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.

Outside Reading #2

Stories are important because they can create community. Community is identified in the StarTribune article Edina Does It Again. For example, in the article they describe our game, "Edina's heroes were numerous." By writing this article, the StarTribune created a story that our football team could rally around. This community can also be seen in the quotes that the writer includes. They quote quarterback Mark Handberg, "It's all about belief in ourself...we knew we could beat Wayzata. And we knew we could beat Eden Prairie. That is what it's all about." By including this quote, readers can connect to the community of the Edina Football team and get a sense of the camaraderie. This is just one of the ways that stories are important; they create communities.

http://www.mnfootballhub.com/news_article/show/184450?referrer_id=484170