Nishitha Gopinath Week 11 - The Stories We Tell

                                                                                         The Stories We Tell

    As someone who reads books like there’s no tomorrow, I’ve learned to recognize that humans have always been storytellers. From the ancient myths passed down from generation to generation, to the multi-billion dollar movie industries in each country, we crave stories as much as we crave other essential needs, like food or shelter. 

    More than entertainment, however, stories are one of the most powerful things in the world. The stories we hear throughout our lives–whether that’s our parents telling us an enchanting, magic-filled bedtime story when we were younger or a disturbing tale that one of our classmates saw on social media–shape our thoughts, challenge our principles, and connect us to people we’ve never met. 

    Most of us don’t realize the way that stories have shaped us until we look at the ones that have stayed with us. I read Harry Potter for the first time when I was seven, and the novels took over my world so much so that I (embarrassingly) remember staring transfixed outside my window on the night of my eleventh birthday, convinced that Hagrid was going to fly in on his motorcycle and whisk me away to the mystical world of Hogwarts. Beyond the trivial fantasies that younger me had, one of my favorite books now is Fourth Wing, by Rebecca Yarros. Although it might not be a literary masterpiece, I especially love it because the main character, Violet Sorrengail, has taught me two important lessons: strength is about resilience, rather than physical prowess, and to know your worth by never settling for people who don’t deserve you. 

    Storytelling in other forms can also shape us, beyond just fictional characters. A documentary can show us corruption in a part of the world that we never previously bothered to learn about. A memoir can make us rethink our assumed stereotypes about a place or a group of people. Even a simple TikTok video about someone’s lived-in experiences can change our perspective on the matter.

    However, it’s also important to recognize that stories don’t just shape individuals, and can shape history itself. Every major revolution, every prominent social change, started with a story that challenged the previously accepted norm. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin started the abolitionist movement, while Malala Yousafzai’s memoir about surviving a Taliban attack propelled her to a position of global advocacy for girls’ education in Middle Eastern countries. 

    We often underestimate the power of stories because we consume them effortlessly, through books, news articles, movies, and social media. But the truth is, the world is shaped by those who control the narrative of these works. Governments use propaganda to sway public opinion. Companies manipulate brand image to sell their products. Even history itself is written by those in power, since they get to decide which stories are told and which stories are erased.