Friday, September 6, 2013
The Dark Side
Humans have an interesting fascination with the "darker" things in life and storytelling. Our ears immediately tune into the sounds of people gossiping. We are completely enthralled with the scary parts in stories. Most of the dreams we may remember involve running from monsters, or murdering bad guys. Almost every story that we read/watch/listen/invent contain some sort of element that doesn't belong in a simple "happy" fairytale. A story isn't considered good if their isn't some sort of problem to overcome like aliens invading or a bad guy to make pay for his crimes. As readers, we look for books filled with excitement and adventure and, of course, a happily ever after sort of ending! Storytelling is something that has changed over time. For example, if you have ever read the original Grimm fairytales, you also remember how Cinderella's step sisters cut off their toes and their heels to try and get the glass slipper to fit. Or how one little girl didn't listen to the directions given to her and she couldn't take off her red dancing slippers. The only way she could stop dancing was to cut off her own feet. These stories were meant to either be told to little kids and teach them the importance of listening to the elders or to provide entertainment for adults to tell to each other (like how Little Red Riding Hood does a strip tease for the wolf in one version of the story). It is interesting to see how these "children's tales" have changed as society has progressed and really changed to be geared more to children with some scary elements removed and, like the Disney versions, a happily ever after with a prince. Now, however, there are more stories than ever before and adults are able to find their "dark" kicks from different sources than the old fairytales. We are drawn into stories in the mind set that they are a clear view into someone else's life with no negative side affects. Many of the darker elements of story draw adults in because it is what they are interested in or have questions about. Our minds elicit powerful images based on things we have seen or heard. The way we tell stories has changed through time and will continue to do so, but humans will never stop telling stories and they always have. As technology advances, stories change to incorporate things that have never been in stories before, but the basic story line has always been the same. Do you think stories have changed?
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I like how you brought up some of the reasons why people have written "dark" stories over time. I never really think about the moral aspect to a story until I hear someone else's interpretation of it. Good job!
ReplyDeleteLove the illustration, Jill. I second Vilca's response, and I also want to point other students to your question at the end by answering it for myself, first. Have stories changed? Yes, they're always changing, as is the cultural context (for instance, whether adults think it is appropriate or instructive to retell stories with violent or sexual aspects to children). On the other hand, the core of story doesn't seem to change as much, and, perhaps most intriguingly, children tell their own kinds of scary stories fairly independently of what the adults think is good for them.
ReplyDeleteIn light of Jillian's statement that humans will always tell stories, I'm led to ask myself why? I agree 100%, that humans, regardless of environment, circumstances, etc., will still have stories to tell. It makes me remember what Gottshcall proposed, or what others have proposed; that it has some evolutionary aspect to it. To me it makes sense that it would. As one telling the story, you're the center of attention, the leader of the moment. As Gottschall stated; perhaps in the long-run it does show intelligence, showing we are a higher mate quality so as to find another better quality mate, or whoo more potential partners to propagate offspring, etc. Of course this may sound kind of silly, but what if it is subconsciously instinctive to us?
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