Liz Warren | Storyteller

            In Letting Stories Breathe, Arthur Frank states that companionship with stories begins by thinking with stories. As we have learned throughout this semester we have our internal library of stories about who we are and shared stories with the groups to which we belong.  The stories we share in groups are usually compatible and in harmony with our personal values and cultural expressions.  The strength of our bond to groups is related to commonalities in our stories.  I grew up post-World War II and with a hopeful attitude about the future, social justice and a compassionate society. 

             I was feeling frustrated a while ago at the release of yetanother dystopic film.  The world was destroyed, the government overly controlling to the point of being oppressive, living was hard.  Is this how young people see our society today?  I usually avoid going to these films because they paint such a bleak picture of the future and that’s not in line with my hopeful (overly rosy?) view. I found Frank’s point of view particularly interesting.  He states that” two stories are necessary for thinking because each opens a critical distance from the intensity of the other story.  The second story seems most necessary when twinning it with the first story seems most intolerable.

            Looking at the bleakness of the dystopian tales doesn’t negate the hopefulness of the 60s.  But a failure to dialogue and talk through the differences between the two worldviews creates a real danger.  Either story can get caught up in their own story and demonize the other.  Heaven forbid my grandchildren would figure I was a little old lady lost in the 60s and not in touch with the story of their lives.  And conversely that I look at my grandchildren and not see their fears and concerns of living in that bleak world.

            By thinking about issues through story it’s possible to dialogue and examine issues from a broader point of view.  I did go to see Divergent and found some interesting talking points with my grandchildren.  The concepts of working together, being true to your own beliefs and fighting for freedom from oppressive leadership are all themes that I would love to discuss with them.  Conversations with grandchildren are always changing and sometimes it’s hard to remember to that they are young adults and will be creating the world that I will live in shortly.