Foster's statement that "writing and telling belong to one big story" reiterates King Solomon's quote in the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes 1:9 in the New International Version says, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be again; there is nothing new under the sun." The Message Translation puts his words in more modern terms.
"What was will be again, what happened will happen again. There’s nothing new on this earth. Year after year it’s the same old thing. Does someone call out, “Hey, this is new”? Don’t get excited—it’s the same old story."
In other words, there will never be an event, story, problem, or solution that has not already been acted out, told, dealt with, or thought up. I agree with this statement; humans are relational beings, and we all play a part in the single story of life. It would only make sense that the stories we write and tell are part of a single story as well.
As a follower of Christ, I believe that the story we all play a part of is the redemption of mankind through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are called to spread the Good News, strive to be like Him, and show love to one another. However, life is not always easy. There is pain and suffering in the world; death and pain fight to conquer all good. There is struggle, temptation, and sin; there are constant battles that take place every day. For example, man vs. man, man vs. self (flesh), and/or man vs. nature (or in some cases, the supernatural). These battles are what literature and stories erupt from.
Everyone experiences the same emotions--- just in different ways. That is why one could compare three authors with drastically different writing styles and still find similarities. The reason all stories seem to be tied together is because their authors lives are tied together. We all play a role in God's big story. This is a beautiful, beautiful thing; it allows people all over the world, of different ethnicities, genders, ages, and upbringings to each relate to each other--- the author to the reader, the reader to another fellow reader, and that reader to the author. It adds dimension and meaning. It makes the art of writing even more beautiful than it already is.
I agree with you on this post. I believe we have very similar views and opinions on this statement. This reminds me of Catherine Dennison's oratory from last year. She discussed how we all share experiences and stories. She went on to say stories are the most primitive art forms. We have a connection with our ancestors and generations past through the stories they have passed down to us. I think that is one of the most amazing things about human existence. It makes me wonder what stories are going to be passed down to future generations. What stories have enough resonance to last for generations to come? It also brings me comfort to believe that nothing happens that has never happened before. It may seem like the end of the world now, but in the end the earth is still revolving around the sun and life goes on.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, the reverse could be just as true. Take three authors that are all very similar in writing style and it would not be hard to point out subtle differences in their work. No matter how hard one tries it would be impossible to find the same exact story come up twice. So I feel like it could be argued that everything is not one story but everything is new and original. Even if an author’s book draws heavily from a collection of sources, it is likely to be the only work in the world with that unique blend of inputs.
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