Reading Journals
Evaluation of Reading Materials
Assuming the validity of Three Prime Directives (avoiding categories of “right” and “wrong”), then all stories would fall in one or more of these categories in terms of content.
1) Stories (fiction or non fiction) of survival of the most basic kind. Avoiding death through starvation, exposure, or the corresponding horrors of war or pestilence. Stories of contrived dangers including detectives, hit men, marauders, serial killers, and any other personal threat to existence such as emergency rooms or medical sleuthing. Romances leading to sexual liaisons have chiefly to do with biological survival. Violations of the 4th-10th commandments make these stories interesting. Irrational hatred of non-traditional gender roles is grounded in fear for biological survival of the species. How to make money and the intermediate goals are really advice regarding conditions of optimum survival.
2) Stories (fiction or non fiction) of compassion. Good deeds done for the sake of others or of the community. These stories illustrate the teachings of Jesus, Buddha, or other spiritualities where the good of the community is paramount, usually supported by some religion. In-group/out-group stories (class or cultural clashes) may fall anywhere between survival and the thriving of the community in the telling. (Wars are fought in the name of “God” when religion or its proponents fear for its survival and lose sight of its focus as a matter of compassion.)
3) Stories of personal growth, regardless of the positive or negative consequences to others. Treks, travels, experimentation in other cultures, with drugs, cult experiences, out of body and other paranormal reports, or great passion for any pursuit.
Some stories cannot be neatly categorized. For instance, the story over time of the courtship and marriage of a couple may begin in fundamental biological urge (survival), through a long period of stability where the couple support society around them and raise their children (compassion for others), yet end in divorce (when personal growth calls one or the other to pursue another path in life). Often a story focuses on only one part of a lifetime, and it may be intertwined with a cultural story, complicating the thoughts and actions of the characters. Thus in the example of the couple above, the husband’s participation in a war may intersect with the other interests of the plot, but differently depending on the life-stage of the characters (A matter of survival? Of compassion? Or of personal development?) Of necessity, most stories must limit their focus.
Even news stories focus on one of these: survival, compassion or personal growth. Thus Journalism often seems “one sided”, not to have presented the whole story, for providing three different foci is difficult to do, while fiction seems “truer”.
I am watching for yet another category. So far this works.
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Comments & Questions? Email: womenbefriends@yahoo.com
Assuming the validity of Three Prime Directives (avoiding categories of “right” and “wrong”), then all stories would fall in one or more of these categories in terms of content.
1) Stories (fiction or non fiction) of survival of the most basic kind. Avoiding death through starvation, exposure, or the corresponding horrors of war or pestilence. Stories of contrived dangers including detectives, hit men, marauders, serial killers, and any other personal threat to existence such as emergency rooms or medical sleuthing. Romances leading to sexual liaisons have chiefly to do with biological survival. Violations of the 4th-10th commandments make these stories interesting. Irrational hatred of non-traditional gender roles is grounded in fear for biological survival of the species. How to make money and the intermediate goals are really advice regarding conditions of optimum survival.
2) Stories (fiction or non fiction) of compassion. Good deeds done for the sake of others or of the community. These stories illustrate the teachings of Jesus, Buddha, or other spiritualities where the good of the community is paramount, usually supported by some religion. In-group/out-group stories (class or cultural clashes) may fall anywhere between survival and the thriving of the community in the telling. (Wars are fought in the name of “God” when religion or its proponents fear for its survival and lose sight of its focus as a matter of compassion.)
3) Stories of personal growth, regardless of the positive or negative consequences to others. Treks, travels, experimentation in other cultures, with drugs, cult experiences, out of body and other paranormal reports, or great passion for any pursuit.
Some stories cannot be neatly categorized. For instance, the story over time of the courtship and marriage of a couple may begin in fundamental biological urge (survival), through a long period of stability where the couple support society around them and raise their children (compassion for others), yet end in divorce (when personal growth calls one or the other to pursue another path in life). Often a story focuses on only one part of a lifetime, and it may be intertwined with a cultural story, complicating the thoughts and actions of the characters. Thus in the example of the couple above, the husband’s participation in a war may intersect with the other interests of the plot, but differently depending on the life-stage of the characters (A matter of survival? Of compassion? Or of personal development?) Of necessity, most stories must limit their focus.
Even news stories focus on one of these: survival, compassion or personal growth. Thus Journalism often seems “one sided”, not to have presented the whole story, for providing three different foci is difficult to do, while fiction seems “truer”.
I am watching for yet another category. So far this works.
br>
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Comments & Questions? Email: womenbefriends@yahoo.com
posted by MJS at 4:15 AM
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