Storytelling is a powerful tool to teach both children and adults important lessons about humanity, life, culture, and traditions. Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss, professional storytellers, explain the power of storytelling as a teaching tool this way, “Storytelling is the oldest form of education. People around the world have always told tales as a way of passing down their cultural beliefs, traditions, and history to future generations” (1). Throughout human history, oral stories have been a universal way in which humans pass down their history, beliefs, and even morals. According to Donna Eder and Regina Holyan, in their book Life Lessons through Storytelling, “Stories were the first way in which humans relayed their history, their knowledge, …show more content…
Connie Rockman, a professional storyteller, children's literature consultant, and adjunct professor of children's and young adult literature, expresses, “The point is we all tell stories, and as we share our hopes and disappointments with others, we share with them our humanity” (48). Storytelling has universal appeal for people of all ages, cultures, social status, and education. Because storytelling can bridge so many differences, it is a powerful tool for passing down history, beliefs, and traditions. Watership Down is a wonderful story, rich with the culture, beliefs, and qualities Adams deemed important to pass down to his children, and in turn, to his readers of all …show more content…
As Eden and Holyan explain, “Of all the types of teaching stories, animal tales are of particular interest because for thousands of years they have played a central role in revealing the basic values of society” (10). In most storytelling cultures, each animal represents certain characteristics. Kenyan culture, in particular, uses rabbits as a “positive example of behavior” (33). The moral of many Kenyan stories is that brains can overcome brawn; intelligence is valued above physical strength (34). Similarly, in Navajo cultures, favorably showing small animals’ reliance on wit rather than strength demonstrates that “everything has a purpose” (34). This aspect of storytelling where the “small animal wins out” relates well with children, who are also small (34). Kenyan native, Winstone Mogaka, relates, “because the rabbit is that quintessential figure of the trickster person and, since children seem to be very ruled by the powers of adults, there is … an implicit pleasure in seeing a small and powerless animal … win so many battles” (34). In American modern literature, Joel Chandler Harris’ Uncle Remus stories portray Brer Rabbit as a trickster who constantly outwits Brer Fox and other larger villains. Similarly, Richard Adams also featured rabbit characters that used wit and wisdom to survive obstacles and more powerful enemies. Children relate to animal characters in stories and therefore
Many of Margaret Wise Brown’s most famous books have animals as the main character. For example, Runaway Bunny and Goodnight Moon, two of her most popular books, feature rabbits as the main characters. Further, in Goodnight Moon, the animal’s behavior is parallel to that of humans. For example, the motherly figure on the rocking chair is reading to the young rabbit as many parents do to their children. Additionally, Brown adds a humorous element as the young rabbit seems to have pets.
Stories are a means of passing on information, acting as a medium to transport cultural heritage and customs forward into the future. In his essay titled "You'll Never Believe What Happened," King says that, "The truth about stories is that that's all we are” (King Essay 2). Contained within this statement is a powerful truth: without stories, a society transcending the limitations of time could not exist. Cultures might appear, but they would inevitably die away without a means of preservation. Subsequent generations would be tasked with creating language, customs, and moral laws, all from scratch. In a way, stories form the core of society's existence.
Individuals develop their personal values and beliefs from a variety of sources. Major areas one gets ideas and values from is their parent, their society, and their culture. One way all three of these sources combine to instil certain values and beliefs in people is through oral storytelling. Listening to stories- oral or not- is a way people develop different thoughts, attitudes and beliefs; therefore, what theme or moral lessons a story has in very impactful on one's life. In “The Sun Still Rises in the Same Sky: Native American LIterature” by Joseph Bruchac this concept is explained in Native American literature. “We can make some important generalization about American Indian oral traditions. First of all, Native American cultures use stories to teach moral lessons and convey
Owl's character as knowledge over amusement may be boring to children listening to his intellectual rambles e.g. Roo's boredom with the encyclopedia. Hence, characters like Winnie the Pooh, who brings amusement, may seem more attractive than Owl. While the character of CR is used to demonstrate the relationship between children and adults by the use of many parallels, speech and actions, it is the animals that represent the author's construction of different types of childhood. In addition to this, the animals are also the providers of amusement and entertainment which draw children's love and interest.
The ancient ritual of storytelling is a form of communication that dates back as far as civilization and human language can go. Timeless works of literature such as Beowulf and The Iliad were originally told orally and passed down for generations. Storytelling has played an important role in the development of society due to the emphasis on language, the preservation of history, and the acknowledgment of morals.
1. Growing up we all heard stories. Different types of stories, some so realistic, we cling onto them farther into our lives. Stories let us see and even feel the world in different prespectives, and this is becuase of the writter or story teller. We learn, survive and entertain our selves using past experiences, which are in present shared as stories. This is why Roger Rosenblatt said, "We are a narrative species."
Throughout my life, I've heard many different stories about my family. Because of these stories, I know about my background, and they have helped form my identity. Randall Bass, professor of English at Georgetown University, agrees that stories help shape people's identities. Bass states that, "Individuals derive their sense of identity from their culture, and cultures are systems of belief that determine how people live their lives" (Bass 1). Cultural stories about family history, religion, nationality, and heritage help influence people's behavior and beliefs. Identities of different people come from their cultures. Story telling begins at home. Stories help connect people to their systems of beliefs. They sculpt people's lives by giving them a model of how to live. People receive their earliest knowledge from different stories.(Bass)
For centuries, children stories have been a valuable tool in teaching lessons and morals. Like most stories that one was read as a child, there lies a life lesson that the author is trying to portray. Whether it was told orally like the story Beowulf or written by an author like Chaucer who wrote The Canterbury Tales, there are life lessons that are being taught through the characters and their challenges that they endure.
Fairy tales portray wonderful, elaborate, and colorful worlds as well as chilling, frightening, dark worlds in which ugly beasts are transformed into princes and evil persons are turned to stones and good persons back to flesh (Guroian). Fairytales have long been a part of our world and have taken several forms ranging from simple bedtime stories to intricate plays, musicals, and movies. However, these seemingly simple stories are about much more than pixie dust and poisoned apples. One could compare fairytales to the new Chef Boyardee; Chef Boyardee hides vegetables in its ravioli while fairytales hide society’s morals and many life lessons in these outwardly simple children stories. Because of this fairytales have long been instruments used to instruct children on the morals of their culture. They use stories to teach children that the rude and cruel do not succeed in life in the long run. They teach children that they should strive to be kind, caring, and giving like the longsuffering protagonists of the fairytale stories. Also, they teach that good does ultimately defeat evil. Fairy tales are not just simple bedtime stories; they have long been introducing cultural moral values into young children.
Have you ever wondered what the wolf's side of The Three Little Pigs story was? Well, Jon Scieszka gives his readers the opportunity to see a different perspective dealing with this very circumstance. In many of his books, including The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by A. Wolf, Scieszka has used this style of writing that varies from the norm. Every turn of the page gives rise to new wonder and suspense as to what the reader will encounter as he or she moves through the pages of this intriguing book. Many of us grew up hearing fairy tales and nursery rhymes and most of us accepted them the way that they were. However, Jon Scieszka likes to take his readers on "adventures" through the "other side." He twists well-known stories around just enough to challenge the view that we have had for so long, yet not so much that we are unable to realize what story he is "imitating" or "mocking."
Though the evils of the world may discourage us from reaching our full potential, fairytales such as Little Snow-White by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm teach us that good will always triumph over evil. As many tales of its kind, Little Snow-White uses a number of literary devices to attract a younger audience and communicate to them a lesson or moral that will remain with them throughout their lives. Since children have such an abstract stream of thought, it is vital to use language and devices that will appeal to them as to keep them interested in the story.
Throughout time, mankind has forged stories and legends to explain the unknown. As years went along the stories and tall tales were passed down to each generation. Each recount of the inherited stories are always told differently, how the story was told usually depended on the person and their particular region of habitance. Thus leading to hundreds of different versions of a single story told throughout the world, written and told by different people. Not only are these stories told as pure entertainment, they serve as wise life lessons and set examples for children when they were eventually introduced to society. These stories are so prominent in human history that even to this day the same stories that were told to children centuries ago
I am writing this paper because I was assigned to write it as a class project. Along the way I realized the importance of sharing the real meanings of all these stories. Stories are important because in the society we live in things are constantly changing. Fairytales change but the base of the story always remain the same no matter how many times it has been retold. It’s important to reveal the true meanings of these stories, even with its dark characteristics, because the world is dark .Children need to know that there are people that have told stories relatable to what they are going through. Fairytales help the development of children; it helps their maturity as they confront someone else’s tough situations, instilling hope of a more positive ou...
Aesop’s fables have always been an important part of society because Aesop’s fables take complicated ideas and, using simple characters and plots, explain them in easy to understand ways. Aesop’s fables are very effective tools in teaching children important life lessons. When I was a child, I remember hearing the story of the “Lion and the Mouse.” This story taught me that even though people may be little, they can still be great. Reading and listening to Aesop’s fables can help improve a person’s character. These stories help shape a person’s morals, whether they know it or not.
When you where a kid did your parents ever tell you stories about your culture or about your family’s values? Chances are they where telling you a folk tale. Folk tales are stories passed down usually by word of mouth but often they are written down. Folk tales teach a valuable life lesson while entertaining the reader or in some cases the listener. This essay will give examples of three folk tales and go into depth on how they teach lessons and still remain entertaining for children and even adults.