Stories and Why They Are So Interesting

Storytelling derives from gossiping, because in the olden times stories where not written down, rather they were told from memory, often mixing up details and fabricating others. Even today, gossiping is a form of storytelling; someone is doing something of interest that others feel they need to let everyone know about, but the reason the gossip spreads so quickly is due to either the person performing the action, or the action itself, which interests people immensely. Storytelling is proportional to gossiping because even a true story, is not entirely true, rather some parts may be factual, while others are fabricated to intrigue the readers. The article states that a writer can be seen under three different spotlights: a storyteller, a teacher and an enchanter, all of which tell interesting stories to readers, but with different intentions of the stories. The storyteller is a writer that is going for pure entertainment, like a gossiper, but the gossip is completely made up. The teacher is like a fabulist, a story that teachers a moral to the readers, he or she is trying to teach the readers some overarching moral or lesson by the use of an interesting story. For example, "The Boy who Cried Wolf" that is a fable that teaches kids not to lie or else when something bad does happen, others around them will not believe them. Finally, the enchanter is a writer that tries to demonstrate to the readers the power of oneself and the magic of his writing style. All writer fall under one of these categories despite the varying subjects of their works. Stories are interesting to the readers because they tell a story about something that could either never happen, or is fascinating and thus touch on our imagination, or they tell a relatable story that allows for the readers to relate to them. This article breaks down the elements of a great story and allowed for me to think about why I find stories interesting and what types of stories fufill my interest the most.

Privilege; Who has it and How Can One Get It

While reading this article, I began to think about my own privilege and how that has shaped my person. I am privileged to come from a good family, attend a great school and have food on my table every night, while others are not so privileged. This privilege that I hold has allowed me to become the scholar I am, with the drive I have in school, since my mind is not preoccupied elsewhere. This article speaks about W.E.B. Du Bois, who had the privilege to get his doctorate from Harvard, despite his race, and his daughter, who by mere luck got to study at a prestigious school in England. Du Bois writes a letter to his daughter speaking about her privilege to be able to study there, even though she did nothing to earn it, and that she should take a hold of her opportunity and make the most of it.

So, like Du Bois says to his daughter about making the most from every opportunity, what I take away from the article is this: privilege is not only the opportunity to study at some prestigious school, but having privilege can stem from somewhere as simple as having respect for oneself and the others around them. Being confident in all that one does and taking chances to see where it will lead him or her; that is having privilege. One must understand his or her privilege, no matter how much or how little he or she has, and take advantage of all the opportunities it brings in order to better oneself, but most of all, the privilege that one holds should not overcome his or her being, in other words, do not lose oneself in his or her privilege. 

In conclusion, who can have privilege? Anyone can have privilege because although it can come from material belongings, it can also come from respect for oneself and the people around him or her. How can one get privilege? Respect those around oneself and take advantage of all the opportunities that are thrown ones way.

The Two-Sided Man: Eugene

Eugene, the father of Kambili and Jaja, is a man with two different personalities. One personality is avusive and horrible, while the other is generous and optimistic, however, the family never sees the generous Eugene. The Eugene that the kids and Mama see is a man who wants everything done correctly and timely, if a chore is not completed on time the consequence is beating. This rule goes for everyone in the family, including pregnant Mama, however, it does not just apply to chores. Its a lifestyle rule. For example, Mama felt too ill due to her pregnancy to go into Father Benedict's home, but Eugene does not care and forces her in. Upon returning home though, Eugene beats Mama, which Kambili notes is not irregular, and causes her to lose the baby; instead of taking the blame, Eugene blames Mama for the loss and makes her go pray for repentance. The kids feel this abusive behavior as well, if Kambili does not run to the car after school, Eugene will be enraged with her. Likewise, when Jaja refused to take Eucharist at mass for personal reasons, Papa threw a missile at him. This Eugene is not the one that the general public see on a daily basis, rather this side of Eugene is only seen by the family.

On the other hand, Eugene is a generous man to everyone else in the community. He runs a newspaper that discusses the wrong doings of the government because he wants to tell the truth and make a change in his community. This side of Eugene is completely opposite to what he is like in his family life, rather he helps out his neighbors and is an overall great person, despite minor flaws, when he is out in town. In a way Eugene is a character foil of himself because one side of him is the total opposite of the other, thus enhancing both sides of his personality. Eugene is a man of many sides; he has sides of good and evil.

Why We Are Drawn to Memoirs

Upon reading this article, I began to realize the truth in it. I realized that I, myself, am more drawn to memoirs because it gives me a lens into the life of a real person; a lens into the life of the author, for that matter. It tells me his or her story and allows me to have more respect for the person due to the own struggles and obstacles that I have learned that they had to overcome. The memoirs tell a story of person that I can relate to, due to their real problems and real life situations, rather than made up scenarios and figurative characters.

 The reason for writing them though, is different. For the authors, it is not an act of catharsis, or cleansing; it is to make his or her story known to everyone, and root that story further in their character. It makes the story permanent, rather than being forgotten in the upcoming years. As Dan Shapiro said, "It’s a misapprehension that readers have that by writing memoir you’re purging yourself of your demons. Writing memoir has the opposite effect. It embeds your story deep inside you. It mediates the relationship between the present and the past by freezing a moment in time."

Although the reason for reading memoirs and writing memoirs is different, it still has the same effect. It makes a story permanent and that single story can resonate with a person for the rest of their lives, either by freezing a moment of a persons life, or giving common ground between people who live on opposite sides of the globe.