible’s “Genesis,” and is the story of competition, and also the “civilized” creation story.<\/p>\n

“Genesis” Story<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
“The Earth Diver” Story<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The second part of this question asks why King emphasized the believability of one story over the other, in this case the “Genesis” story, which he told with an authoritative voice, as opposed to “The Earth Diver”<\/a>\u00a0(this is a video of a version of the creation story) story, which was told with a storytellers voice. The last question inquires as to why King presents these stories with the basis of analysis on oppositions in a row of dichotomies; what is he trying to show his readers? \u00a0In order to begin to discuss these questions, I think it is important to examine believability, which ties into the categories of “co-operation” and “competition.” European culture is one based on hierarchy and competition within that hierarchy. \u00a0They are also the “civilized” story, and the one told in an authoritative voice. “The Earth Diver” is the story with “co-operation” and also the “barbaric” and non-European story. \u00a0“Genesis” is a written story, “The Earth Diver” is an oral story<\/a>. \u00a0King points out many dichotomies in order to show that there are no true parallel divisions. In our previous readings, Chamberlin explained that ceremony can be a connector between the two basic dichotomies of the “civilized” and the “barbaric.” \u00a0Religious ceremonies, churches, weddings, and court process all are examples of modern practices that rely on oral traditions and ceremonies–things that belong to the category of “barbaric,” and therefor disrupt the category of “civilized” through their inclusion.<\/p>\n

I think King’s overall goal in pointing out and then disrupting these dichotomies is to illustrate that the supposed way of determining differences is false. \u00a0Each supposed dichotomy has influences from the other. \u00a0Much of the racism in our society, and abuse of one people at the hands of another is based on supposed dichotomies. \u00a0Us vs them. \u00a0The “civilized” vs the “barbaric.” \u00a0I think that by detailing these issues, and forcing his readers to analyze them, King is showing how human beings cannot be defined using such black and white terms. \u00a0Neither can the culture of those human beings be defined with dichotomies. \u00a0There is no “barbaric” or “civilized” as a singular term for any culture. \u00a0People are a mix; their stories, ceremonies and traditions are a rich history.<\/p>\n

Works Cited<\/p>\n

“Archives.” Welcome to COHDS<\/i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2016.<\/p>\n

Chamberlin, J. Edward. \u00a0If This Is Your Land, Where Are Your Stories?.\u00a0<\/em>Vintage Canada Edition, 2004. Print.<\/p>\n

gyundt. “Earth Diver.”\u00a0https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jlOierP0iGg. Youtube.\u00a013 Mar 2013. Web. \u00a017 Jun 2016.<\/p>\n

“Skywoman falling.” Digital image. \u00a0Iroquois Creation Story I, n.d. Web. 17 Jun 2016.<\/p>\n

“The second creation story.” Digital image. \u00a0Conversation in Faith Weblog, 8 Oct 2008. \u00a0Web. 17 Jun 2016.<\/p>\n

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At the end of this lesson, you will find a list of questions. Read each of the questions and select one that you would like to answer for your blog assignment. \u00a0 In order to respond to the assignment in this lesson, I chose question 1, which examines more closely the two creation stories described […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40969,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/summer2016canadianstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/summer2016canadianstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/summer2016canadianstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/summer2016canadianstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40969"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/summer2016canadianstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/summer2016canadianstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/summer2016canadianstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21\/revisions\/26"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/summer2016canadianstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/summer2016canadianstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/summer2016canadianstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}