Briar Rose: Narrative Analysis

Stories makes the world go around. Narratives across the world inspire human connection, innovation, and the world as we know it. Stories have never been limited in power; they are teachers of lessons, testaments of the creation of the universe, and vehicles of therapy. Our society, lives through stories. Every sinner and saint who has come before us, lives through stories. To forget the stories passed down from generation to generation, and to neglect to share pieces of history with the world, would have arguably the most harmful effect on any society. The survival of humankind depends on the survival of the narrative. The narrative within the family unit is an undoubtedly beneficial application of the importance of storytelling in society. Inherited stories that are contained in the realm of the family unit, provide a tie to one’s heritage. This tie allows the …show more content…
Humans are meant to forge connections and strengthen ties to one another. Understanding one’s heritage is important in cementing the individual 's sense of belonging to family as well as society. Briar Rose by Jane Yolen follows Becca’s quest from the United States to Poland in order to find the truth of her heritage that had been hidden in her grandmother’s story of Sleeping Beauty for decades. Becca’s longing to discover the truth about her origins is basic human nature. Becca wanted to understand how her family came about, and preserve her grandmother, Gemma’s story. When Becca asks her friend, Stan, the reason behind his conviction to find his birth mother he responds by saying, “Because I had to. Blood calling to blood, and all that” (105). Becca and Stan’s curiosity is natural. The desire to unveil family secrets helps a person feel a completeness in respect to the greater world. The void that is filled through receiving and sharing narratives, contributes to the amelioration of society