The Anatomy of a Story
“It's like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story.”
- Patrick Rothfuss
Storytelling has always existed since the beginning of humanity. The older generations endows legends, myths, folklores, fairy tales, and even their personal stories as heirlooms to the younger generations. In the past, stories were passed down only in oral form, but times have changed and the modern form of storytelling is through the plots of movies, tv shows, books, and podcasts. Nowadays, people often look forward to the newest episode of their favorite tv show or podcast after a long day of work or to snuggle under the blanket and enjoy the next chapter of their current read. Stories are heavily incorporated into the day-to-day lives of the average person.
“The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.” - Brandon Sanderson
These stories often contain themes, allegories, lessons, and morals beyond the surface-level narrative. Joker (2019) has sparked heated debates online due to the movie's controversial depiction of mental health and violence. Some viewers have interpreted that the movie encourages violence and taking revenge on those who wronged us, while others interpreted that the movie emphasizes the importance of empathy as we never know what goes on in a stranger’s life and therefore should always be open-minded and kind towards others. Joker (2019) is only a fictional story, however it found its way into the attention of the average person by eliciting enough intrigue from the viewers that it became a topic of heated discussion and debate.
“Art imitates life” - Plato
Mimesis is a literary and philosophical concept referring to “mimicry'' in relation to art and reality. Both Plato and Aristotle theorised that art is an imitation of nature, and therefore by extension, a reflection of reality. We can see mimesis in myths and
other forms of storytelling. Myths are simultaneously revealing and concealing at once. When interpreted literally, myths are only fiction, but when used as an allegory or metaphor, myths contain truth.
An example is the myth of Sisyphus. At face level, it is a story of a man who cheated death twice and was punished for it, forced to roll a boulder up to the peak of a hill, only for the boulder to roll down before it could reach the summit, thus condemning Sisyphus to an eternity of repeating a pointless task. However, Albert Camus, a
philosopher, used the myth of Sisyphus as an allegory for the futile human condition of seeking a greater meaning in life and suffering for it. The boulder symbolises humanity’s unrelenting struggle against the existential absurdity of life. Camus imagines Sisyphus as a hero, who recognises the absurdity of his task, but continues to persevere through. Our daily routines are made of meaningless tasks that seem insignificant, but Camus emphasises the importance of giving value to those meaningless tasks and finding meaning in the humdrum of our daily routines.
“But in the end, stories are about one person saying to another : this is the way it feels to me. Can you understand what I’m saying? Does it feel this way to you?” - Kazuo Ishiguro
Stories are so integral to the human experience that most of our conversations involve an exchange of personal stories and telling gossip (which is a form of storytelling). Even as children, we play make-believe and conjure up tales of knights, princesses, and dragons, tales of a voyage across the expanse of the galaxy, or even tales of opening up our own restaurant with our kitchen toys. Stories are a way to communicate, and thus a way to make a connection to others. We think in narratives, every experience we have ever had is stored in our brain as a form of a narrative, as a form of a story. Narratives are how humans make sense of the surroundings, and when we tell stories, we are sharing our understanding of the world to others.
“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” - Neil Gaiman
We are so compelled to tell stories because they help us find meaning and navigate our existence in a world that is constantly changing. There is comfort in finding recognizable patterns in stories and their tropes. Storytelling is a form of communication that may span for decades or even centuries, they are used as a medium for humans to share their unique experiences and their values. Humans have been telling stories for a long time, and they will continue to do so in the future. Storytelling is not merely a source of entertainment, but it is an inherent trait of being human.