Outside Reading #9

Many times stories can teach us how to be humans. In "Star Quilts and Jim Thorpe," Brenda Child describes her grandmother's experience with the Flandreau Indian School. After describing how students native learned words and phrases from each other, she states, "This peculiarly pan-Indian quality of the boarding schools is not what assimilationists, who were committed to the repression of tribal languages and culture, had in mind when they founded the institutions" (2). This positivity shows how people can maintain their identity even in the worst of times and oppression. Stories also teach us to be human through contrasting reality with intentions. In "Pipestone" Addie describes how the whites would check the Native American boys for nits or lice. He describes, "I hold my breath as that bug rake  goes through my hair over and over. It takes only one louse to fall on the sheet, and off I go to Paul Smith. I cry as those hair clippers chomp off my hair...we're lonely, bald-headed, our clothes don't fit, and we smell awful" (22-3). This scene presents the intentions of the whites to prevent the students from having nits or lice and the pain that results from these good intentions. Stories like these can teach us to think ahead to the consequences of our actions and the effect they have on people.

Outside Reading #8

Stories can serve to facilitate the understanding of loss. The song "If I Could" by Jack Johnson does just this by telling a story of loss that Jack Johnson experienced. He sings, "I heard some words/from a friend on the phone/that didn't sound so good/the doctor gave him two weeks to live/I'd give him more if I could." Jack lays out the abruptness with which loss can come. Jack continues in the song to develop a positive message about the circle of life. He sings, "New life makes losing life easier to understand/words are kind/they help ease the mind/I'll miss my old friend/and though you gotta go/we'll keep a piece of your soul/one goes out/one comes in." In this part of the song, Jack suggests that although people die, their "soul" stays and their influence in other people's lives remains. Stories such as that of the song, "If I Could," can help in the dealing with loss.

Outside Reading #7

Stories can help encapsulate a time in our life. For example, the song Stop This Train by John Mayer had this effect for me. In the song, John sings. "Stop this train/I want to get off and go home again/I can't take the speed it's moving in/I know I can't but honestly/won't someone stop this train." I listened to this song so many times that it became ingrained in my mind and taught me about the continuum of life. The song also helps me to reflect on that time period in my life when the song was first released and I listened to it repeatedly. John sings, "So scared of getting older/I'm only good at being young." This part of the verse reminds me of the fear I had of getting older when I listened to it when I was younger. Stories like the one told in Stop This Train by John Mayer can become associated with a certain time in our life and allow us to reflect on them later.

Outside Reading #6

Stories can help us to dwell in place and appreciate your home. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden feels at peace when he visits his home. After he gets home, he enters D.B.'s room, "I went around the room, very quiet and all, looking at stuff for a while. I felt swell, for a change. I didn't even feel like I was getting pneumonia or anything any more. I just felt good, for a change" (159). The sense of relief that overcomes Holden shows evidence of the healing powers of one's home. This feeling is similar to those felt in familiar places. When Holden visits the Museum of Natural History, an important part of his childhood, he goes over to look at the mummies. He says, "I was the only one left in the tomb then. I sort of liked it, in a way. It was so nice and peaceful" (204). Holden is overcome with peace when he revisits a core part of his childhood because he is so familiar with it. The Catcher in the Rye teaches us of the importance of familiar places.

Outside Reading #5

Stories are important in our lives because they educate our desires. One such example is in Freakonomics. The explanatory note says, "[Levitt] seemed to look at the world not so much as an academic but as a very smart and curious explorer" (XXIV). This book taught me to take the perspective of Levitt and be curious about the world, always wanting to learn more. This mindset was further encouraged by the other sections of the book. The book suggests, "The fear created by commercial experts may not quite rival the fear created by terrorists like the Ku Klux Klan, but the principle is the same" (68). Levitt takes a unique approach to analyzing the world, by looking not at the external properties but more in depth at the root causes of something. This original way of learning about the world and seeing its interconnectedness attracted me and, along with many other books, educated my desires.

Stories Teach Us the Consequences of Certain Actions

Stories are important because they teach us the consequences of certain actions. One such example is in the fairy tail, Hansel and Gretel in which we are taught not to judge a book by its cover. In the story, the children come across a cottage and "starving but delighted, the children began to eat pieces of candy broken off the cottage." The children learn that going closer to this seemingly perfect cottage is a mistake. While the cottage looks welcoming, it is simply a trap. When the witch discovers the children, she exclaims, "I shall fatten you up and eat you!" This emphasizes that while the outside of the cottage is inviting, inside lies a disturbing witch. Ultimately the story of Hansel and Gretel, like many other fairy tales, teaches us to not make assumptions based on superficial evidence.

Outside Reading #3

Another important characteristic of stories is that they allow us to see through the eyes of other people. In the book Matterhorn, a novel of the Vietnam War, the reader can see how the soldiers viewed the war. Mellas, the main character observes, "It was all absurd, without reason or meaning. People who didn't know each other were going to kill each other over a hill none of them cared about." While most people at the homefront during a war view the war as simply an event, the soldiers actually view it as a meaningless tug of war for positioning that is controlled by their superiors. Ultimately, they view themselves as pawns manipulated in the game of war. Another view of the value of war can be seen in another part of the book. Mellas says, "Victory in combat is like sex with a prostitute. For a moment you forget everything in the sudden physical rush, but then you have to pay your money to the woman showing you the door. You see the dirt on the walls and your sorry image in the mirror." Again the reader is shown the perspective of the soldier in that war seems important in the moment but afterwards it is viewed for what it really is: a dirty, pointless event. Stories give life to the perspective of the characters, like those of soldiers in Matterhorn.