From books to movies, music, and more—stories are everywhere. But what makes them so compelling to consume? And what is their purpose in our lives?
The earliest record of stories comes from ancient cave drawings dating back almost 30,000 years ago in Lascaux and Chavaux, France. These nascent representations of a society’s shared culture and history eventually moved beyond cave walls as people shared stories through chants, songs, and word of mouth. Oral storytelling was particularly common among Native American tribes in North America, who circulated creation stories and fables to be passed down from generation to generation. Similarly, in ancient Greece, epic poems such as Homer’s The Iliad were first recited or performed and eventually transcribed sometime around the eighth century BCE. The invention of the printing press in the fifteenth century and other technologies later paved the way for stories to be disseminated widely and in a number of diverse forms.
As stories spread across the world, scholars began dissecting them for common themes and characteristics. In his book, The Hero With A Thousand Faces, American comparative mythologist Joseph Campbell explored narrative patterns in world myths. The word myth comes from the Greek mythos, meaning “story” or “tale”. A myth is a narrative that holds cultural significance, not necessarily always based on factual events but presented as an account of the human experience involving metaphors, morals, and meaning. Campbell theorized that all myths follow a similar structure of the “hero’s journey” (also known as the “Monomyth”) in which a protagonist must set out on a quest to an unfamiliar land, achieve a goal, and return with newfound skills or knowledge to aid others in need. However, despite Campbell’s claim that the Monomyth was a universal archetype, some have noted its Eurocentric perspective as such stories are rooted in Western cultural ideals of independence, self-sufficiency, and pursuit of personal glory. Scholars have critiqued the Monomyth for its failure to fully take into account the complexity of world literature, especially that of non-Western stories.
In comparison, Eastern societies tend to be more collectivist as a whole. The Chinese philosopher Confucious wrote of collectivist ideals in his teachings, including the virtues of filial piety and group harmony, among others. These ideals are reflected in stories—whereas Western stories are often straightforward with a clear protagonist and three-act structure (the setup, confrontation, and resolution), Eastern stories may have a revolving cast of characters and an open-ended plot. There is a storytelling model in Japan called “Kishōtenketsu” that is structured in four parts (kiku (ki): introduction, shōku (shō): development, tenku (ten): twist, kekku (ketsu): conclusion). Stories that follow this model are typically more character-driven and focus on how characters respond to twists (i.e., unexpected events or changes) rather than how they resolve conflicts.
But no matter where stories come from or how they are told, it’s worth considering why we are so drawn to them. New Zealand author and English professor Brian Boyd suggests that our love for the arts stems from an evolutionary fixation with patterns. In his essay, “The Art of Literature and the Science of Literature,” he describes how humans are naturally inclined to seek out and engage with patterns everywhere we go. Patterns are information that fall into “meaningful arrays from which we can make rich inferences” about human behavior and the social world. Boyd writes: “Stories fall into patterns of patterns, which storytellers can play with to arouse, satisfy, defeat, or surprise expectations—and no wonder that expectation and surprise drive so much of our interest in story.”
Beyond evoking some kind of emotional response, stories exist as vehicles of self-exploration that in turn help us make sense of the world. In The Hero With A Thousand Faces, Campbell outlined four primary functions of myths: metaphysical/mystical, cosmological, sociological, and pedagogical. The metaphysical/mystical function is to spark a sense of awe about the universe and blur the borders between the known and unknown. Fantasy and sci-fi novels carry out this function as they encourage us to use our imagination while pondering the nature of reality. Stories can also provide explanations for the creation of the universe (cosmological function); the Book of Genesis and countless other creation myths across cultures are some examples. A third function (sociological function) is to affirm the existing social order. The myth behind India’s caste system—how one’s caste classification was dependent on which holy body part of the creator god Brahma they were made from—reinforced social division and inequality. Lastly, the pedagogical function of myths is to guide humans to lead a meaningful life. For instance, Aesop’s Fables are often taught to young children in order to impress upon them certain morals and ideals.
Stories can entertain, teach us something new, and provide a framework in which we can better understand ourselves and society. Amidst an ever-evolving, chaotic world, they remain an important tool for us to reflect and engage with life.
Stella Ho is a writer from the Bay Area. Her work has been recognized by the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. She is currently studying behavioral science at the London School of Economics.