“There’s
only one story” (32). As I read Thomas
C. Foster’s bold statement, I could not help but get a little defensive. It was as if he was labeling every story as
redundant, when every story—to me, at least—holds at least some
originality. Then, it occurred to me
that stories can be both original as well as redundant. After some reflection, it actually makes
sense that there is only one story told again and again. Think about the best tales: battles between
the forces of good and evil, star-crossed lovers, life, death, etc. There is an infinite list of the same basic
heroes venturing on epic quests to save the world.
Still,
people grow attached to all different kinds of books, movies, etc. throughout
their lives. They are willing to repeatedly
read the same basic plot from the time they listen to bedtime stories until
they read Shakespeare. Although King
Solomon rightfully claims that “there is nothing new under the sun,” everything
under the sun looks a little different, and it’s all because of details. Details are what make the most common
story lines seem like the most imaginative tales ever told.
People
grow attached to specific stories because of the personal connections they have
with them. Whether it is a relatable character or a beloved setting, everyone favors some stories over others, even
if the basic storyline is practically identical to other works. People naturally focus on details; why else
would we be reminded to step back and look at the big picture every once in a
while?
After
finally coming to terms and agreeing with Foster’s claim, I realized that it
changed my entire view on storytelling.
I first thought that stories were blander than I had once thought,
because every story has the same base.
However, it has caused me to appreciate the little things: the
characters, the quotes, the seemingly unremarkable details that make stories so
remarkable.
When I first read the chapter, I, like you, was defensive. It was not fair that he could say every book is exactly the same. How is Harry Potter like a biography of Vincent Van Gogh? What about all the hard work the authors put into making a thought unfold into a book? Then I realized it was all the same general theme: life. When you wrote about people grow attached to specific stories because of personal connections they have with them, the full understanding sort of hit me all at once. It is because all stories have some connection with life. Love, death, new beginnings, rebirths. It is all life.
ReplyDeleteAlthough initially concerning that we are confined by very few stories and themes. It is also comforting to know that there are certain tales which we all relate to, and are all enthralled by. But you are right, we balance out the potential monotony of these constants with new details, and a new spin on each story. This does add a new importance to the details we may often push aside to understand the story and important elements. However, we never realized how important the details were to keeping the story unique and original.
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