The Arts, Addicted to Stories – Part I

We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories.

Jonathan Gottschall, Author of The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human

Earlier this week, my daughter proclaimed she was going to write a book of poems and asked me if I could help her publish it. When I said we could find a way, she jumped for joy shouting, “then I’ll be famous.” I was taken aback, wondering from where the interest in fame had come. I considered a song I’ve been enjoying recently called Hall of Fame by Script and whether it, or one like it (she loves music) may have influenced her.

Here are some of the lyrics from Hall of Fame:

Yeah, You could be the greatest
You can be the best
You can be the King Kong banging on your chest

You could beat the world
You could beat the war
You could talk to God, go banging on his door

You can throw your hands up
You can beat the clock
You can move a mountain
You can break rocks
You can be a master
Don’t wait for luck
Dedicate yourself and you can find yourself

Standing in the hall of fame

One of that same daughter’s favorite books is The Little Dancer, about the famous sculpture by Degas. The model for the sculpture was what the French at the time called an “Opera Rat” – those young “urchins” who scurried in off the streets hoping ballet might provide the emotional and physical scraps and crumbs of sustenance they so craved. This opera rat, Marie Van Goethem was the fourteen year old daughter of a Belgian tailor and a laundress. In the sculpture, she stands almost defiant in her “flat-chested, skinny, coltish adolescence.” Her protruding jaw, flattened facial features, and low forehead don’t fit the angelic visage her viewers would have hoped for. “Her right foot is far forward and turned out ninety degrees, arms stretched uncomfortably behind her back, fingers on both hands intertwined.” With shoulders back and head held high, she appears dignified in contrast to her lowly origins. “Her eyes are half-closed, her head is tilted. She’s ready to rise above that rat-of-the-opera mystique.” 

If I could choose a character in one of these narratives for my daughter to emulate, it would be the Little Dancer, in her courage and strength in the face of adversity as opposed to the character who is following the path to the Hall of Fame.

I realize now the reason I’ve been bothered by the season finale of the TV Series, Elementary, is the same reason I’m challenged by the movie, Schindler’s List. In concert with Sherlock Holmes of Elementary, I was violently condemning of his former drug dealer, Nick. At the same time, I aspire to be the hero character Sherlock portrays. But alas, I know I’m only a twist of fate away from being the weak and broken drug-addicted version of Nick or Sherlock. Schindler’s List makes me wonder what are the things in my life, like Schindler’s car or lapel pin, that I don’t even notice I’m holding onto, which if I let go of, might allow someone else near me to be free.

Thanks to promotion by Oprah Winfrey, with over 20 million copies sold in 46 languages, The Secret is one of the bestselling books of all time. Its message is simply that we can control our lives by the way we think and the things we think about, both positively and negatively. We can gain weight by spending our time thinking about how overweight we are or how overweight others are. We can become wealthy by envisioning ourselves wealthy. It creates an archetype of the wealthy, beautiful, healthy, powerful you and tells us “The Secret” of how to become that person.

Offensive as it may be to many of us, I dare to compare The Secret to The Purpose Driven Life. Purpose Driven Life is an even bigger blockbuster, the bestselling non-fiction book in history. It’s a book written for Christians by megachurch pastor Rick Warren but its appeal has gone far beyond just the Christian book-buying demographic. It is as the title alludes, about following God’s purposes for your life. You’ll find here no critique of the book’s theological underpinnings or questions of the validity of its claims about God. The book begins with clearly stating “it’s not about you,” implying that it’s about God. But when trying to understand its huge success, Michael Cromartie, Vice President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, explains that it is exactly because it is about “you.” “In a world where so many feel their lives are filled with meaninglessness, insignificance, anomie and uncertainty, his [Rick Warren’s] message that every person’s work and life has unique value struck a chord.” Warren “pressed home the point again and again in almost every chapter.” Both of these bestsellers present pictures of a life filled with meaning, purpose, fulfillment – both almost equally compelling it seems at least as measured by millions of books sold – one based on a secret “law of attraction;” the other based on a perfect and loving God.

From the Little Dancer to The Secret, each of these creative works tells a story or stories. Even Grand Theft Auto, one of the most popular video game franchises in history, tells a story of power and greed the Huffington Post recently described as “Literally Set in Hell.” The 114.4 million viewers of the 49^th Super Bowl were able to vicariously experience “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” One of the world’s bestselling board games, Monopoly, has taught many a child the story of rags to riches to rags. “Reality TV” is a story about an alternative reality that we might hope to imitate.