Which would constitute as an excellent work of fiction: a story of full pleasure-with no conflicts or flaws, or a story of pure dissatisfaction- no resolve, no hope, solely tragedy? Which would be more desirable to reader? The answer to that question would be neither. A piece of work without balance in content would be absolutely displeasing to a reader. In Chapter 3 of The Storytelling Animal, Jonathan Gottschall argues that a story should be neutral in content in order to be pleasing to the reader and that conflict is essential because it not only entertains but also trains individuals to be resourceful when encountering problems in real life. An individual may counter that this theory is not true, however, numerous examples and proofs
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In an attempt to counter this theory, authors developed a new form of storytelling to experiment with in order to break the confines of typical story structure. This experiment is known as hyperrealism, which in short is the simple narrating and real life description of a scenario. An example of this is New Grab Street by George Gissing. Although the story accurately depicted the true meaning of hyperrealism it proved to be a failure. In fact, it was as much as a failure as wish fulfillment due to the fact that it was not appealing to most readers who would rather read a story with an interesting plotline. According to Mr. Gottschall, storytelling is comprised of a formula that will guarantee a successful story: Story= Character + Predicament+ Attempted Extrication. It should be noted that predicament is the central component in this formula. This is due to the fact that, as previously stated, conflicts are essential because of its value in terms of interest and morality. However individuals, especially the group known as Modernists, oppose the argument that story makers should work within the tight confines of problem structure. It is understandable how a writer would be against such a statement, after all writing is a form of expression. Expression is a form freedom of …show more content…
Due to the fact that, as stated by Mr. Gottschall, “the human mind was shaped for story to be shaped by story.” There is a need for problem structured fiction because individuals crave lessons and tutorials. Because conflict resolution is a necessity when trying to operate in society, readers develop more social skills when reading a story. Any story, for that matter, can train individuals: from a phenomenal, bestselling novel to simple children’s folklore. Mr. Gottschall actually presents a correlation that corresponds with the social skills of a person who reads frequently and the type of literature they may read. The science behind this argument is presented on page 59, with the “Mirror Neuron Theory.” Certain media presented to an individual causes a neurological response inside of them enforcing an automatic response similar to what is being presented. If a reader reads that their favorite character has met their demise, they may feel sad just as the rest of the characters in novel. This an example of a characteristic in problem format storytelling because it aids in creating empathy in individuals which is a great social skill to have. The overall consequence of a problem structured story is enhanced social skills. Despite individuals who may feel oppressed by conforming to structure when developing a
In an attempt to counter this theory, authors developed a new form of storytelling to experiment with in order to break the confines of typical story structure. This experiment is known as hyperrealism, which in short is the simple narrating and real life description of a scenario. An example of this is New Grab Street by George Gissing. Although the story accurately depicted the true meaning of hyperrealism it proved to be a failure. In fact, it was as much as a failure as wish fulfillment due to the fact that it was not appealing to most readers who would rather read a story with an interesting plotline. According to Mr. Gottschall, storytelling is comprised of a formula that will guarantee a successful story: Story= Character + Predicament+ Attempted Extrication. It should be noted that predicament is the central component in this formula. This is due to the fact that, as previously stated, conflicts are essential because of its value in terms of interest and morality. However individuals, especially the group known as Modernists, oppose the argument that story makers should work within the tight confines of problem structure. It is understandable how a writer would be against such a statement, after all writing is a form of expression. Expression is a form freedom of …show more content…
Due to the fact that, as stated by Mr. Gottschall, “the human mind was shaped for story to be shaped by story.” There is a need for problem structured fiction because individuals crave lessons and tutorials. Because conflict resolution is a necessity when trying to operate in society, readers develop more social skills when reading a story. Any story, for that matter, can train individuals: from a phenomenal, bestselling novel to simple children’s folklore. Mr. Gottschall actually presents a correlation that corresponds with the social skills of a person who reads frequently and the type of literature they may read. The science behind this argument is presented on page 59, with the “Mirror Neuron Theory.” Certain media presented to an individual causes a neurological response inside of them enforcing an automatic response similar to what is being presented. If a reader reads that their favorite character has met their demise, they may feel sad just as the rest of the characters in novel. This an example of a characteristic in problem format storytelling because it aids in creating empathy in individuals which is a great social skill to have. The overall consequence of a problem structured story is enhanced social skills. Despite individuals who may feel oppressed by conforming to structure when developing a